The Cross of Christ

The Cross of Christ (from the Greek word: χριστός (chrīstós), meaning "Anointed One") symbolizes Jesus the Savior and Christianity.
It represents His betrayal, arrest, trial, suffering and His Victory over death.
Jesus Christ offered Himself to be Crucified, so we may find the Path of the Good Shepherd Who leads His flock to greener pastures.
The Cross of Christ is the cherished emblem of atonement, forgiveness and grace that is revered by Christians who acknowledge Jesus Christ as the King of their world.
It represents God's act of love and atonement in Christ's Sacrifice at Golgotha - "the Lamb of God who takes way the sins of the world."
Like a beacon, it shines bright for all who can see its symbol of love, hope and everlasting life in God's Heavenly Kingdom.

Raising of Lazarus

The Cross of Christ
Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary of Bethany, a town near Jerusalem.
All three were beloved friends of Jesus.
It was Mary who anointed our Lord's Feet with perfume and wiped them with her hair.
The raising of Lazarus was the catalyst the Jewish High Priests decided to put Jesus Christ to death.
They feared everybody was going to follow Him and they feared their loss of authority.
"Better for One Man to die than the whole nation."
The story of Lazarus was to preview with the Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, just one week later.

Palm Sunday

The Cross of Christ
The miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead was a key reason the crowd met Jesus when He made His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on a humble donkey.
It was also an important factor that the chief priests and pharisees determined to bring about His Death.
Huge crowds escorted Jesus into Jerusalem on a Sunday as the Humble Christ prophesied by Zachariah.
They greeted Him as the King of Israel with palm branches and His Divine Kingdom on Earth was proclaimed under the branches of a palm tree.

Six Mock Courts

The Cross of Christ
Jesus was arrested at the Garden of Gethsemane near the Kidron Valley by the Jewish priests backed by armed crowds and Roman soldiers.
Judas betrayed Jesus by revealing His whereabouts for "30 pieces of silver" and identifying Him with a kiss.
Later the guilt-ridden, Judas returned the money and committed suicide.
Jesus endured six cruel trials lasting between 10 to 20 hours at the hands of the Jewish high priests and Romans.
There were three religious trials before high priests Annas and Caiaphas, then, the Sanhedrin who charged Him with blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God and King of the Jews.
Even though Judea was governed by Rome, Jewish law still applied to Jews.
Jesus Christ then faced three different charges in the Roman praetorium under Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, charged with inciting people to riot, forbidding the people to pay their taxes, and claiming to be King.
Yet, throughout His Ministry, Jesus told people, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's” (Greek: Ἀπόδοτε οὖν τὰ Καίσαρος Καίσαρι καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ Θεῷ).
—Matthew 22:21
Jesus was then led to Herod Antipas who bore the title of Tetrarch of Galilee, ("ruler of a quarter") which meant he was a ruler of a minor principality in the Roman Empire.
*At the time of Jesus Christ's Birth, Herod the Great, king of Judea, ordered the execution of all male children who are two years old in the vicinity of Bethlehem.
Matthew (2:16–18)
*Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, was responsible for the executions of John the Baptist and and later, Jesus Christ (Matthew 14, Matthew 14:1–12).
After the last trial by the Jews Jesus was sent to Pilate for the final verdict that would seal His fate.
Pilate tried to appease the Jewish priests by having Jesus scourged with a multi-thonged whip embedded with sharp pieces of lead, metal and bone that was designed to remove flesh.
Pilate finally offered the prisoner Barabbas to be crucified, instead of Jesus, but to no avail.
The hand-picked crowd of the high priests called for Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be Crucified.
Pilate sentenced Jesus Christ to Death for treason against Rome.
The Jewish high priests had already sentenced Him for blasphemy against the Temple.
The trials of Jesus Christ represent the ultimate mockery of justice.

