The path of Jesus Christ from Gethsemane to Golgotha. The earthly path of the mother of Christ

The founder of one of the greatest world religions - Christianity, the central character of the Christian religious-mythological and dogmatic system and the object of the Christian religious cult.

The main version of the life and work of Jesus Christ came from the depths of Christianity itself. It is set forth primarily in original testimonies about Jesus Christ - a special genre of early Christian literature, called "gospels" ("good news"). Some of them (the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are recognized by the official church as authentic (canonical), and therefore they form the core of the New Testament; others (the Gospels of Nicodemus, Peter, Thomas, the First Gospel of James, the Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, the Gospel of Childhood) are classified as apocrypha (“secret texts”), i.e. inauthentic.

The name "Jesus Christ" reflects the essence of its bearer. "Jesus" is the Greek version of the common Hebrew name "Yeshua" ("Joshua"), which means "God help/salvation." “Christ” is a translation into Greek of the Aramaic word “meshiya” (messiah, i.e. “anointed one”).

The gospels present Jesus Christ as an extraordinary person throughout his entire life journey - from the miraculous birth to the amazing end of his earthly life. Jesus Christ is born (Christmas) during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus (30 BC - 14 AD) in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in the family of Joseph the Carpenter, a descendant of King David, and his wife Mary. This corresponded to the Old Testament prophecies about the birth of the coming Messianic king from the lineage of David and in the "city of David" (Bethlehem). The appearance of Jesus Christ was predicted by the angel of the Lord to his mother (Annunciation) and her husband Joseph.

A child is born miraculously - not as a result of the carnal union of Mary with Joseph, but due to the descent of the Holy Spirit on her (immaculate conception). The atmosphere of the birth emphasizes the uniqueness of this event - the baby Jesus, born in a barn, is glorified by a host of angels, and a bright star lights up in the east. Shepherds come to bow to him; the wise men, whose path to his dwelling is indicated by the Bethlehem star moving across the sky, bring him gifts. Eight days after his birth, Jesus undergoes the rite of circumcision (Circumcision of the Lord), and on the fortieth day in the Jerusalem temple - the rite of purification and dedication to God, during which he is glorified by the righteous Simeon and the prophetess Anna (Meeting of the Lord). Upon learning of the appearance of the messiah, the wicked Jewish king Herod the Great, in fear for his power, orders the extermination of all babies in Bethlehem and its environs, but Joseph and Mary, warned by an angel, flee with Jesus to Egypt. Apocrypha tells of numerous miracles performed by the two-year-old Jesus Christ on the way to Egypt. After a three-year stay in Egypt, Joseph and Mary, upon learning of the death of Herod, return to their hometown of Nazareth in Galilee (Northern Palestine). Then, according to the apocrypha, for seven years the parents of Jesus moved with him from city to city, and everywhere behind him stretches the glory of the miracles he performed: according to his word, people were healed, died and were resurrected, inanimate objects came to life, wild animals humbled themselves, water The Jordan parted. The child, showing extraordinary wisdom, confounds his mentors. As a twelve-year-old boy, he strikes with unusually deep questions and answers of the teachers of the Law (the laws of Moses), with whom he enters into conversation in the Jerusalem temple. However, then, as the Arabic gospel of childhood reports (“He began to hide His miracles, His secrets and sacraments, until He was thirtieth year old.”

When Jesus Christ reaches this age, he is baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (this event Luke relates to the "fifteenth year of the reign of the emperor Tiberius", i.e. to 30 AD), and the Holy Spirit descends on him, which leads him to the desert. There, for forty days, he fights with the devil, rejecting three temptations one after another - hunger, power and faith. Upon returning from the wilderness, Jesus Christ begins his preaching work. He calls his disciples to him and, wandering with them through Palestine, proclaims his teaching, interprets the Old Testament Law and performs miracles. The activity of Jesus Christ unfolds mainly in the territory of Galilee, in the vicinity of the Gennesaret (Tiberias) Lake, but every Easter he goes to Jerusalem.

The meaning of the preaching of Jesus Christ is the good news about the Kingdom of God, which is already near and which is already being realized among people through the activity of the messiah. The acquisition of the Kingdom of God is salvation, which became possible with the coming to earth of Christ. The path to salvation is open to all who reject earthly blessings for the sake of spiritual ones and who love God more than themselves. The preaching activity of Jesus Christ takes place in constant disputes and conflicts with representatives of the Jewish religious elite - the Pharisees, Sadducees, "teachers of the Law", during which the messiah rebels against a literal understanding of the Old Testament moral and religious precepts and calls to comprehend their true spirit.

The glory of Jesus Christ grows not only because of the sermons, but also because of the miracles performed by him. In addition to numerous healings and even resurrections of the dead (the son of a widow in Nain, the daughter of Jairus in Capernaum, Lazarus in Bethany), this is turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, miraculous fishing and taming a storm on Lake Gennesaret, feeding five thousand with five loaves of bread. a person, walking on water, feeding four thousand people with seven loaves, discovering the divine essence of Jesus during prayer on Mount Tabor (the Transfiguration of the Lord), etc.

The earthly mission of Jesus Christ is inevitably moving towards its tragic denouement, which is predicted in the Old Testament and which he himself foresees. The popularity of the preaching of Jesus Christ, the growth in the number of his followers, the crowds of people following him along the roads of Palestine, his constant victories over the zealots of the Law of Moses arouse hatred among the religious leaders of Judea and the intention to deal with him. The Jerusalem finale of the story of Jesus - the Last Supper, the night in the Garden of Gethsemane, the arrest, trial and execution - is by far the most penetrating and most dramatic part of the Gospels. Against Jesus Christ, who arrived in Jerusalem at Easter, the Jewish high priests, "teachers of the Law" and the elders conspire; Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, agrees to sell his teacher for thirty pieces of silver. At the Easter meal in the circle of the twelve apostles (Last Supper), Jesus Christ predicts that one of them will betray him. The parting of Jesus Christ with the disciples acquires a universal symbolic meaning: “And taking bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying: this is my body, which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. Likewise the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you” (Luke 22:19-20); thus the rite of communion is introduced. In the Garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives, in sorrow and anguish, Jesus Christ prays to God to deliver him from the fate that threatens him: “My Father! if possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). In this fateful hour, Jesus Christ remains alone - even his closest disciples, despite his requests to stay with him, fall asleep. Judas comes with a crowd of Jews and kisses Jesus Christ, thereby betraying his teacher to the enemies. Jesus is seized and, showered with insults and beatings, is brought to the Sanhedrin (an assembly of Jewish high priests and elders). He is found guilty and handed over to the Roman authorities. However, the Roman procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate, finds no fault with him and offers to pardon him on the occasion of Easter. But the crowd of Jews raises a terrible cry, and then Pilate orders to bring water and washes his hands in it, saying: “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man” (Matthew 27:24). At the request of the people, he condemns Jesus Christ to be crucified and releases the rebel and murderer Barabbas instead of him. Together with two thieves, he is crucified on the cross. The agony of Jesus Christ lasts six hours. When he finally expires, the whole earth is plunged into darkness and shakes, the veil in the Jerusalem temple is torn in two, and the righteous rise from the tombs. At the request of Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, Pilate gives him the body of Jesus Christ, which he, wrapped in a shroud, buries in a tomb carved into the rock. On the third day after the execution of Jesus Christ, he rises in the flesh and appears to his disciples (the Resurrection of the Lord). He entrusts them with the mission to spread his teaching among all peoples, and he himself ascends to heaven (Ascension of the Lord). At the end of time, Jesus Christ is destined to return to earth to perform the Last Judgment (Second Coming).

Having barely emerged, the doctrine of Christ (Christology) immediately gave rise to the most difficult questions, the main of which were the question of the nature of the messianic feat of Jesus Christ (supernatural power and the agony of the cross) and the question of the nature of Jesus Christ (divine and human).

In most New Testament texts, Jesus Christ appears as the messiah - the long-awaited savior of the people of Israel and the whole world, the messenger of God, who works miracles with the help of the Holy Spirit, an eschatological prophet and teacher, a divine husband. The idea of ​​the Messiah itself is undoubtedly of Old Testament origin, but in Christianity it has acquired a special meaning. Early Christian consciousness faced a difficult dilemma - how to reconcile the Old Testament image of the messiah as a theocratic king and the gospel idea of ​​the messianic power of Jesus Christ as the son of God with the fact of his death on the cross (the image of the suffering messiah)? In part, this contradiction was removed due to the idea of ​​the resurrection of Jesus and the idea of ​​his coming Second Coming, during which he will appear in all his power and glory and establish the thousand-year kingdom of Truth. Thus, Christianity, offering the concept of two Comings, deviated significantly from the Old Testament, which promised only one Coming. However, the question arose before the early Christians - if the messiah was destined to come to people in power and glory, why did he come to people in humiliation? Why do we need a suffering messiah? And what then is the meaning of the First Coming?

Trying to resolve this contradiction, early Christianity began to develop the idea of ​​the redemptive nature of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ - by betraying himself to torment, the Savior makes the necessary sacrifice to cleanse all mankind mired in sins from the curse imposed on him. However, the grandiose task of universal redemption requires that the one who solves this task be more than a man, more than just an earthly agent of the will of God. Already in the epistles Paul emphasizes the definition of "son of God"; thus the messianic dignity of Jesus Christ is associated with his special supernatural nature. On the other hand, in the Gospel of John, under the influence of Judaeo-Hellenistic philosophy (Philo of Alexandria), the idea of ​​Jesus Christ is formulated as the Logos (Word of God), the eternal mediator between God and people; The Logos was with God from the very beginning, all living things came into being through him, and he is consubstantial with God; at a predetermined time, he was destined to incarnate for the sake of atonement for human sins, and then return to God. Thus, Christianity began to gradually master the idea of ​​the divinity of Jesus Christ, and Christology from the doctrine of the Messiah turned into an integral part of theology.

However, the recognition of the divine nature of Jesus Christ could cast doubt on the monotheistic nature of Christianity (monotheism): speaking of the divinity of the Savior, Christians risked coming to the recognition of the existence of two gods, i.e. to pagan polytheism (polytheism). All subsequent development of the doctrine of Jesus Christ went along the line of resolving this conflict: some theologians leaned towards St. Paul, who strictly distinguished between God and his Son, others were guided by the concept of St. John, closely linking God and Jesus Christ as his Word. Accordingly, some denied the essential unity of God and Jesus Christ and emphasized the subordinate position of the second in relation to the first (modalist dynamists, subordinationists, Arians, Nestorians), while others argued that the human nature of Jesus Christ was completely absorbed by the divine nature (Apollinarians, Monophysites), and even there were those who saw in him a simple manifestation of God the Father (modalist monarchists). The official church chose the middle path between these directions, combining both opposite positions into one: Jesus Christ is both a god and a man, but not a lower god, not a demigod, and not a half-man; he is one of the three persons of the one God (the dogma of the Trinity), equal to the other two persons (God the Father and the Holy Spirit); he is not without beginning, like God the Father, but he is not created, like everything else in this world; he is born of the Father before all ages, as the true God from the true God. The incarnation of the Son meant the true union of the divine nature with the human (Jesus Christ had two natures and two wills). This form of Christology was established after a bitter struggle between church parties in the 4th-5th centuries. and was recorded in the decisions of the first ecumenical councils (Nicaea 325, Constantinople 381, Ephesus 431 and Chalcedon 451).

