They seized one Simon of Cyrene

Luke 23:26-31

As Jesus is being led away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country; and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus.  But before that came about, we must recall the battle Jesus endured in Gethsemane as He prayed to His Father saying, “Father, if you are willing remove this cup from me.  Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.”  Then Jesus’ arrest and being taken and examined by the high priest and the guards blindfolding Jesus and hitting Him in the face.  Then at daybreak off to Pilate where Jesus is asked, are you the king of the Jews and this is His answer; “You have said so.” And then to that worm Herod and being drilled with questions and Herod and his solders mocked him.

And yet, Jesus had an appointment with the flagellum as reported by Matthew 27:26, and Dr. C. Truman Davis gives us insight about what shape Jesus was in when Simon was ordered to carry the cross, the patibulum, weighing about 110 pounds, from the prison to the place of execution.

 

These are his thoughts “Preparations for the scourging were carried out when the Prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. It is doubtful the Romans would have made any attempt to follow the Jewish law in this matter, but the Jews had an ancient law prohibiting more than forty lashes.  The Roman legionnaire steps forward with the flagrum (or flagellum) in his hand. This is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus’ shoulders, back, and legs.” (By Dr. C. Truman Davis)

Why they picked Simon out of this vast crowd of people we have no understanding, but in Mark’s gospel we have this information: “And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.”  (Mark 15:21)

In Luke 23:27-31, we have Dr. Luke’s account of what happen next; “And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”  (Luke 23:27-31 ESV)

The miracles Jesus has done up to now seem small as we reflect on the miracle that took place on this day, a day where the devil and his angels believed they had won the victory, where the high priest and most of the crowd witnessed the death of Jesus, but tomorrow we will look at the greatest of all miracles.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice