Matthew 27:27-56; Mark 15:16-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30
As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him (Luke 23:26-27).
When they led Jesus away, the destination was Golgotha, the place of the skull, situated, not within the city walls, but outside the city. This word, “skull,” in Latin is “Calvaria,” which is where we get the word “Calvary.” Perhaps you’ve read some poems or sung some songs that mentioned Jesus’ death on Calvary.
Carrying your cross to the place of execution was part of a prisoner’s humiliation. According to the NIV study Bible, crosses in New Testament times could be shaped like a T, an X, a Y, or an I, as well as in the traditional form (note John 19:17, page 1085). After the lack of sleep, food, and water from the previous twenty-four hours, the brutal beatings, the loss of blood from the scourging and the crown of thorns, Jesus was not able to take the cross all the way to the execution site. Tradition says that he fell under the heavy weight which he bore on his lacerated shoulders.
The Romans had a law which said that soldiers could force people to carry a load for them for a mile. Evidently, Simon was among the thousands of pilgrims who came to Jerusalem from other nations to celebrate the Passover(Acts 2:5-11). Cyrene was in northern Africa. Simon had traveled hundreds of miles to get to Jerusalem only to be forced into a sad situation.
Mark’s gospel says that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus, and one would think that Mark mentioned those men because they were known by some of his readers (Mark 15:21). Paul the apostle greets a Christ follower in Rome named Rufus, who may have been Simon’s son (Romans 16:13), although that can’t be proven. If so, it may be evidence that Simon came to faith sometime after carrying the cross of Christ, and that his sons were impacted too!
Two other men were being led to the crucifixion site along with Jesus. They are called thieves in Matthew 27:44 and they may have been companions of Barabbas.
The NIV Study Bible says that there was a tradition that the women of Jerusalem would furnish wine mixed with gall to deaden the pain of crucifixion (p. 1645). Before he was nailed to the cross, Jesus was offered that solution but refused to drink it (Matthew 27:34). Apparently, Jesus wanted to be fully alert, rather than experiencing the crucifixion in a semi-conscious, drugged condition. It was a Roman custom to inscribe on a board the name of the condemned person, and the nature of his crime (aka titulus). This was carried before the criminal, or worn about his neck, to the place of crucifixion, where it was attached to the cross. All four gospels agree that the sign said Jesus was “the King of the Jews.” The total inscription was probably “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
Paul the apostle draws on this concept in Colossians 2:13-14. He states: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”
As Christ followers, we can confidently say that the titulus, that is the charges against us for the sins we’ve committed, were nailed to the cross with Jesus, and we can now enjoy the freedom of being forgiven and knowing that we’re in a right relationship with God. Paul the apostle says it this way: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).
Because of our union with Christ, the charges against us have been dropped. Our sins have been erased. We can rejoice in the fact of our forgiveness and in the freedom of walking with Jesus Christ.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for your journey to the cross. You took those painful steps for your glory and for our benefit. We confess that you are our king and our God. You took every charge against us, every sin we’ve ever committed, and by your grace, they were nailed to the cross. We rejoice in our freedom today!
Question
Do you ever struggle with knowing you’re completely forgiven?