Such is the Christian, certainly apologetic, point of view on Jesus Christ. It is based on the gospel story about the life and work of Jesus Christ, which for Christians is beyond doubt. Are there, however, documents independent of the Christian tradition that can confirm or refute its historical authenticity?

Unfortunately, Roman and Judeo-Hellenistic literature of the 1st c. AD practically did not convey to us information about Jesus Christ. The few pieces of evidence include fragments from the Antiquities of the Jews of Flavius ​​Josephus (37–c. 100), the Annals of Cornelius Tacitus (c. 58–117), the letters of Pliny the Younger (61–114), and the Lives of the Twelve Caesars Suetonius Tranquillus (c. 70–140). ). The last two authors say nothing about Jesus Christ himself, mentioning only groups of his followers. Tacitus, reporting on the persecution of the emperor Nero against a Christian sect, only notes that the name of this sect comes “from Christ, who, during the reign of Tiberius, was put to death by the procurator Pontius Pilate” (Annals. XV. 44). The most unusual is the famous “testimony of Flavius”, which speaks of Jesus Christ, who lived under Pontius Pilate, performed miracles, had many followers among Jews and Hellenes, was crucified at the denunciation of the “first men” of Israel and resurrected on the third day after the execution (Jewish Antiquities. XVIII.3.3). However, the value of this very meager evidence remains doubtful. The fact is that they have come down to us not in originals, but in copies of Christian scribes, who could well make additions and corrections in the text in a pro-Christian spirit. On this basis, many researchers have considered and are considering the messages of Tacitus and especially Josephus Flavius ​​as a late Christian forgery.

Much more interest than Roman and Judeo-Hellenistic writers shows in the figure of Jesus Christ Jewish and Islamic religious literature. Judaism's attention to Jesus Christ is determined by a tough ideological confrontation between two kindred religions, challenging each other's Old Testament heritage. This attention is growing in parallel with the strengthening of Christianity: if in the Judaic texts of the second half of the 1st - early 3rd centuries. we find only scattered reports about various heresiarchs, including about Jesus Christ, then in the texts of a later time they gradually merge into a single and coherent story about Jesus of Nazareth as the worst enemy of the true faith.

In the early layers of the Talmud, Jesus Christ appears under the name Yeshua ben (bar) Pantira ("Jesus, son of Pantira"). Note that in Jewish texts, the full name "Yeshua" is given only twice. In other cases, his name is shortened to "Yeshu" - a sign of an extremely dismissive attitude towards him. In the Tosefta (3rd century) and the Jerusalem Talmud (3rd-4th centuries), Yeshu ben Pantira is presented as the head of a heretical sect, whom his followers considered a god and in whose name they healed. In the later Babylonian Talmud (3rd–5th centuries), Jesus Christ is also called Yeshu ha-Notzri (“Jesus of Nazareth”): it is reported that this sorcerer and “seducer of Israel”, “close to the royal court”, was tried in compliance with all legal norms (witnesses were called in his defense for forty days, but they were never found), and then they were put to death (on the eve of Easter they stoned him and hanged his body); in hell he suffers a terrible punishment for his wickedness - boiled in boiling feces. In the Babylonian Talmud, there is also a tendency to identify Jesus Christ with the heresiarch Ben Stada (Soteda), who stole the magical art from the Egyptians by carving mysterious signs on his body, and with the false teacher Biliam (Balaam). This trend is also recorded in Midrashim (Jewish interpretations of the Old Testament), where Balaam (= Yeshu) is spoken of as the son of a harlot and a false teacher who pretended to be God and claimed that he would leave, but at the end of time he would return.

A holistic Jewish version of the life and work of Jesus Christ is presented in the famous Toldot Yeshu (5th century) - a real Jewish anti-gospel: here all the main events of the gospel story are consistently discredited.

According to Toldot, Yeshu's mother was Miriam, the wife of Johanan, a teacher of the law, from a royal family known for their piety. One Saturday, the criminal and lecher Joseph ben Pandira deceived Miriam, and even during her menstruation. Thus, Yeshu is conceived in a triple sin: adultery is committed, menstrual abstinence is violated, and the Sabbath is defiled. Out of shame, Jochanan leaves Miriam and goes to Babylon. Yeshu is given to be taught by the teachers of the Law. The boy, with an extraordinary mind and diligence, shows disrespect for mentors and utters impious speeches. After the truth about the birth of Yeshu is discovered, he flees to Jerusalem and there steals from the temple the secret name of God, with the help of which he gets the opportunity to work miracles. He proclaims himself the messiah and gathers 310 disciples. The Jewish wise men bring Yesha to Queen Elena for trial, but she lets him go, amazed at his abilities as a miracle worker. This creates confusion among the Jews. Yeshu goes to Upper Galilee. The wise men convince the queen to send a military detachment after him, but the Galileans refuse to extradite him and, having seen two miracles (the resurrection of clay birds and swimming on a millstone on occasion), they worship him. In order to expose Yeshu, the Jewish sages encourage Judas Iscariot to also steal the secret name of God from the temple. When Yeshu is brought to the queen, he rises into the air as proof of his messianic dignity; then Judas also flies over him and urinates on him. The defiled Yeshu falls to the ground. The sorcerer, who has lost his power, is arrested and tied to a column for ridicule, but his followers free him and take him to Antioch. Yeshu goes to Egypt, where he masters the local magical art. Then he returns to Jerusalem to steal the secret name of God again. He enters the city on the Friday before Easter and enters the temple with his disciples, but one of them, named Gaisa, betrays him to the Jews by bowing to him. Yeshu is arrested and sentenced to be hanged. However, he manages to speak all the trees; then they hang him on a huge "cabbage trunk". On Sunday he is buried, but soon Yeshu's tomb is found empty: the body is stolen by Yeshu's supporters, who spread the rumor that he has ascended to heaven and that he was therefore undoubtedly the messiah. Embarrassed by this, the queen orders the body to be found. In the end, the gardener Judas finds out where the remains of Yeshu are, kidnaps them and hands them over to the Jews for thirty pieces of silver. The body is dragged through the streets of Jerusalem, showing the queen and the people "the one who was going to ascend to heaven." The followers of Yeshu are scattered throughout all countries and spread everywhere a slanderous rumor that the Jews crucified the true Messiah.

In the future, this version is supplemented by various and incredible details and facts. So, for example, in the Aramaic “History of Yeshu bar Pandira”, which has come down to us in an arrangement of the 14th century, it is said that Yeshu is brought to trial before the emperor Tiberius, where with one word he makes the emperor’s daughter pregnant. When he is led to his execution, he rises into the sky and is transferred first to Mount Carmel, and then to the cave of the prophet Elijah, which he locks from the inside. However, Rabbi Judah Ganiba (“The Gardener”), who is chasing him, orders the cave to open, and when Yeshu tries to fly away again, he catches him by the edge of his clothes and delivers him to the place of execution.

Thus, in the Jewish tradition, Jesus Christ is not a god, not a messiah, but an impostor and a sorcerer who worked miracles with the help of magic. His birth and his death were not of a supernatural nature, but, on the contrary, were associated with sin and shame. The one whom Christians revere as the Son of God is not just an ordinary man, but the worst of men.

The Muslim (Koranic) interpretation of the life and work of Jesus (Isa) appears completely different. It occupies an intermediate position between the Christian and Jewish versions. On the one hand, the Qur'an denies divinity to Jesus Christ; he is not a god and not a son of a god; on the other hand, he is in no way a sorcerer or a charlatan. Isa is a person, a messenger and a prophet of Allah, like other prophets, whose mission is addressed exclusively to the Jews. He acts as a preacher, miracle worker and religious reformer, asserting monotheism, calling people to worship Allah and changing some religious prescriptions.

The Koranic texts do not give a coherent biography of Isa, dwelling only on certain moments of his life (birth, miracles, death). The Qur'an borrows from Christians the idea of ​​the virgin birth: "And We breathed into her [Maryam] of Our spirit and made her and her son a sign to the worlds" (21:91); “When Maryam was seventeen years old, Allah sent Jabrail (Gabriel) to her, who breathed into her, and she conceived the Messiah, Isa ben Maryam” (Al-Masudi. Golden Meadows. V). The Qur'an tells about some of the miracles of Isa - he heals and resurrects the dead, revives clay birds, brings down a meal from heaven to earth. At the same time, the Koran gives an interpretation of the death of Isa that is different from the Gospels: it denies the reality of the crucifixion (it only seemed to the Jews, in fact, Isa was taken to heaven alive) and the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day (Isa will rise only in the last days of the world, along with all other people), as well as the possibility of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: in the Quran, Isa foreshadows not his imminent return, but the coming of the main prophet, Muhammad, thus acting as his forerunner: “I am the messenger of Allah, confirming the truth of what was sent down before me in the Torah, and announcing the messenger who will come after me, whose name is Ahmad" (6:6). True, in the later Muslim tradition, under the influence of Christianity, the motive for the coming return of Isa arises in order to establish the kingdom of justice.

Jesus Christ as an object of Christian worship belongs to theology. And this is a matter of faith, which excludes any doubt and does not require investigation. Nevertheless, attempts to penetrate into the spirit of the Gospels, to understand the true essence of Jesus Christ, never ceased. The entire history of the Christian Church is full of fierce struggles for the right to possess the truth about Jesus Christ, as evidenced by the ecumenical councils, the separation of heretical sects, the separation of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and the Reformation. But, in addition to purely theological disputes, the figure of Jesus Christ became the subject of discussion in historical science, which was interested and continues to be interested primarily in two problems: 1). the question of the real content of the gospel story, i.e. was Jesus Christ a historical figure; 2). the question of the image of Jesus Christ in the early Christian consciousness (what is the meaning of this image and what are its origins?). These problems turned out to be at the center of discussions of two scientific directions that arose as early as the 18th century - mythological and historical.

The mythological direction (Ch. Dupuy, K. Volney, A. Dreve, etc.) completely denied the reality of Jesus Christ as a historical person and considered him exclusively as a fact of mythology. In Jesus they saw the personification of either a solar or lunar deity, or the Old Testament Yahweh, or the Qumranite Teacher of righteousness. Trying to identify the origins of the image of Jesus Christ and "decipher" the symbolic content of the gospel events, representatives of this trend did a great job of finding analogies between the motifs and plots of the New Testament and earlier mythological systems. So, for example, the idea of ​​the resurrection of Jesus was associated with the ideas of a dying and resurrecting deity in Sumerian, ancient Egyptian, West Semitic and ancient Greek mythologies. They also tried to give the Gospel story a solar-astral interpretation, which was very common in ancient cultures (the path of Jesus Christ with the 12 apostles was represented, in particular, as the annual path of the sun through 12 constellations). The image of Jesus Christ, according to the adherents of the mythological school, gradually evolved from the original image of a pure deity to the later image of a god-man. The merit of mythologists is that they were able to consider the image of Jesus Christ in the broad context of ancient Eastern and ancient culture and show its dependence on the previous mythological development.

