Project Description

Station 1

Jesus is condemned to death

Jesus is restrained by a guard who holds his arms from behind. Christ looks stoic and exhausted. Both the guards in the foreground of this sculpture appear unemotional in contrast to the massive crowd of people, mostly expressing rage and hatred towards Jesus. It was important to accurately depict how many people were involved in the condemnation of Christ. Children also are present within these sculptures; they are represented as mostly looking sad or confused.

The viewer encounters a Roman guard signaling with his hand that you are in a restricted area. This is one of the figures within this project that acknowledges the viewer, and it is important that it is one of the first experiences in these monuments; it suggests that although you perhaps might not be welcome, your presence is acknowledged by the sculpture itself.

The Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, high on the steps in his judgement seat, is presented with Christ and is shown in deep thought and concern for he does not want to sentence Jesus to death.

Mark 12:17

“So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him.

Matthew 27:19

While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him.”

Matthew 27:24

When Pilate saw that he was not succeeding at all, but that a riot was breaking out instead, he took water and washed his hands in the sight of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. Look to it yourselves.”

Matthew 27:15-17

Now on the occasion of the feast the governor was accustomed to release to the crowd one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called [Jesus] Barabbas.  So when they had assembled, Pilate said to them, “Which one do you want me to release to you, [Jesus] Barabbas, or Jesus called Messiah?”

Matthew 27:4-5

Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? Look to it yourself.” Flinging the money into the temple, he departed and went off and hanged himself.

“So great a love has our Heavenly Mother for us, that she deserves our gratitude, and that gratitude should be shown by at least meditating upon, and pitying her in her Sorrows.”
– Saint Alphonsus Liguori

Matthew 7:24-27

“Everyone, then, who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”

Behind the scenes of Station 1