Matthew the apostle wrote how Pilate the governor, “released Barabbas unto” the multitude of Jewish people, “and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him”, and in chapter twenty-seven and verse thirty-two of his book, Matthew wrote how the soldiers, “found a man of Cyrene” and they “compelled” him “to bear his cross” where we read:
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name:
him they compelled to bear his cross.
The verse reads, “And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name:” Matthew began words, “and as they came out” which means “and when Jesus and Pilate's soldiers left the judgment hall”, “they found a man of Cyrene” or “the soldiers discovered, recognized and detected a man who was a Cyrenian”, “Simon” which means “a rock or stone” “by name” or “which is everything a name is used for and covers such as the thoughts or feelings of which is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing and remembering”. Matthew shared after Pilate's soldiers left the judgment hall, they discovered a man who was from “Cyrenia” and was named “Simon”.
The verse continues, “him they compelled to bear his cross.” Matthew added the words, “him they compelled” or “Simon the soldiers pressed into public service” “to bear his cross” which means “to raise upward and carry Jesus' well known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians which was an upright stake especially such as used in fences or palisades”. Matthew shared how the soldiers “pressured” “Simon the Cyrenian” to carry Jesus' cross for Him.
When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we can only imagine the traumatic torture Jesus already endured from these “soldiers”, and for a while He was made to carry His own “cross”. After falling beneath the weight of it cross, “Simon” was forced to carry Jesus' cross for Him. This horrible torture of Jesus who is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means “Jehovah is Salvation” was because He desired to “save” people from their sins that separated them from God. Let all who read these words carefully consider what God has done through Jesus Christ His Son so they might have “everlasting life” with Him, and may they yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” to respond gratefully to this passionate act of love.
Next time Matthew wrote how the governor's soldiers, “came to a place called Golgotha”, 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.
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