The historical school (G. Reimarus, E. Renan, F. Bauer, D. Strauss, etc.) believed that the gospel story has a certain real basis, which over time, however, became more and more mythologized, and Jesus Christ from a real person (preacher and a religious teacher) gradually turned into a supernatural personality. Supporters of this trend set themselves the task of freeing the truly historical in the Gospels from later mythological processing. To this end, at the end of the XIX century. it was proposed to use the method of rationalistic criticism, which meant the reconstruction of the "true" biography of Jesus Christ by excluding everything that cannot be rationally explained, i.e. in fact, the "rewriting" of the Gospels in a rationalistic spirit (Tübingen School). This method caused serious criticism (F. Bradley) and was soon rejected by the majority of scientists.

The cornerstone thesis of the mythologists about the "silence" of the sources of the 1st c. about Jesus Christ, which, in their opinion, proved the mythical character of this figure, prompted many supporters of the historical school to shift their attention to a careful study of the New Testament texts in search of the original Christian tradition. In the first quarter of the XX century. a school of study of the "history of forms" (M. Dibelius, R. Bultman) appeared, the purpose of which was to reconstruct the history of the development of the tradition about Jesus Christ - from oral origins to literary design - and to determine the original basis, clearing it of the layers of subsequent editions. Textual studies led representatives of this school to the conclusion that even the original Christian version of the middle of the 1st century BC isolated from the Gospels. does not make it possible to recreate the real biography of Jesus Christ: here he also remains only a symbolic character; the historical Jesus Christ could exist, but the question of the true events of his life is hardly resolvable. The followers of the school of study of the "history of forms" still constitute one of the leading trends in modern biblical studies.

In view of the absence of fundamentally new documents and the informative limitations of archaeological material, it is still difficult to expect any significant breakthrough in solving the problem of the historical Jesus Christ.

In the Western Church there is a tradition about the image of St. Veronica, who gave the Savior going to Calvary a towel to wipe His face. An imprint of His face was left on the towel, which later fell to the west.

In the Orthodox Church, it is customary to depict the Savior on icons and frescoes. These images do not seek to convey exactly His appearance. Rather, they are reminders, symbols that raise our thoughts to the One who is depicted on them. Looking at the images of the Savior, we remember His life, His love and compassion, His miracles and teachings; we remember that He, as omnipresent, abides with us, sees our difficulties and helps us. This sets us up to pray to Him: “Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on us!”

The face of the Savior and His entire body were also imprinted on the so-called “Shroud of Turin,” a long canvas in which, according to legend, the body of the Savior taken down from the cross was wrapped. The image on the shroud was seen only relatively recently with the help of photography, special filters and a computer. Reproductions of the face of the Savior, made according to the Shroud of Turin, have a striking resemblance to some ancient Byzantine icons (sometimes coinciding at 45 or 60 points, which, according to experts, cannot be accidental). Studying the Shroud of Turin, experts came to the conclusion that a man of about 30 years old was imprinted on it, 5 feet, 11 inches tall (181 cm - much taller than his contemporaries), slender and strong build.

Teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ taught that He is of one essence with God the Father: "I and the Father are one," that He is both "descended from heaven" and "who is in heaven," i.e. - He simultaneously abides on earth, as a man, and in heaven, as the Son of God, being a God-man (; ). Therefore, “all must honor the Son as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. He also confessed the truth of His Divine nature before His sufferings on the Cross, for which he was sentenced to death by the Sanhedrin. This is how the members of the Sanhedrin told Pilate: “We have a law, and according to our law He must die, because He made Himself the Son of God” ().

Having turned away from God, people got lost in their religious concepts about the Creator, about their immortal nature, about the purpose of life, about what is good and what is bad. The Lord reveals to man the most important foundations of faith and life, gives direction to his thoughts and aspirations. Citing the instructions of the Savior, the Apostles write that “Jesus Christ went through all the cities and villages, teaching in synagogues and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom,” - the good news of the coming of the Kingdom of God among people (). Often the Lord began His teachings with the words: “The kingdom of God is like...” From this it follows that, according to the thought of Jesus Christ, people are called to be saved not individually, but together, as one spiritual family, using those grace-filled means with which He endowed the Church . These means can be defined in two words: Grace and Truth. (Grace is an invisible power given by the Holy Spirit, which enlightens the mind of a person, directs his will to good, strengthens his spiritual strength, brings him inner peace and pure joy, and sanctifies his entire being).

Attracting people to His Kingdom, the Lord calls them to a righteous way of life, saying: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (). To repent means to condemn every one of your sinful deeds, to change your way of thinking and decide, with God's help, to start a new way of life based on love for God and neighbor.

However, in order to start a righteous life, one desire is not enough, but God's help is also needed, which is given to the believer in grace-filled baptism. In baptism all sins are forgiven a person, he is born for a spiritual way of life and becomes a citizen of the Kingdom of God. The Lord said this about baptism: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Then sending the apostles on a worldwide sermon, he commanded them: “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe will be condemned ”(). The words “everything that I have commanded you” emphasize the integrity of the Savior’s teaching, in which everything is important and necessary for salvation.

About the Christian life

In the nine beatitudes (chapter), he outlined the path of spiritual renewal. This path consists in humility, repentance, meekness, striving for a virtuous life, in deeds of mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking and confession. With the words - “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" - Christ calls a person to humility - the recognition of his sinfulness and spiritual weakness. Humility serves as the beginning or foundation for correcting a person. crying, because they will be comforted "- they will receive forgiveness and peace of conscience. Having found peace in the soul, a person himself becomes peace-loving, meek: "Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth," they will receive what predatory and aggressive people take away from them. repentance, a person begins to yearn for virtue and righteousness: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied," i.e., with God's help, they will achieve it. Having experienced the great mercy of God, a person begins to feel compassion for other people : "Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy." The merciful one is cleansed of sinful attachment to material objects and Divine light penetrates into him, as into the clear water of a still lake: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” This light gives a person the necessary wisdom for the spiritual guidance of other people, for their reconciliation with themselves, with neighbors and with God: “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God.” The sinful world cannot tolerate true righteousness, it rebels with hatred against its bearers, but there is no need to mourn: "Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Saving the soul should be the main concern of man. The path of spiritual renewal can be difficult, therefore: “Enter through the narrow gate; For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go through it. For narrow is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it. A Christian must accept the inevitable sorrows without grumbling, as his worldly cross: “Whoever wants to follow Me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me” (). In essence, “The kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it away” (). For admonition and strengthening, it is necessary to call on God for help: “Watch and pray so as not to fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak ... In your patience save your souls ”(;).

Coming into the world because of His infinite love for us, the Son of God taught His followers to make love the basis of life, saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. “This is my commandment, that you love one another” (; ). to neighbors is revealed through deeds of mercy: “I want mercy, not sacrifice!” (Matt. 9:13; ).

Speaking of the cross, of tribulations, and of the narrow path, Christ encourages us with the promise of His help: “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (). Like the beatitudes, so is the whole teaching of the Savior imbued with faith in the victory of good and with the spirit of joy: “Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” “Here I am with you until the end of time” - and promises that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but will inherit eternal life (;).

On the Nature of the Kingdom of God

To clarify His teaching about the Kingdom of God, he used life examples and parables. In one of the parables, He likened the Kingdom of God to a sheepfold, in which obedient sheep live safely, guarded and led by the good Shepherd, Christ: ... I also have other sheep that are not of this fold, and those I must bring, and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one Shepherd ... I give them (the sheep) eternal life, and they will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand... Therefore the Father loves me, because I give my life (for the sheep) to receive it again. No one takes it from Me, but I myself give it. I have power to give it away, and I have power to receive it again” (Ch.

In this likening of the Kingdom of God to a sheepfold, the unity of the Church is emphasized: many sheep dwell in one fenced-in yard, have one faith and one way of life. All have one Shepherd - Christ. He prayed to His Father for the unity of believers before His sufferings on the Cross, saying: “May they all be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so may they be one in us” (). The connecting principle in the Kingdom of God is the love of the Shepherd for the sheep and the love of the sheep for the Shepherd. Love for Christ is expressed in obedience to Him, in the desire to live according to His will: "If you love Me, keep My commandments." The mutual love of believers is an important sign of His Kingdom: “Therefore, everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” ().

Grace and truth are two treasures that the Lord gave to the Church as its main properties, constituting, as it were, its very essence (). The Lord promised the apostles that the Holy Spirit would preserve in the Church until the end of the world His true and intact teaching: you into all truth." Similarly, we believe that the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit, to this day and until the end of the world, will act in the Church, reviving her children and quenching their spiritual thirst: “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him, he will not thirst forever. But the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up into eternal life.

As earthly kingdoms need laws, rulers and various institutions, without which no state can exist, so the Lord Jesus Christ endowed with everything necessary for the salvation of believers - the Gospel teaching, the sacraments of grace and spiritual mentors - the shepherds of the Church. This is what He said to His disciples: “As the Father sent Me, so I send you. And having said this, he blew and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. The Lord has entrusted the pastors of the Church with the duty to teach believers, cleanse their consciences, and regenerate their souls. Shepherds are to follow the high Shepherd in His love for the sheep. The sheep must honor their shepherds, follow their instructions, as Christ said: “He who listens to you, listens to me, and whoever rejects you, rejects me” ().

A person does not become righteous instantly. In the parable of the tares, Christ explained that just as weeds grow among wheat in a sown field, so among the righteous children of the Church there are unworthy members. Some people sin out of ignorance, inexperience, and the weakness of their spiritual powers, but repent of their sins and try to correct themselves; others languish in sins for a long time, neglecting God's long-suffering. The main sower of temptations and all evil among people is. Speaking about the tares in His Kingdom, the Lord calls on everyone to fight temptations and pray: “Forgive us our debts, just as we forgive (forgive) our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Knowing the spiritual weakness and fickleness of believers, the Lord endowed the Apostles with the power to forgive sins: “To whom you forgive sins, they will be forgiven; on whom you leave, they will remain "(). Forgiveness of sins implies that the sinner sincerely regrets his bad deed and desires to correct himself.

But evil will not be tolerated forever in the Kingdom of Christ: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. But the slave does not stay in the house forever. The Son abides forever. So, if the Son sets you free, then you will be truly free” (). Christ commanded to exclude people who persist in their sins or who do not obey the teachings of the Church from the environment of a grace-filled society, saying: “If the Church does not listen, then let him be to you, like a pagan and a publican” ().

In the Kingdom of God there is a real union of believers with God and with each other. The connecting principle in the Church is the theanthropic nature of Christ, to which believers partake in the sacrament of Holy Communion. In Communion, the divine life of the God-Man mysteriously descends into believers, as it is said: “We (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) will come to him and make our abode in him;” thus the Kingdom of God enters into man (; ). emphasized the need for communion with the following words: “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you. Whoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (). Without union with Christ, a person, like a broken branch, spiritually wilts and is unable to do good deeds: “Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it is in the vine, so you, unless you are in Me. I am the Vine and you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing. Having taught His disciples the need to have unity with Himself, the Lord on Maundy Thursday, on the eve of His suffering on the Cross, established the sacrament of Communion itself (see above), commanding them in conclusion: “Do this (sacrament) in remembrance of Me” ().

