Station 12 Devotional

XII

Daylight fades, the hour is late

I leave the fields and close the gate

The dark stole day and held you to the tree

Wrapped in darkness there we wait

At the twelfth Station of the Cross Jesus dies on the cross.

Listen to the ways the gospel writers record the last breath of Jesus on the cross.

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that

moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook,

the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died

were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into

the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who

were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified,

and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’” (Matthew 27:50-54).

“With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from

top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he

died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:37-39).

“Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he

had said this, he breathed his last. The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised

God and said, ‘Surely this was a righteous man’” (Luke 23:46-47).

“Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be

fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a

sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head

and gave up his spirit” (John 19:28-30).

Reflection Question: What do you think was finished by Jesus’ death on the cross?

Prayer: God, in whom is life, and that life was the light of mankind, and that light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has not conquered it, teach us to walk in the light. In the name of Jesus who died and darkness stole the light and held you to a tree.