Path to Golgotha

The Cross of Christ
Pilate handed Jesus over to the soldiers who took Him, stripped Him, beat and whipped Him.
They put a scarlet Robe on His back and placed a scepter made of reed in His Right Hand to symbolize “royalty."
They placed a Crown of Thorns twisted into a circlet, on His Head to humiliate His claim of being “King of the Jews.”
They spat on Him and mocked Him saying, "Hail King of the Jews."
Then they led Him away to be Crucified.
With bleeding Back and carrying His own Cross, Jesus struggled slowly up to that rugged hillside of Golgotha.
The Path that Jesus had to carry His Cross on the way to His Crucifixion was about 600 meters (2,000 feet).
During the journey, the soldiers seized a man, Simon of Cyrene and made him carry the Cross behind Jesus.
When they reached Golgotha, Jesus was nailed to the Cross then hoisted up between two criminals - one on the right and on the left.
Four letters, INRI, were nailed on the Cross come from the Latin phrase "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum" meaning ''Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."
Bruised, bleeding and wracked with excruciating pain, Jesus Christ's Final Statements of His Mortal Ministry. were:
With parched Lips He cried out, "I thirst" (19:28).
When Jesus saw His mother, Mary and His Disciple whom He loved, He said first to Mary, "Woman, behold thy Son" (John 19:26).
To His beloved Disciple HE said, "Behold thy Mother" (19:27)
Jesus forgave His tormenters by crying out, "Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing."
The sky turned dark for three hours.
One of the criminals spoke to Jesus saying, "Remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
Jesus replied, "Truly, I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise."
As the time of His Death approached, Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me" (Mark:15:34)
In great agony, Jesus cried, "It is finished" (John19:30).
His final statement "Father, into your Hands I commit My Spirit" (Luke 23:46).
To make sure that Jesus was Dead, a Roman soldier stabbed Him in the Side.

The Resurrection

The Cross of Christ
The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ are the two most important events in Christian history.
Mary Magdalene who followed Jesus, was present at His Crucifixion and Burial and was the one who went to the Tomb on that first Easter Sunday, to Anoint His Body.
She was the first, to see the Risen Lord, and to announce His Resurrection to His Disciples.
Jesus said to her, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die".
(John 11:25-26)

The Cross of Christ

Mesanagros
Rhodes Island
Greece

Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus
As the bells of every Orthodox church (including all other Christian denominations who conduct their own special Good Friday services) slowly begin to toll, lamenting the Death of Jesus Christ.
Every church in every city, town or village in Greece and around the world, wherever there is a Greek community with a church, will walk in the Footsteps of Jesus on this day, the first Good Friday, our dear Lord, Jesus Christ Closed His Eyes in Death on the Cross.
Every year, Jesus Christ carries His Cross and one by one He calls His people to Walk in His Footsteps.
Throughout history, millions of people have waled this Path of the Cross to follow our dear Lord, Jesus Christ.
Every year, on Good Friday, all Christians accompany Jesus Christ, retracing His Footsteps along the road of His Passion and Crucifixion in a spirit of sincere reverence and faith, carrying the Cross of Christ.
Jesus is indeed, the Christ (Greek: Χριστός) the "Anointed" Who has come to save us all.

Adelaide
South Australia

Christian Life

Christian life is lived in relationship with God through Jesus Christ, Christian fellowship in the church and through serving others.
Christian life is blessed by God with love, humility, forgiveness, goodness, temperance. peace and faith.
Christian life is Illuminated by the Light of our dear Lord, Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd who came to lead His flock to greener pastures.
Christian values and virtues shape character and lifestyle to live a meaningful, just and wholesome existence.
The Bible is the inspired Word of God and Christian guide to right thinking, behavior and action.
Both the Old Testament (the Prophets) and the New Testament (Jesus Christ and His Apostles) are inseparably united.

Symbols of Christianity

The Cross of Christ
Three important symbols of Christianity are the Cross, the Fish, and the Greek letters Alpha and Omega.
Alpha and Omega, in Christianity are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
They represent God:
The Beginning and the End.
(Revelation 1:8,11; 21:6; 22:13)
The Alpha & Omega is based on the oldest ancient Bible manuscripts that used the Greek word, "Theos" which the Apostles actually wrote instead of "God".
The Cross of Christ
Jesus Christ Died on the Cross to pay for our sins.
In the Cross of Christ, we see triumph over evil and sin.
We see Christ's Victory over Death.
Fish
The ancient Greek word for fish is "ICTHYS" (ἸΧΘΥΣ) that emerged in the first century during the times of persecution by the Romans.
It was used by Christians who were in hiding to display meeting places of worship on trees, doorways and even tombs.
Christians made an acrostic from the Greek phrase: Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter (Greek: "Ἰησοῦς Χρῑστός Θεοῦ Υἱός Σωτήρ") meaning Jesus Christ, Son of God the Savior.

Videos of Near-Death-Experiences

True Life Story of an ex-Atheist, Ian McCormack's Near Death Experience (NDE)

The following videos have copyright.
You can put the links below in the You Tube search browser to see true-life stories of people who had Near-Death-Experiences.

Near Death Experience Puts Man Face-to-Face With God
https://youtu.be/YbEojX4iaGQ

What This Horse Told Me in Heaven Will Melt Your Heart
https://youtu.be/Li01T7H3ZGQ

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