Conclusion

So, the entire life and teaching of the Savior was directed towards laying new spiritual principles in human life: pure faith, living love for God and neighbor, striving for moral perfection and holiness. On these principles we should build our religious outlook and our lives.

The history of Christianity has shown that far from all people and not all nations were able to rise to the lofty spiritual principles of the Gospel. The establishment of Christianity in the world was sometimes a thorny path. Sometimes the gospel was accepted by people only superficially, without the desire to correct their hearts; sometimes it was completely rejected and even persecuted. Despite this, all the high humane principles of freedom, equality and fraternity that distinguish modern democratic states are actually borrowed from the Gospel. Any attempts to replace the gospel principles with others lead, at times, to catastrophic consequences. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look at the modern consequences of materialism and atheism. Thus, modern Christians, having before their eyes such a rich historical experience, must clearly understand that only in the teachings of the Savior will they find the right guidance for solving their family and social problems.

Building our lives on the commandments of Christ, we console ourselves with the thought that the Kingdom of God will certainly triumph, and the promised peace, justice, joy, and immortal life will come to the renewed Earth. We pray to the Lord to make us worthy to inherit His Kingdom!

The prophet Isaiah describes the feat of the voluntary self-abasement of the Messiah in this way: “There is neither form nor majesty in Him. And we saw Him, and there was no form in Him that would draw us to Him. He was despised and humbled before men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with sickness. And we turned our faces away from Him. He was despised and regarded as nothing. But He took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. And we thought that He was smitten, punished and humiliated by God. But He was wounded for our sins and tormented for our iniquities. The punishment of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. We all wandered like sheep, each turned to his own way, and the Lord laid on Him the sins of all of us. He was tormented, but suffered voluntarily and did not open His mouth. From bondage and judgment He was taken. But His generation, who will explain? (Ch.).

With these concluding words, the prophet addresses the consciences of those who will reject their Savior, and, as it were, says to them: you turn away with contempt from the mocked and suffering Jesus, but understand that it is because of you sinners that He suffers so hard. Look into His spiritual beauty, and then, perhaps, you will be able to understand that He came to you from the heavenly world.

But voluntarily humiliating Himself for the sake of our salvation, the Lord, nevertheless, gradually revealed the secret of His unity with God the Father to those who were able to rise above the rough ideas of the crowd. So, for example, He told the Jews: “I and the Father are one ... He who saw Me saw the Father ... The Father abides in Me and I am in the Father ... All Mine is Yours (the Father) and Yours is Mine ... We ( Father and Son) we will come and make our abode with him ”(). These and other similar expressions clearly point to His Divine nature.

Finally, let us remember that the very condemnation of Christ on the cross was caused by His official recognition of His Divinity. When the high priest Caiaphas, under an oath, asked Christ: “Tell us, are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” Christ replied: "You said," using the established form of the affirmative answer (; ; ).

Now we should clarify another, very important question related to this: where did Caiaphas, many Jews and even demons (!) get the idea that the Messiah would be the Son of God? There is only one answer here: from the Old Testament Holy Scripture. It was this that prepared the ground for this belief. Indeed, even King David, who lived a thousand years before the birth of Christ, in three psalms calls the Messiah God (Psalms 2, 44 and 109). The prophet Isaiah, who lived 700 years before Christ, revealed this truth even more clearly. Predicting the miracle of the incarnation of the Son of God, Isaiah wrote: “Behold, the Virgin in the womb will receive and give birth to the Son, and they will call His name: Emmanuel,” which means: “God is with us.” And a little further, the prophet even more definitely reveals the Properties of the Son who had been born: “And they will call His name: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Father of eternity” (). Such names cannot be applied to anyone but to God. The prophet Micah also wrote about the eternity of the Child who had to be born (see:).

The prophet Jeremiah, who lived about two hundred years after Isaiah, calls the Messiah "Lord" (Jer. 23 and 33:16), meaning the Lord who sent him to preach; and Jeremiah's disciple, the prophet Baruch, wrote the following wonderful words about the Messiah: “This is our God, and no one else can compare with Him. He found all the ways of wisdom and gave it to His servant Jacob and His beloved Israel. After that, He appeared on earth and spoke among people ”() - i.e. God Himself will come to earth and live among people!

That is why the more sensitive of the Jews, having such definite indications in the Holy Scriptures, could not hesitate to recognize in Christ the true Son of God (see the pamphlet "Old Testament about the Messiah" about this). It is remarkable that even before the Nativity of Christ, the righteous Elizabeth greeted the Virgin Mary, who was expecting the Baby, with the following solemn greeting: “Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb! And where is it to me that the Mother of my Lord came to me ”(). It is clear that the righteous Elizabeth could have no other Lord than the One whom she had served since childhood. As Ap. Luke, Elizabeth said this not on her own, but under inspiration from the Holy Spirit.

Having firmly assimilated faith in the Divinity of Christ, the apostles planted this faith in Him and among all peoples. With the revelation of the Divine nature of Jesus Christ, the Evangelist John begins his Gospel:

"In the beginning was the Word

And the Word was with God

And the Word was God...

Everything came into being through Him.

And without Him, nothing began to be that began to be...

And the Word became flesh

and settled among us,

full of grace and truth...

And we have seen His glory

Glory as the Only Begotten from the Father,

No one has ever seen God;

the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father,

He revealed (God)"

The name of the Son of God by the Word, more than other names, reveals the secret of the inner relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Most Holy Trinity - God the Father and God the Son. Indeed, the thought and the word are different from each other in that the thought resides in the mind, and the word is the expression of the thought. However, they are inseparable. There is no thought without a word, no word without a thought. Thought is, as it were, a hidden word within, and the word is the expression of thought. The thought, embodied in the word, conveys the content of the thought to the listeners. In this regard, thought, being an independent beginning, is, as it were, the father of the word, and the word is, as it were, the son of thought. Before thought it is impossible, but it does not come from somewhere outside, but only from thought and with thought remains inseparable. Similarly, the Father, the greatest and all-encompassing Thought, produced from His bosom the Son-Word, His first Interpreter and Messenger (according to St. Dionysius of Alexandria).

About the Divinity of Christ, the apostles spoke with all clarity: “We know that the Son of God came and gave us light and understanding, so that we might know the true God and may we abide in His true Son Jesus Christ” (). From the Israelites was born "Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all" (). “We look forward to the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (). “If the Jews had known [the wisdom of God], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (). “In Him (Christ) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (). “Unquestioningly - the great mystery of piety: he appeared in the flesh” (). that the Son of God is not a creation, but the Creator, that he is immeasurably higher than all the creatures created by Him, the apostle Paul proves in detail in chapters 1 and 2 of his epistle to the Jews Angels are only ministering spirits.

It must be remembered that calling the Lord Jesus Christ God - Theos - in itself speaks of the fullness of the Godhead. "God," from a logical, philosophical point of view, cannot be a "second degree," a "lower rank," limited. The properties of the Divine nature are not subject to convention, reduction. If "God," then wholly, not partially.

Only thanks to the unity of the Persons in God is it possible to combine in one sentence the names of the Son and the Holy Spirit along with the name of the Father, for example: “Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (). “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (). “Three testify in heaven: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one” (). Here the apostle John emphasizes that the Three are one - one Being.

Note: It is necessary to clearly distinguish between the concept of "person" and the concept of "essence." The word "person" (hypostasis, person) denotes a person, "I," self-consciousness. The old cells of our body die off, new ones replace them, and consciousness refers everything in our life to our “I.” The word "essence" speaks of nature, nature, physis. In God, one essence and three Persons. Therefore, for example, the Son and God the Father can talk to each other, make a joint decision, one speaks, the other answers. Each Person of the Trinity has its own personal properties, in which It differs from another Person. But all Persons of the Trinity have one Divine nature. The Son has the same divine attributes as the Father and the Holy Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity reveals to people the inner, mysterious life in God, which is actually inaccessible to our understanding, but at the same time necessary for the correct faith in Christ.

Jesus Christ has one Person (hypostasis) - the Face of the Son of God, but two essences - Divine and human. In His Divine essence, He is equal to the Father - eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, etc.; according to the human nature he assumed, He is like us in everything: He grew, developed, suffered, rejoiced, hesitated in decisions, etc. The human nature of Christ includes soul and body. The difference is that His human nature is completely free from sinful corruption. Since the same Christ is both God and man at the same time, Holy Scripture speaks of Him either as God or as a man. Even more than that, sometimes human properties are attributed to Christ as God (), and sometimes Divine properties are attributed to Him as a person. There is no contradiction here, because we are talking about one Person.

Taking into account the clear teaching of the Holy Scriptures about the Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council, in order to stop all interpretations of the word Son of God and belittling His Divine dignity, decided that Christians should believe:

"In the one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

The only begotten, born of the Father before all ages.

Light from Light, true God from

true God, begotten, uncreated,

consubstantial with the Father (one essence with God the Father),

By whom all things were created."

The Arians especially vehemently objected to the word consubstantial, because it could not be interpreted in any other way than in the Orthodox sense, namely, what is recognized as true God, in everything equal to God the Father. For the same reason, the Fathers of the Council insisted that this word be included in the Creed.

Summing up what has been said, it must be said that faith in the Divinity of Christ cannot be planted in people's hearts either by quotations or formulas. Here you need personal faith, personal willpower. As it was two thousand years ago, so it will be until the end of the world: for many, Christ will remain "a stumbling block and a stone of stumbling block ... let the thoughts of their hearts be revealed" (;). It was pleasing to God by an attitude towards Christ to reveal the hidden direction of the will of each person. And what He hid from the prudent and wise, He revealed to babies ().

Therefore, this article does not aim to "prove" that Christ is God. It is impossible to prove this, like many other truths of faith. The purpose of this article is to help a Christian understand his faith in the Savior and give him the necessary arguments to defend his faith from heretics.

So, who, God or Man? “He is a God-Man. On this truth our faith must be established.

Via Dolorosa begins in the Muslim quarter near the gates of St. Stephen, or the Lion's Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem at the gates of the Muslim religious school El-Omaria.

The first station is where Jesus was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate.

(Matthew 27:22-23,26: Pilate says to them: what will I do to Jesus, who is called Christ? Everyone says to him: let him be crucified. The ruler said: what evil did He do? But they shouted even more loudly: let him be crucified Then he released Barabbas to them, and having beaten Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.)

In the old days, here on the territory of the Anthony Tower, there was the residence of the Roman procurator (praetorium), where the trials of the accused were held.

Now nothing remains of the Anthony Tower. In its place is the convent of the Sisters of Zion. There are two chapels in its courtyard: Condemnation and Scourging. The Chapel of Judgment was erected over the place of Christ's condemnation. The floor slabs have survived from that time.2

Second station

The second station is the Church of the Flagellation.

Here Jesus was scourged, he was dressed in a scarlet shroud, a crown of thorns was placed on him, and here he accepted the cross.

