Real Hope: The Passion - Week 2Намуна

Jesus Is Helped By Simon From Cyrene

Men condemned to death were forced to carry a beam of the cross, often weighing up to 20 kgs, to the place of crucifixion. Jesus started carrying His (John 19:17), but He had been so weakened by the flogging and beatings that Simon was forced into service. Three Gospels address this incident. Matthew 27:32 says that Simon was forced to carry the cross, and Luke 23:26 says that soldiers seized Simon, put the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus.

Why Simon? This man appears seemingly from nowhere (Cyrene, located in eastern Libya) and is forced to carry Jesus’ cross. Mark provides some familial context, so perhaps Simon and his sons were known to Mark’s readers in later years. Simon did not live in Israel and had travelled from Libya, so perhaps he was a Jewish man in Jerusalem for Passover.

Jesus had been badly beaten up before being forced to carry His cross. No doubt, He was exhausted and physically spent. Because of Simon, Jesus survived for the remaining punishment that would be served out, being nailed to the cross – crucified as the crowd wanted and Pilate gave them.

We are encouraged through the Gospels to pick up our cross and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). In saying this, Jesus’ listeners and readers would have known exactly what He meant because hundreds of men had been executed in this manner. Simon did it literally. For us, the cross symbolizes the forgiveness of our sins and restoring our relationship with God.

Written by DAVID BARKER