#189 Lu. 23:26  SIMON BEARING THE CROSS OF JESUS

Introduction:

	In our previous text Jesus was brought back before Pilate for
His third hearing before the Romans.  Counting the three hearings
before the Jews, this made His sixth and final hearing.  In this
hearing the Jews persisted in demanding the crucifixion of Jesus
and, although Pilate pronounced Him "Not guilty", he finally gave
in to the Jews and ordered the crucifixion.

I.  The scourging of Jesus

	Luke had recorded a statement of Pilate to the Jews that he
intended to chastise Jesus and release Him.  However, Pilate gave
in and ordered the crucifixion of Jesus and Luke says nothing
else about Pilate chastening Him.  He does not tell us whether
the whipping took place or not.  However, both Matthew and Mark
say that it did.  Pilate did chastise Jesus by having Him
publicly whipped.
    This was a cruel and torturous event.  They stripped Jesus of
all His clothing with the possible exception of a loincloth.  He
was then tied to a stake with His upper body bent slightly
forward and His arms stretched forward so that the skin of the
back would be stretched tight and would split more easily.  Then
a Roman soldier would whip Him unmercifully.
	I want to correct a statement that I made last Sunday.  If I
remember right I said that in the scourging there would be
thirty-nine stripes.  It was the custom of the Jews to limit the
lashes to thirty-nine.  However, the Romans had no such limit.
The whipping of Jesus did not stop until the Roman soldier
administering the whipping decided to stop.
	The whip that was used had small pieces of bone or metal tied
to the end so that every blow would cut into the flesh.  By the
time the scourging was over the back of Jesus was cut to ribbons.
	The pain in such whippings was so intense that many men died
during the scourging.  Jesus did not die at that time, but we can
be sure that He was left in a terribly weakened condition.

II.  The mockery of Jesus

	Another thing that Luke did not mention was the mocking of
Jesus by the Roman soldiers before the crucifixion.  After the
scourging, a kingly robe was put on Jesus and the soldiers
pretended that He was their king and they were His subjects.  It
was all done in mockery, of course.  They made Him a crown and
put it on His head.  The problem was that the crown was not made
of silver or god, but was made with branches cut from thorn
bushes.  It had great long thorns which would penetrate deeply
into the flesh.  Matthew says they then beat Him on the head.  We
can be sure they did not hit those thorns with their hands.  They
beat those thorns into the scalp of Jesus with a reed.
	The soldiers would parade before Him and bow as if paying
courtesy to a king.  Then they would beat Him in the face with
their hands and spit in His face and on His body.  It was a
humiliating experience.

III.  Jesus led away to be crucified and Simon compelled to carry
      His cross

	It was not until after they had finished the scourging and
mockery that the soldiers then led Jesus out of the city to be
crucified.  It is at this point that Luke takes up again and
tells us about the crucifixion.
    V. 26, "And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one
Simon, a Cyrenian...."  The city of Cyrene was in north Africa in
the nation of Lybia.  The name, Simon, is a Hebrew name and
indicates that this Simon was a Jew.  Secular history records
that there was a large Jewish colony in Cyrene.  The Jews from
that colony, like Jews everywhere, would go to Jerusalem every
year to observe the Jewish passover.  That could account for
Simon being in Jerusalem at this time.
    However, a goodly number of the Jews from the colony in
Cyrene had returned back to Jerusalem to live and had built their
own Jewish synagogue there in Jerusalem which they called "The
Cyrenian Synagogue."  It is possible that Simon was in that
group.
	At any rate, he was in Jerusalem and just happened to be at
the right place at the right time to be called on to carry the
cross of Jesus.  (V. 26), "...coming out of the country..."  This
statement indicates that Simon had been out in the country near
Jerusalem and was just re-entering the city as the soldiers
started out of the city with Jesus.
    (V. 26), "...and on him they laid the cross, that he
might bear it after Jesus."  John tells us that Jesus carried His
own cross and no doubt He did until they met Simon.  But keep in
mind that Jesus was in a weakened condition because of the
scourging.  It was apparently obvious to the soldiers that Jesus
was not going to be physically able to carry the cross all the
way to the place of execution.  He must have begun to falter
under the heavy load and some have suggested that He may have
actually fallen under the load.  One of the hymn writers says
that He did fall beneath the load ---, and He may have.  Those
Roman soldiers were not about to carry the heavy cross for Jesus,
and so they confiscated a Jewish man to carry the cross for
Jesus.  That man just happened to be Simon the Cyrenian.  They
laid the cross of Jesus on Simon and ordered him to carry it.
He, of course, had no choice but to carry it --- and he did.
    You will notice that Luke said that Simon was to carry the
cross after Jesus.  Some have understood that Simon carried only
one of the cross and that Jesus carried the other.  However, in
view of the weakened condition of Jesus it seems more likely that
Simon carried the full weight of the cross.  It should also be
noted that Luke did not say that one end of the cross was laid on
Jesus.  Luke said that the cross was laid on him.
    Be that as it may, there are other things more important that
I want to call to your attention.  For one thing, I want to point
out to you how fitting it was that Simon would carry the cross
for Jesus.  Jesus was about to be nailed to the cross for Simon
and it was only fitting for Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.
Jesus would suffer untold agony there on the cross for Simon.  It
was fitting that Simon carry the weight of the cross for Jesus.
Simon was a guilty sinner and Jesus would suffer for Simon's sins
on the cross of Calvary.