(Matthew 27:27-31: Then the soldiers of the governor, having taken Jesus into the praetorium, gathered the whole army against him, and having undressed him, put on him a purple robe; and, having woven a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and gave him in his right hand reed, and kneeling before Him, they mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews, and they spat on Him, and taking the reed, struck Him on the head. clothes, and they led him to be crucified...)

The dome of the Chapel of the Flagellation is symbolically decorated with a mosaic crown of thorns. From the monastery across Via Dolorosa, the arch of Ecce homo is thrown. Pontius Pilate brought the condemned Jesus here and showed it to the crowd with the words "Behold the man!"

third station

The place of the first fall of Christ is considered the third station.

This place is marked by a small chapel, since 1856 it belonged to the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate, but in the first half of the 20th century it was under Polish patronage. In 1947-48 it was restored with donations from the Polish military. The relief above the door of the chapel depicts Christ, languishing under the weight of his burden.

fourth station

Moving a little further along Via Dolorosa, we come to the fourth stop - here Jesus met the Mother. This event, like the previous one, is not described in any Gospel, but is immortalized by tradition.
(Standing is not mentioned in the Bible.)
From here, the Virgin Mary, overtaking the procession, watched the suffering of her son. The place is marked by the Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Great Martyr.

Above the entrance is a bas-relief depicting a meeting.

Fifth station

At the corner of Via Dolorosa and El Vade is the fifth stop of the Way of the Cross.

Here the road to Calvary begins to rise. It is likely that the Roman soldiers, seeing how exhausted Jesus was, began to fear that He would not have the strength to reach the place of execution. At this time, on the way they meet a certain passerby Simon Cyrene, who is forced to carry the cross of Christ.

(Mt. 27:32: As they went out, they met a certain Cyrene named Simon; he was made to bear His cross.)

The Jew Simon came from the Libyan city of Cyrene, and his sons were famous and respected people in Jerusalem.

According to some legends, after everything he saw on the way to Golgotha, Simon became a follower of Jesus.

This place is marked by a Franciscan chapel, and on the right in the wall there is a stone with a depression, which is considered to be a trace from the hand of Jesus, leaning against the wall, freeing himself from the cross.

This stone is polished by hands and lips of pilgrims. In fact, the building belongs to a much later time and the stone cannot be recognized as authentic.

sixth station

The sixth station of the Sorrowful Path is a meeting with Veronica.
(Standing is not mentioned in the Bible.)
According to church tradition, she went out of her house to meet him and wiped his face with her handkerchief soaked in cold water.

The face of Christ, the Savior Not Made by Hands, who subsequently worked miracles, was imprinted on the scarf. It is now in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The sixth stop is marked by the chapel of St. Veronica, and a piece of a column embedded in the wall marks the place where the house of Veronica was supposedly located.

seventh station

The seventh station is the second fall of Jesus Christ.
(Standing is not mentioned in the Bible.)
Here, according to legend, the exhausted Jesus fell again on the way to Golgotha. This place is marked at the crossroads of Via Dolorosa and the bustling market street of Suk Khan es-Zeit, which means "Oil Market".

At the site of the second fall, there is the remains of a column, and a Franciscan chapel is located nearby. It is assumed that, leaving the city, Jesus stumbled on the threshold of the Judgment Gate. Through these gates, those condemned to be executed were taken out of the city.

They were called judges by the fact that before them the sentence was read to the condemned for the last time, after which he was no longer subject to appeal.

By the way, near the threshold of the Judgment Gate, a section of the wall with a narrow hole widening upwards was found. It was enough for a person to walk into it while bending over. This passage was used to enter the city at night, when the city gates were locked.

Because of its shape, this gate was called the "eye of the needle." It is she who is mentioned by the Savior in the famous parable: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God” (Luke 18:25)

eighth station

The address of Jesus Christ to the daughters of Jerusalem is considered the eighth stop.

Many people followed Jesus and he turned to the women mourning him: "Weep not for me, daughters of Jerusalem, but for yourself and your children," thereby predicting the imminent destruction of Jerusalem.

Lk.23:28-31: Jesus, turning to them, said: Daughters of Jerusalem! do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children, for the days are coming in which they will say: blessed are the barren, and the wombs that have not given birth, and the breasts that have not fed! then they will begin to say to the mountains: fall on us! and hills: cover us! For if they do this to a green tree, what will happen to a dry one?

Here is the chapel of St. Harlampy, and on the wall is a stone with a Latin cross and the inscription NIKA, which symbolizes the eighth stop.

ninth station

The ninth station is the site of the third fall of Christ.
(Standing is not mentioned in the Bible)
At the entrance to the Ethiopian monastery, in a shallow niche, there is a column marking the place where Christ fell for the third time. From here he saw Golgotha.

tenth station

The remaining five stations of Via Dolorosa are located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

The tenth station is the removal of clothes.

At the entrance to the Temple is the chapel of the Revelation (Limit of the Division of Rees), where Jesus' clothes were torn off before the crucifixion.

(Matthew 27:33-36: And having come to a place called Golgotha, which means: Place of the Skull, they gave Him to drink vinegar mixed with gall; and, having tasted it, did not want to drink. Those who crucified Him divided His clothes, casting lots ; and, sitting, they guarded him there.)

The first thing that strikes, eyewitnesses write, when you find yourself in front of the Temple of the Lord, is the size of the square.

Watching the descent of the Holy Fire on Holy Saturday, one gets the impression that there are huge spaces here.

In fact, the buildings of the Christian quarter surrounded the Temple very tightly, because of this it is difficult to get a complete picture of its architectural forms.

eleventh station

The place where Jesus was nailed to the Cross.

(Matthew 27:37-42: and they placed an inscription over His head, signifying His guilt: This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then two thieves were crucified with Him: one on the right side, and the other on the left. Those who passed by cursed Him, nodding with their heads, and saying, "Destroying the temple, and building up in three days! save thyself; if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, and the elders, and the Pharisees, mockingly, said, He saved others, but He cannot save Himself; if He is the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him...)

This place is marked by an altar. Above the altar is Jesus nailed to the cross.

twelfth station

The twelfth station is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

(Matthew 27:45-50,54: From the sixth hour darkness was over all the earth until the ninth hour; and about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: Or, Or! lama savahthani? that is: My God, My God! for Why did you leave me? Some of those standing there, hearing this, said, "He is calling Elijah. And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, and putting it on a reed, gave it to Him to drink; and others said, Wait, let us see, it will come." And when Jesus again cried out with a loud voice, he gave up his spirit, and the centurion and those who were with him guarding Jesus, seeing the earthquake and all that had happened, were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

The place where the cross stood is marked with a silver disk under the altar. Here, through the hole, you can touch the top of Golgotha.

thirteenth station

Descent from the cross.

(John 19:38: After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but secret from fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to remove the body of Jesus; and Pilate allowed it. He went and removed the body of Jesus.)

The place where the body of Christ lay is indicated by a Latin altar. Under glass is a wooden statue of the Sorrowful Virgin with gifts from pilgrims. The words "Stabat Mater dolorosa" - "Mourning mother stood" are written here. The body of Christ was laid by Joseph and Nicodemus on the stone of anointing for anointing with incense before burial.

The Stone of Anointing is covered with a flat marble slab exuding myrrh and incredibly fragrant. Eight large lamps burn above the Stone. Everyone entering the temple is first of all applied to the Anointing Stone.

To the right of the Anointing Stone, steps leading to Golgotha ​​are visible on the right.
Following to the left under the arch of columns, we find ourselves in a large round rotunda, in the middle of which a cave rises. This is the last stop...

Fourteenth stop

Fourteenth stop - position in the coffin.

(Matthew 27:59-61: And taking the body, Joseph wrapped it in a clean shroud and laid it in his new tomb, which he hewn in the rock; and, having rolled a large stone to the door of the tomb, he departed. Mary Magdalene was there and the other Mary, who were sitting against the tomb.) Above the Holy Sepulcher there is a cuvuklia.

Here Joseph of Arimathea puts the body of Jesus in the crypt, and the Romans block the entrance with a huge stone. This is where the resurrection took place.

By the way, a marble chapel is called a cuvuklia in our time. It covers the cave of the Holy Sepulcher (where Jesus was buried) and is divided into two parts: the chapel of the Angel and the Holy Sepulcher itself.

Two windows in the chapel of the Angel serve to convey to all those who pray the Holy Fire, which descends annually on Holy Saturday before Easter.

According to tradition, on Holy Saturday, the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian churches enter the Kuvuklia.

The patriarch of the Greek Church enters the cave of the Holy Sepulcher and prays for the sending of fire. The patriarch of the Armenian Church remains in the chapel of the Angel. It is his duty to see to it that the Greek Patriarch does not kindle a fire by natural means.

When the fire lights up, the Greek patriarch takes out a burning lamp, from which the Armenian patriarch lights candles (bundles of 33 candles, according to the number of years of Christ's earthly life), then both clergy go out to the faithful.

The main essence of the Christian faith is this. When Adam and Eve, our forefathers, who lived in paradise, and all who had according to the will and love of God, sinned, going against the will of God, at the instigation of the tempting serpent, they lost their immortality and were overthrown by God from paradise. Since then, their descendants have been forced to live and die. Since God loves us, He sent His only begotten Son, who was incarnated from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary (the most worthy, chosen by God for this great purpose), and was born as a man, while retaining his divine essence.

The purpose of this incarnation was to save people from original sin, to conquer death, and to enable people again (like Adam and Eve) to receive immortality. At the same time, people who will live according to the commandments of God will be able after death to enter the Kingdom of God, created by Jesus Christ, and live forever with him in prosperity and joy. People who were given such an opportunity, but they did not use it, behaved unworthily, did not follow the commandments, will lose this opportunity, and will forever be in hell, away from the Lord. They will forever regret their earthly life, during which they could do everything for their eternal life in paradise, but they neglected such an opportunity.

For many millennia (this is for human life, but for eternity it is just a moment), God prepared humanity for this event, sent prophets to earth who told people about the coming of the Savior of the world.

How it all happened

Having chosen for the birth of the Savior the most pure Virgin Mary, an orphan from the royal family of David, guarded by her elderly distant relative Joseph of Nazareth, the Lord sent the Archangel Michael to inform the girl that she was chosen for such a great goal. Mary was excited, but immediately meekly informed the Archangel of her consent. Mary was a very believing girl, devoted to the Lord with all her soul, and worthily accepted into her bosom a child born by the Holy Spirit. She was given in marriage to Joseph, to whom the Angel revealed in a dream the meaning and essence of Mary's pregnancy, and Joseph was made the guardian of Mary, her virginity, and the baby born from her until the time determined by the Lord.

Jesus grew like a normal baby until he reached the age of 30. However, He showed His Divine essence already at the age of 12. When His Mother was looking for Him and found Him in the temple, where He was sitting with pundits and talking, and they were surprised at His mind and marveled at His answers, the mother reproached Him that they were worried where He had gone. To this the boy replied:

Why then did you seek me, or did you not know that I must be in that which belongs to my Father?

At the age of thirty, Jesus came to the Jordan River and was baptized there by the prophet John, thereby consecrating the waters of the river. During the baptism, the heavens opened and a loud voice was heard from there: “Behold, my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” then the heavens opened and John saw the Spirit of God descending from heaven on Jesus in the form of a dove. So God showed people that Jesus is the Son of God, and he is the Savior expected by the nations.

Before public service

Before embarking on his mission, Jesus Christ, being both God and man, went into the wilderness. There he spent 40 days in fasting and prayer, during which Satan tried to tempt Him in every possible way, and after that He set off to fulfill his goal.
The Lord began his ministry from Galilee, where he chose 12 of his disciples, the apostles, who were to accept His teaching, and after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His ascension to heaven, continue to carry the teaching to people, so that they accept the Christian faith, followed His word and example, and were able to receive eternal life in the Kingdom of God. During the ministry of Jesus, many miracles were shown (for example, turning water into wine, raising the dead, healing lepers, the blind, lame and dumb, Transfiguration in front of His disciples when they heard a voice from heaven confirming that He is the Son of God and they must obey him.

The Purpose of the Savior's Coming

Jesus Christ had to die on the cross in order to resurrect three days later and ascend to heaven, thereby defeating death and giving us immortal life, which happened three years after the start of the public ministry of Jesus Christ. He initiated our immortality and resurrection from the dead. Upon His second coming into the world, this will happen, and each person will answer to the Lord about his life at the Last Judgment, after which a place will be determined for him - whether in heaven for a pious life and following the commandments of the Lord, or in hell for an unworthy life.

A film based on the Gospel of John, shot by a British director, which tells about the life and teachings of Christ from His baptism to the appearance of the apostles.

Discussion: 4 comments

Having happened to be here by chance and seeing what topic is being discussed, I cannot but mention another interesting book, in which, it seems to me, the historical existence of Jesus is proved - the book "The Party of Jesus" (available on Ozone and on LitRes).

Reply

Many Orthodox seek to visit the Holy Land in order to visit the homeland of the Savior - to follow in his footsteps and see the most important places associated with the earthly life of Jesus Christ. Dozens of holy places are scattered throughout Israel, about half of them are in the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem, a third - in the Galilee, mainly in Nazareth and around the Sea of ​​Galilee. The review, compiled on the basis of the Orthodox shrines service of the Yelitsy social network, will tell you about the holy places that you need to visit when making a pilgrimage to Israel.

1. Birthplace of Jesus Christ

The Cave of the Nativity, in which Jesus Christ was born, is considered the greatest Christian shrine. It is located under the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The first mention of this underground sanctuary appeared in written sources as early as 150, during the reign of the Byzantine queen Elena. Today it is in the possession of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church.

The place of the birth of the Savior in the cave is indicated on the floor with a 14-pointed star made of pure silver, symbolizing Bethlehem. Above the star is a semicircular niche, in which 16 lamps, belonging to the Orthodox, Armenians and Catholics, hang. Immediately behind them, Orthodox icons are placed on the wall. A couple more lamps are on the floor next to the star.

A marble throne is also installed here, on which only Orthodox and Armenians can celebrate the liturgy.

2. The place of the manger where Christ was laid after the birth

In the southern part of the Holy Cave of the Nativity in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is the place of the manger where Christ was laid after the Birth. This place is called the Aisle of the Nursery.
In the aisle of the Manger, to the left of the entrance to it, the Altar of the Magi is arranged - the Catholic throne of the Adoration of the Magi. The altarpiece located here depicts the adoration of the Magi to Christ.

This is the only part of the cave that is run by Catholics. It resembles a small chapel about 2x2 m in size, or a little more, the floor level in it is two steps lower than in the main part of the cave. In this aisle, to the right of the entrance, there is a manger where Christ was laid after birth. Actually, a manger is a feeder for pets, which was in a cave, their Blessed Virgin Mary, of necessity, used it as a cradle

3. Altar of the Magi: the place where the Magi from the East bowed to the Divine Infant

The Altar of the Magi is located in the Cave of the Nativity in the very place where the shepherds stood who came to bow to the newborn Jesus Christ.

The Bethlehem cave, in which the Lord was born, is one of the main Christian shrines and the underground part of the Church of the Nativity, located above it. The first information about the grotto appeared in 150, after which it was constantly under the care of the current rulers. Today, the shrine is the property of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church, with the exception of two of its components, which belong to the Catholics.

The first of them is the limit of the Manger, located to the left of the entrance to the cave. It is a small chapel with a recessed floor. There are a manger (feeder for pets) in which the Virgin Mary placed the Baby immediately after birth. From above it is illuminated by five inextinguishable lamps.

The second Catholic shrine is the Altar of the Magi, which is located opposite the manger. Behind him is a picture depicting the bowing sages before the newborn Savior.

4. Place of the baptism of the Lord (Bethavara)

This place is located in the Jordan Valley, which flows into the Dead Sea, and it is called "Bethabara" (in the lane "place of crossing"). This name is due to the fact that it was here that the Israelites crossed the then full-flowing Jordan, after their 40-year wandering through the vast expanses of the desert. Joshua, who led the people, decided to thank the river by building an altar of 12 stones taken from its bottom. And after 1200 years, Jesus Christ was baptized in the same place.

The biblical stories say that at the age of 30, the Son of God himself came to John the Baptist, who was on the Jordan River, and asked to be baptized Him. The holy prophet had repeatedly preached the imminent coming of the Messiah. Therefore, when he looked at Him, he immediately realized that his prophecy had come true. John was very surprised that the Savior himself came to him with such a request, because, logically, he himself should have asked Him for Baptism. To which Jesus advised Him to accept just such a course of events, and to fulfill the will of the Almighty.

5. The stone on which Jesus Christ prayed on the Mount of Temptation

All the internal premises of the monastery are carved into the rock, and in the cave, where, according to legend, Jesus Christ fasted for forty days during his stay in the desert, a small church (or chapel of Temptation) was built. The throne of this church is arranged over a stone on which, according to legend, Christ prayed. This is the main shrine of the Karantal monastery.

6. The place where the Lord was tempted by Satan in the wilderness

The Monastery of Temptation or the Monastery of Karantal (Greek Μοναστήρι του Πειρασμού; Arabic Deir al-Quruntal) is an Orthodox Greek monastery in the Palestinian Autonomy, on the territory of the West Bank of the Jordan River, in the Judean Desert on the northwestern outskirts of Jericho.

It was built on a mountain identified with the place of the temptation of the Savior by the devil described in the Gospels. In memory of this event, both the monastery itself and the mountain on which it is located (Mount of Temptation, Forty-Day Mountain or Mount Karantal) were named.

7. Place of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Mount Tabor)

The site of the Transfiguration of the Lord is located in Lower Galilee, in the eastern part of the Jezreel Valley, 9 km southeast of Nazareth, 11 km from the Sea of ​​Galilee. Here the Lord, as it were, renounced everything earthly - he was transformed, and appeared before his disciples in a different - superhuman, divine image.

8. Mount Overthrow in Nazareth

The Mount of Overthrow is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke, where the story is told about the first sermon of Christ, which he gave in the synagogue of Nazareth. The indignant Jews intended to stone Jesus and led him up the mountain to throw him down, as tradition demanded.

But at one moment a miracle happened and the son of God passed by an angry crowd. (Luke 4:28-30) No one could explain this, but according to tradition, Christ jumped off a high cliff and landed in a valley completely unharmed.

9. Stone water carrier from Cana of Galilee

According to the Gospel of John, here Jesus Christ performed the first miracle - turning water into wine. He warns his mother “that my hour has not yet come”, but at her request he does not refuse to help the groom. The Orthodox and Catholic traditions see this as an expression of the special power of the prayers of the Mother of God for people.

10. Tree of Zacchaeus (Biblical fig tree)

The biblical fig tree is the tree that the tax collector Zacchaeus climbed to see Christ. He is considered the only living witness of the gospel times. The plant is found in Moscobia ("Moscow land") in the central part of Jericho.

The famous fig tree is a sycamore with a height of 15 meters, a crown diameter of 25 meters, and a trunk circumference of 5.5 meters. At a height of 4 meters, the tree trunk has four buttresses, which divides it into several trunks. Inside the trunk there is a hollow in the form of a cone, created by nature itself. It was it that caused its division into several other trunks.

Unfortunately, today scientists talk about the gradual destruction of the fig tree - its branches die off in large numbers. There is nothing strange in this: the existing hollow and the sagging of the trunk wood in its lower part speak of the centuries-old history of this tree.

11. A section of the old road from Jericho to Jerusalem, along which the Savior walked

A preserved section of the old road from Jericho to Jerusalem.
The Lord repeatedly passed through Jericho, following from Galilee to Jerusalem and back.
A stone was found near the road with the inscription “Here Martha and Mary first heard from the Lord the word about the resurrection from the dead. Lord…” (further text breaks off).

12. The ladder of the Savior, along which He ascended to Jerusalem

Among the shrines of Russian Gethsemane, the "Ladder of the Savior" enjoys special reverence. As a result of the clearing work by the Russian historian-archaeologist Professor Grigory Ivanovich Lukyanov, the last 7 steps of the Biblical staircase, which served for religious processions, were opened back in the Old Testament period.

This is the place, the place of the event of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem. In 1987, over the steps of the stairs, a small open chapel dedicated to the gospel event of the Lord's entry into Jerusalem was built with donations from "Russian Australians".

13. The place where Martha met the Lord before the resurrection of Lazarus

Not far from the tomb of the righteous Lazarus is the place where Martha, who went out to meet the Lord, met Him. Then Mary also came here, having heard that the Lord had come and was calling her.
A section of the old road from Jericho to Jerusalem, which passed here, has been preserved. The Savior also walked on it. A stone was found near the road with the inscription “Here Martha and Mary first heard from the Lord the word about the resurrection from the dead. Lord…” (further text breaks off).
A small chapel was erected over the stone. And nearby were found the remains of an ancient Byzantine temple.

14. Place of resurrection and burial cave of Lazar the Four-day

Every year before Holy Pascha, Orthodox all over the world remember Lazarus, who was resurrected by Jesus four days after his death. His coffin is located in the village of Al-Azaria (formerly Bethany) in Israel, which is translated from Arabic as “the place of Lazarus”, and the name Lazarus itself means “God helped me” in Hebrew.

Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary (the girl who anointed Jesus with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair). When their brother fell ill, the sisters sent a man to the son of God who informed Him of this.

As soon as the Lord learned that Lazarus was in a dying state, he immediately hurried to Bethany. Arriving in the village, Jesus, along with his disciples, stopped to rest.
Meanwhile, grief happened in the house of Martha and Mary - their brother Lazarus died. While the sisters mourned their loss inconsolably, they were informed that Jesus had arrived in Bethany.

4 days had already passed since his brother's death, and his body was already decomposing. But the Lord, standing in front of the burial cave where the body of Lazarus was, said: “Lazarus, get out!” Suddenly, the four-day-old dead man came out of the burial cave alive. This miracle was the greatest of all that Christ did during his life on earth.

15. Pool of Bethesda

Here in the gospel times a large number of people constantly gathered, dreaming of getting rid of their illnesses. In this place, Jesus healed a sick man who had been suffering from a serious illness for 38 years. Here, in the bath, there was a board made of the Holy Tree, from which the Cross was subsequently made, on which the Son of God was crucified.

