Luke the beloved physician wrote how Pilate said of Jesus, “I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof you accuse him. No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas. (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spoke again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil has he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will”, and in chapter twenty-three and verse twenty-six of his book Luke shared how Pilate, “Simon, a Cyrenian … on him they laid the cross” where we read:
And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country,
and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
The verse reads, “And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, ...” Luke began with the words, “and as they led him away” or “and during the time when the ones to crucify Jesus carried away and brought Jesus to be crucified”, “they laid hold” which means “the ones crucifying Jesus seized, succored and attained” “upon one Simon” or “on a man whose name was Simon which means a rock or stone”, “a Cyrenian” which means “who was from Cyrene”, “coming out of the country” or “appearing and arising from the field, piece of land and bit of tillage area”. Luke shared during the time the people were carrying Jesus to be crucified, they seized a man whose name was “Simon” from “Cyrene” who was coming from the countryside.
The verse goes on to say, “... and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.” Luke continued with the words, “and on him” which means “and upon Simon” “they laid the cross” or “those who were crucifying Jesus lay His body down on a well known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment which borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians”, “that he might bear it” which means “so Simon could carry the cross” “after Jesus” or “from behind and on the back of the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate”. Luke shared how the people who were “crucifying” Jesus put His cross upon the back of “Simon” so He could carry it for Jesus.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn how “Simon the Cyrenian” was chosen to carry “Jesus' cross”. “Jesus” was beaten, scourged and pummeled at this point, and His body was too weak to carry His own “cross”. “Simon” carried Jesus “cross”, and in effect, He carried it for all the world. Those who submit themselves to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” will be forgiven of their sins and receive everlasting life with God. Those who refuse and reject Him will have joined with those who “crucified” Jesus and would never carry His cross or yield to Him.
Next time Luke shares how, “there followed him a great company of people, and of women”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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