In today’s blog, I would like to focus on Mark 15:21-41, the passage that records the crucifixion death of our Lord. Mark’s Gospel devotes a significant portion of his Book to giving an account of Jesus’ last week on earth (Mark 11-16). The passionate love of God for His wayward creation is going to culminate in the death of God’s Son on the cross for His creation.
As they lead Jesus out to Golgotha’s Hill, Simon the Cyrene is conscripted to help carry Jesus’ cross beam. Simon just happened to be passing by on his way in from the country (Mk. 15:21). According to John 19:18, Jesus began carrying his cross to the Hill, but must of have been so weakened by the severe flogging and resultant loss of blood, that he was unable to carry the heavy wood all the way. This inordinate loss of blood in the severe flogging, also probably explains why Pontius Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead, when Joseph of Arimathea came to him, later in the day, to ask permission to take Jesus’ body down from the cross (Mk. 15:42-47).
Mathew, Mark and Luke all mention Simon the Cyrene by name. Mark even mentions that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus (Mk. 15:21). Many commentators surmise that the details of these specific names are given because Mark’s original recipients of his written Gospel were acquainted with Simon and his sons. It is reasonable to conclude that Simon and his family came to believe in Jesus as the long-expected Messiah and as their Savior. And then they became part of the church that Mark is writing his Gospel to. That is why Mark gives their specific names in his account of what happened on that first Good Friday.
Just put yourself in Simon’s shoes. He is coming in from the country, to perhaps shop at the market for some supplies, and all of a sudden he is conscripted to carry this cross beam of a person he probably did not know. That’s the sense you get from reading the Scriptural account. He probably said to himself, “What did I do to deserve this. I am innocent. I was just minding my own business.” As he proceeded with Christ, and saw with what was transpiring and the way Jesus was responding to things, you can imagine a change occurring in Simon’s perspective. This guy who is getting crucified is the Real Innocent One. And maybe I am not totally innocent. And it seems like Simon and his family became a part of the Christian faith community.
You see the same sense of conviction coming upon one of the two criminals that was crucified with Jesus. Mark reports that two robbers were crucified with Christ and that they both were hurling insults at Jesus (Mk. 15:27,32). But one of the robbers seems to have started to come under conviction as he spent time in the presence of the bloodied Jesus. Luke has this robber have an apparent change of heart. This one robber tells the other robber: “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). He then turns to Jesus and asks Christ to remember him when he comes in his kingdom. Jesus answered the man with these memorable words: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
I share the story of Simon the Cyrene and the repentant robber because they highlight the Gospel truth that the Sinless One, Jesus, died on the cross, in our place. We deserved what happened to him. He came under God’s judgment so that we wouldn’t be condemned for our sins. On the cross, Jesus cried out to his heavenly Father: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Mk. 15:34)? Jesus was forsaken for us so that we would never be forsaken by God.
On the 3rd day, God raised Jesus from the dead, vindicating His claims and His righteousness (Mark 16:1-8). He was totally faithful in His relationship with His heavenly Father. God vindicated and justified Jesus when He rose him from the dead. We come to share in that vindication when we repent of our sins and come into a faith union with our crucified and risen Savior. Jesus is our justification at the foot of God’s judgment seat. This is the Good News of Christ!
QOTD: Are you trusting Christ as your Lord and Savior? Are you clothed in His righteousness?
4 Comments
Pastor John. Our bible has extra verses Mark 16:9-20. In Italics and says these verses were not in some of the original manuscripts.
I know some controversial material is in those verses. I e Handling snakes and poisons without harm. And yet these verses give information about the first sightings of our resurrects Lord. I have read this before. What is your view about these verses?
Hi Gale. I don’t think they were in the original manuscripts. But they do contain some material that goes back to the Apostles. All of its content, with the exception of the snake-handling and drinking poison, can be found in the other Gospels and Paul’s Letters. I don’t think the snake-handling and drinking poison goes back to Jesus. They are aberrant additions.
Ah. That makes sense. Some of those issues certainly do seem
aberrant. Thanks for the clarification. I will put a note in my bible.
Thank you. That makes sense. They do appear to be aberrant. That’s for sure. Thank you for the clarification.
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