For almost two thousand years, this shrine was hidden from human eyes. It was discovered only in 1914 on the territory of the monastery of the White Fathers, next to the Monastery of St. Anne, not far from the Sheep (Lion) Gate.

The pool of Bethesda was built during the reign of Herod the Great. In those distant times, it was used as a reservoir in which animals were washed before sacrifice. After they entered the city through the Sheep Gate, they were slain in the Jerusalem Temple.

16. Gethsemane grotto (Cave of students)

In this rocky cave, Jesus repeatedly met with the apostles. In it, he spent the night in prayer before his arrest. Also here is still kept the stone on which the Savior was sitting, at the time when Judas approached him with a kiss. Everyone knows that immediately after this, Christ was taken into custody. This place began to be venerated only in the 4th century. Prior to this, many pilgrims believed that Jesus was captured a little to the left of the grotto - on the road connecting Jerusalem with the Mount of Olives.

For many years the history of the Gethsemane grotto was unknown. It was possible to shed light on it only in 1955, when, after a serious flood, a whole team of archaeologists and restorers worked to restore the cave.

17. Zion Upper Room, the place of the Last Supper and the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles

Jesus arrived in Jerusalem just before Passover. At that time, the final decision on His execution had already been made, so he was hiding with the followers of his creed. However, Christ did not intend to hide all the time. He sent two of his most devoted disciples, Peter and John, to the city. They had to find a room in which the Savior, along with all the apostles, could then eat Easter. In his visions, Christ imagined her large, bedded and ready. This is exactly how it all turned out.

In the upper room, which the apostles found for him, he ate the last meal with them and performed the first Eucharist (the sacrament of communion) - having tasted his flesh and blood (bread and wine). It was here that He, like a servant, washed the feet of everyone present, including Peter, who did not want to. In the upper room, he spoke about the coming betrayal of Judas. In the same place, the Savior gave his disciples another commandment to love your neighbor: "Love one another just as I have loved you." And before his departure, he also initiated the sacrament of the priesthood: "As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world." Christians greatly revere all the events that happened at that meal.

18. Place of the Lord's Prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane

The apostles-disciples knew that Jesus loves the Garden of Gethsemane and often retires in it to meditate on his own, take a break from the bustle of the city, and plunge into high communion with God. Therefore, Judas pointed out to the guards this very place where they could find Christ and arrest him without any problems, without unnecessary noise.

Modern research has even been able to accurately indicate the corner of the garden where the legendary events took place, and miraculous phenomena confirm the guesses of scientists.

19. The place where Jesus stood when Judas came to him with a kiss

The place where the most terrible kiss in the history of mankind took place - the kiss of Judas is located in the Garden of Gethsemane, in Jerusalem. Jesus stood in the place of the ancient stone pillar. And Judas approached Him with a flattering smile: “Teacher…”

Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prays, the disciples doze. Suddenly… the sleepy Apostles look at each other… The rattling of weapons, the crunch of stones under the feet of walking people. Judas emerges from the darkness. Of course, Jesus understood that Judas had brought a detachment here to capture Him.

Judas must give a sign - who to grab. On a dark Palestinian night, such a sign is necessary, otherwise one could misidentify. Excited, Judas approaches Jesus and kisses Him. This is a sign, and nothing can be replayed.

But it is still possible to save the soul of Judas. And Jesus asks, "Friend, what have you come for?" (Matthew 26:50).
This question is the strongest evidence that to the last, even when there is no longer a chance for Himself, Jesus wants to save a person. Even the bad guy.

20. Place of the Last Judgment - Jehoshaphat Valley

To the east of Jerusalem, between the Temple and the Mount of Olives, is the Kidron Valley. It got its name due to the Kidron stream flowing here (from the Hebrew "kedar" - darkness, twilight).

This place is considered sacred for representatives of various religious denominations. According to the biblical prediction of the Last Judgment, it is here that the trumpet of the archangel should sound, as a result of which the valley will become wider, and sinners will rise from their graves and appear before the Almighty, after which a fiery river will spill over Kidron. Actually, for this reason, Jewish, Muslim and Christian cemeteries are located in the valley. From century to century they grew, and gradually turned into a huge necropolis, which now surrounds all of Jerusalem.

21. Way of the Cross of the Savior (Via Dolorosa)

Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, the Way of Sorrow is the road along which Jesus Christ passed from the place of the sentence to execution to Golgotha ​​and through the shameful death on the Cross to His glorious Resurrection.

Along this mournful route, 14 stops (or so-called stations) of Via Dolorosa were identified and canonized, marking what happened in these places. All stations of this Sorrow Road are marked with churches and chapels.

The essence and spiritual side of the passage by believers in the footsteps of the Lord and our God is to give the opportunity to feel everything that has befallen the Savior.

During the Way of the Cross, various events took place that stopped the sad procession.

22. First station Via Dolorosa. Pretoria - the place of the trial of the Savior

You can feel the atmosphere of the gospel era, namely the moment when the trial of Jesus Christ took place, right at the scene. It is customary to call them Pretoria (lat. pretorium) - the official residence of the Roman procurators in Jerusalem.

It was here, to the residence of the Roman procurator, that the representatives of the clergy and the Jewish leaders brought the bound Savior to the announcement of his death sentence. However, none of them dared to go inside. Everyone was afraid to be defiled by the presence of a pagan in a residential building on the eve of Easter.

23. The place where Christ stood during the condemnation - Lifostraton

Lifostraton (in Greek - gavvafa) is a revered Orthodox shrine and is a stone platform in front of the palace of the Roman procurator in Jerusalem. Here Christ was publicly interrogated. The soldiers of the Praetorian Guard present at the same time rudely mocked Christ, calling him a false prophet. Lifostraton has been preserved intact below the level of the modern city under a number of monasteries and temples. The largest part of it can be seen in the basement of the monastery of the Sisters of Zion.

There you can see uneven old platform slabs, gutters for draining rainwater, notched so that the feet of horses do not slip, with roughly drawn circles for playing dice during the leisure hours of the Praetorian soldiers.

24. Second station of Via Dolorosa. Place of scourging and condemnation of the Savior

Here, at the second station of Via Dolorosa, Jesus was scourged, here he was dressed in a scarlet shroud, a crown of thorns was placed on him, and here he accepted the cross. The dome of the Chapel of the Flagellation is decorated with a mosaic crown of thorns.

From the monastery across Via Dolorosa, the arch of Ecce homo is thrown. Pontius Pilate brought the condemned Jesus here and showed it to the crowd with the words “Behold the man!”.

25. Prison of Christ. Place of detention before execution

In the basement of the Catholic monastery of the Sisters of Zion, next to the place where Pilate's trial of the Savior took place, there is a dungeon where the Savior spent the night before His death on the cross.

Prison of Christ - a small cave, where in one of the solitary cells with stone blocks was Christ before the execution. This place is now a small Orthodox monastery. Several underground rooms of the dungeon have been preserved.

26. Third station Via Dolorosa. Place of the first fall of Christ

This place is marked by a small Catholic chapel built with money from Polish soldiers after World War II. The relief above the door of the chapel depicts Christ, languishing under the weight of his burden on the Way to Golgotha, to the place of His crucifixion and death.

27. Fourth station Via Dolorosa. The meeting place of Christ with the Mother

This event, like the previous one, is not described in any Gospel, but is immortalized by tradition. From here, the Virgin Mary, overtaking the procession, watched the suffering of her son. The place is marked by the Armenian Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Great Martyr. Above the entrance is a bas-relief depicting the last (earthly) meeting of Christ with his Mother - the Mother of God on the way to the place of His death on the cross.

28. Via Dolorosa fifth station. The place where Simon took over the Cross from Jesus Christ

The cross that Christ carried to the place of execution weighed more than 150 kilograms (!), so it is not surprising that he fell under his weight. Especially when you consider that before that, he was beaten and starved in a dungeon. Realizing that the prisoner was unable to walk, the soldiers forced the first person in the crowd, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Who he was is still unknown. According to one version, the man simply came to Jerusalem for Easter. At the same time, according to the German biblical scholar and theologian Johann Bengel, he was neither a Jew nor a Roman, because none of them would want to bear such a burden.

The place where it happened is marked by the chapel of the Armenian Patriarchate. Inside it there is a beautiful bas-relief depicting a falling Christ. Near the monastery, on the right on the wall, one can see a stone with a recess, which is considered to be a trace from the hand of the Lord. Exhausted from fatigue, He leaned on him when he got rid of the cross.

29. Sixth station Via Dolorosa. The place where St. Veronica wiped Christ's face. Finding the Savior Not Made by Hands

Saint Veronica is a woman who gave a cloth to Jesus, who was walking to Calvary, so that he would wipe sweat and blood from his face, during his procession along His Way of the Cross - Via Dolorosa.

Betrayed and condemned to martyrdom, Christ went to the execution site, carrying His Cross - crucifixion. The procession was surrounded by a crowd that accompanied our Lord to His sufferings. St. Veronica merged with the human sea and followed Christ. Exhausted, Jesus fell under the weight of the Cross, and she ran up to Him, gave Him water to drink and let Him wipe His face. Returning to her house, she discovered that the face of the Savior was imprinted on the fabric. This board, over time, came to Rome and became known here under the name of the Savior Not Made by Hands.

30. Seventh station Via Dolorosa. Judgment Gate Threshold

This Christian shrine is located within the Alexander Compound in the historical part of Jerusalem, and is a beam at the bottom of the ancient gate opening. They say that two thousand years ago, the Savior, going to his execution, crossed over them.

The current wall separating Old Jerusalem from New Jerusalem on the western side did not exist in gospel times. Then it passed in the east and had a gate, which the people called the "Judgement Gate". Near them, the final and irrevocable sentence was proclaimed to those condemned to death - hence the name. The wall was built by the Jewish king Hezekiah just before the attack on the city of the Assyrians in the 8th century BC. Two centuries later, it was restored by Nehemiah, the governor of Judea under the rule of Persia. It was in the form that the wall received under him that Jesus Christ saw it when he passed through the Threshold of the gate.

31. The eighth station of Via Dolorosa. The Place of Christ's Address to the Daughters of Jerusalem

At the place of the conversion of Jesus Christ to the daughters of Jerusalem, also called the 8th stop of the Savior's Way of the Cross - Via Dolorosa, there is the chapel of St. Harlampy, on the wall of which there is a stone with a Cross and the inscription NIKA (Victory).

Despite the traditional prohibition of accompanying a prisoner to the place of execution after the Judgment Gate, many people followed Jesus and he turned to the women mourning him: “Weep not for me, daughters of Jerusalem, but for yourself and your children”, thereby predicting the imminent destruction holy city of Jerusalem.

32. The ninth station of Via Dolorosa. Place of the third fall of Christ

This is the place where the Lord, exhausted by torture and humiliation, fell for the third time.

At the entrance to the Ethiopian monastery there is a column marking this holy place. From here He saw Golgotha, the place of His crucifixion. Station 12 is also located there. The place of His death on the cross, above both of these shrines, now stands the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

33. Tenth station of Via Dolorosa. Place of taking off the garments from Christ and dividing them

The place of removal of clothes from Christ is in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. At the entrance to the Temple is the chapel of the Revelation (Limit of the Reese Division), where Jesus' clothes were torn off before the crucifixion. In the Psalter, one can find the prophetic words of King David about this moment: “You will divide My garments for yourself, and for My clothing you will cast lots.” Also, the Holy Gospel tells how the Roman soldiers divided his clothes in this place: “And they divided His clothes, casting lots. And the people stood and watched. The rulers also mocked with them…” (Luke ch. 24:34-35).

34. Eleventh station of Via Dolorosa

The place where the hands and feet of Jesus Christ were nailed to the Cross is in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

An altar (Catholic) rises above this holy place. Above it is a depiction of Jesus nailed to the cross.

35. Twelfth station of Via Dolorosa. The Place of the Crucifixion of the Savior

The place where the cross stood is marked with a silver disk under the altar. Here, through the hole, you can touch the top of Golgotha.

36. Thirteenth station of Via Dolorosa. Place of the Savior's removal from the Cross

This holy place is located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and is marked with a Latin altar. Under glass is a wooden statue of the Sorrowful Virgin with gifts from pilgrims. The words "Stabat Mater dolorosa" - "Mourning Mother stood" are written here.

The body of Christ was laid by Joseph and Nicodemus on the Anointing Stone for anointing with spices before being buried in the Tomb. “There was a garden in the place where He was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. They laid Jesus there for the sake of the Jewish Friday, because the tomb was near” (Gospel of John, 19th chapter).

37. Fourteenth station of Via Dolorosa. Location of the body of Christ in the tomb

The place where the body of the Lord was laid in the Tomb and where His glorious Resurrection took place on the third day is the last station of the Way of the Cross of the Savior - Via Dolorosa.

Above the Holy Sepulcher rises the temple, which is named after this place - the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. A large number of Shrines associated with the most important things in life are concentrated here.

Kuvuklia is installed above the Holy Sepulcher. Here Joseph of Arimathea laid the body of Jesus in the crypt, the Roman wars blocked the entrance with a huge stone, and the high priests with the Pharisees went to the tomb of Jesus Christ and, having carefully examined the cave, applied their (Sanhedrin) seal to the stone; and set up a military guard at the tomb of the Lord.

Here, on the third day, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ took place.

38. Holy Sepulcher

The Holy Sepulcher is located inside Kuvuklia (Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher), which stands to the left of the Anointing Stone, under the arches of the rotunda.
The cave of the Holy Sepulcher, to a height slightly higher than human height, is lined with white marble. In this cave there is a stone ledge, which served the Savior as a deathbed for three days. Hence He rose.

The apostles and holy fathers of the Church testify that at the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His tomb was illuminated with an immaterial light. The tomb of Christ is located to the right of the entrance. It is covered with a stone slab on which the image of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms is carved.

There is also a silver ark in which the Creed in Greek is enclosed. The Savior's burial bed itself is not visible now, it is covered with a marble slab, which was laid by Queen Elena so that no one would touch the sacred bed. Holes are made in the slab through which pilgrims kiss the Savior's three-day bed; in addition, the upper part of the slab is split in the middle, and the sacred legend tells the following about this: Once the Turks wanted to get this marble for their mosque, but an Angel passed a sign on it, after which the slab cracked, immediately losing all value for the Turks. According to another version, the Christians themselves sawed this plate in order to divert the attention of the Turks from it.

39. Church of the Holy Sepulcher

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is the center of the entire Christian world, a place where the heavenly and the earthly converged at one point. Here the earthly life of Jesus Christ ended and His Resurrection took place.
The most complex structure, including about 40 separate buildings, a place where, in the absence of a map, it is almost impossible not to get lost - all this is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

It includes such holy places as Golgotha ​​- the mountain where the last hours of Christ's life passed, where he was crucified and the cave where the Savior's Tomb is located. There is reliable information that there are secret underground passages under the Temple, to which the elect have access. Own it - its separate parts - several Christian denominations.
For many centuries of its existence, it was destroyed and rebuilt three times.

40. Anointing Stone

The Anointing Stone is one of the oldest Christian shrines. It is a stone slab lined with marble, inside of which the Holy Stone is enclosed directly, on which the Body of Jesus was laid before burial. When Joseph and Nicodemus (followers of Christ) took Him down from the Cross, laid Him on a Stone, anointed Him with spices (peace) and wrapped Him in a Shroud. After that, the Body was carried away from here and laid in the tomb.

The Anointing Stone is located directly opposite the entrance to the main Jerusalem temple - the Resurrection of the Lord, and before the eyes of those entering, it appears first.
The size of the slab is about 3 m long and almost 1.5 m wide, the stone is 0.3 m thick. The troparion of St. Joseph of Arimathea.

41. Golgotha: the place of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

Golgotha ​​is one of the most revered holy places among Christians. This is the mountain on which Jesus Christ was crucified and accepted His death on the cross.

Initially, Golgotha ​​was called as a whole the entire territory located outside the walls of the holy city of Jerusalem. Subsequently, the mountain itself began to be called that.

Not far from the western slope were beautiful gardens, one of which, according to historical evidence, was owned by Joseph of Arithamey, a member of the Sanhedrin, a secret admirer of Christ. At the Gareb hill (Mount Golgotha ​​was part of it at that time), an observation deck was arranged from which the people watched how the execution of the convicts took place.

There is a cave on Calvary, which in those distant times served as a temporary shelter for the condemned, where they spent their last hours of earthly life. Christ was also here for some time, so it was later called the "Dungeon of Christ."

With each century, Golgotha ​​changed, transformed: majestic altars appeared, exquisite decorative elements were created, with which everything was decorated.
Dimensions of Golgotha ​​today: height - 5 meters, top size - 11.4 by 9.2 meters. There are always lit lamps around the mountain, there are 2 thrones.

42. Place of standing of the holy women in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

This place is marked by a stone canopy opposite Golgotha, to the west. Abbot Daniel, in his famous “Journey” at the beginning of the 12th century, indicates a different place of standing of the holy Women: “Many others also stood here and looked from afar: Mary Magdalene, Mary of Jacobleva and Salome, here stood all who came from Galilee with John and with mother of Jesus, all the well-known friends of Jesus were standing, watching from afar, as the prophet predicted: “My friends and my sincere ones are directly approaching me and stare. And my neighbors are far away from me.” (Ps. 37:12, 13) And this place is located further from the crucifixion of Christ, about one and a half hundred sazhens (300 meters) to the west of the Crucifixion, the name of the place is Spudius, which is translated “Effort of the Theotokos”. At this place now there is a monastery and a church in the name of the Mother of God, with a pointed top.

Nowadays, this place is indicated inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, much closer to Golgotha ​​(no further than 50 meters).

43. Lavitsa - the stone bed of Christ

The stone bed on which the body of Christ rested is located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

This is the only coffin in the world, which, according to the holy fathers, will not give up its dead on the day of the general resurrection. "Christ lives, and on the last day he will appear in glory to judge the world."
The Holy Lavitsa is covered with a white marble slab - transcendental. She appeared here in 1555 and serves not so much to decorate the bed as to protect it.

44. Stone bonds of Jesus Christ

Prison of Christ - a small cave with a stone bench in which holes for the legs are made; the legs of the prisoner were threaded through them. (author's photo) There is a Greek Orthodox Church near the dungeon. The beginning of the Way of the Cross of the sufferings of Christ.

45. The place of growth of the tree from which the Cross of the Lord was made

The largest Orthodox shrine of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem is the place where the sacred tree grew, from which, later, the Life-Giving Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ was made.

46. ​​Stone of scourging of the Lord

It was on this stone that they beat Him with whips, put a crown of thorns on His head and took off His clothes.
Every year on Holy Friday, real miracles happen here. Everyone who puts their ear to this place of the Lord's suffering hears the echoes of the events that happened to Him two thousand years ago: His groans, the whistle of whips, the cries of the angry crowd "Crucify Him!" rather, growls the man who scourges the body of God's son.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets to experience it all. Only a person with a pure soul and a kind heart can touch the great past. According to the lucky ones, this is an unforgettable feeling, which then allows you to look at life differently, and even adds wisdom. As for sinners, they most often hear completely different sounds, for example, horse clatter.

47. Place of finding the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord

The life-giving Tree of the Cross of Christ was discovered by St. Queen Elena with great difficulty in an abandoned cistern, where it was thrown with other crosses after the crucifixion. This cistern is deep in the ground, the entrance to it is from a semi-dark gallery running along the walls of the Church of the Resurrection, to the right of the stairs to Golgotha.

30 steps lead down to the Armenian Church of St. Helena; in the right corner of this church, a dark staircase with 13 iron steps leads to the cave (former cistern) of the Finding of the Cross. In the depths lies a marble slab at the very place of acquisition; here at first the Life-Giving Tree was kept for a long time, and worship was rendered to it here.

48. Place of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, Stopochka

The Mount of Olives can rightly be called a treasury of gospel events. There is a huge number of attractions associated with the last moments of the life of Jesus Christ. Among the most revered of them is the place of the Ascension of the Lord, on which now stands a chapel, popularly called the "Stopochka" because of its shape.

Despite the fact that this building has been a mosque for many centuries, thousands of Christians come here every year. Each of them has one goal - to touch the sacred stone on which Jesus stood before ascending to heaven. It is said that the imprint of his foot is still visible on it. Pilgrims believe that by touching this shrine, one can become closer to the Lord and receive answers to many questions for Him.

49. Stone rolled away by an angel from the Holy Sepulcher

The stone rolled away by the Angel from the Holy Sepulcher is located in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

The cave where Christ was buried is divided into two unequal parts. In the first, more extensive (3.4 x 3.9 m), there is a low lectern made of marble with a part of the stone that blocked the entrance to the cave of the Holy Sepulcher. “The angel of the Lord, who came down from heaven, came and rolled away the stone from the door of the tomb and sat on it” (Mat. 28:2).

In memory of those events, this part of the grotto is called the "chapel of the Angel."

50. Column of the Holy Fire

Every visitor to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher can see a marble column cut along an unusual crack. Its length is more than a meter in length, towards the bottom it expands to 8 cm in width and depth.
The crack miraculously appeared in 1579 on Holy Saturday. Great Saturday is the day when, through the prayer of the Orthodox Patriarch, the Holy Fire descends into the Holy Sepulcher.
Representatives of other faiths tried to pray for the Holy Fire, but to no avail.

And here is one such attempt ended with the following:
On Holy Saturday 1579, representatives of the Armenian Church (unfortunately, as with the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church does not have Eucharistic communion) obtained permission from the Pasha of Jerusalem to be alone in the temple on Holy Saturday. Having given his consent, the pasha thereby did not let in the Orthodox Patriarch and the rest of the Orthodox who had gathered at the temple. They were forced to pray at the entrance to the temple. Suddenly, a thunderous blow was heard in the clear sky, one of the columns began to crack and the Holy Fire splashed from there, from which the Patriarch lit his candle.

His example was followed by all who came to the temple. At the same time, the Orthodox began to jump and shout, praising God. Since then it has become their tradition. After this event, representatives of other faiths abandoned their attempts to pray for the Holy Fire.

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