IV.  A thing of special interest about Simon's sons

	Mark tells us something that is very interesting about Simon.
Mark says that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.  This
indicates that by the time Mark wrote his letter, that both of
Simon's sons, both Alexander and Rufus, were Christians.  This
idea is further strengthened in that Christians by both of those
names were later mentioned in the Book of Acts.  Alexander even
lived in Jerusalem at the time he was mentioned.
	Therefore, it appears that both of Simon's sons later got
saved as a result of Simon carrying the cross of Jesus.  If Simon
had not carried the cross of Jesus, it is possible that neither
of his sons would have ever been saved.  But since he carried the
cross, it is also probable that he and both his sons got saved.

V.  A lesson for every Christian

	But take another look at our text.  Luke said that the
soldiers laid the cross on Simon "...that he might bear it after
Jesus."  This illustrates a great truth concerning every person
who becomes a Christian.  Every Christian is to bear a cross
after Jesus.  This truth is set forth by Jesus, Himself, in
Matthew 16:24.  Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
	Do you want to see a beautiful picture of what every
Christian is to do?  Take a look at Simon carrying that cross and
following right on the heels of Jesus.  That is what every
Christian is supposed to do.  He is to take up his cross and
follow just as close to Jesus as he can.
	The Christian is to follow Jesus in baptism.  Jesus was
baptized at the hands of John the Baptist.  The Christian is to
be baptized at the hands of a New Testament church.  Jesus set
the example.  The Christian is to follow Jesus by being baptized.
	The Christian is to follow Jesus in moral standards.  Jesus
lived a life without any sin whatsoever.  The Christian is not
able to do that, but he is to live a clean moral life.  He is to
pattern his life after Jesus.  He is to voluntarily take up his
cross and follow after Jesus.  He is to pattern his life after
the life of Jesus.  He is to live a clean moral life.
	The Christian is to follow after Jesus in the truths of God.
Jesus believed and taught the great truths of God.  The Christian
is to follow after Jesus in those teachings.  The Christian, of
course, will never have the perfect knowledge and understanding
of Bible truth that Jesus has.  But he is to read and study the
Bible, and little by little he is to can accumulate a knowledge
of the things of God.  Jesus led the way in Bible truth and the
Christian is to follow after.
	The Christian is to follow after Jesus in His prayer-life.
Jesus was a man of prayer.  Jesus made it a practice to get alone
and spend much time in prayer to God the Heavenly Father.  Every
Christian should do the same.  Let me put it this way:  If Jesus
Christ, the very Son of God needed to pray, you can be sure that
we need to pray.  Jesus set the example and the Christian is to
follow after Jesus in his prayer life.

VI.  A lesson for the unsaved

	I have been pointing out to you the lessons in this passage
of Scripture which are meant for us Christians.  I have been
pointing these things out to you because this is what this
passage of Scripture is intended for.  It is intended to teach us
Christians to take up the cross and follow Jesus.  But the fact
is that one cannot take up his cross and follow after Jesus until
he first gets saved.
    So if you are lost and on the road to hell, you need not
worry first about taking up the cross.  You had better think
first about getting right with God and staying out of the fires
of hell.
	Now let me say to you that you cannot get right with God by
taking up the cross.  You can only get right with God by coming
to the cross and trusting in the Christ who died on the cross.
You must call upon Him in prayer and trust in Him to be your
Savior.

Conclusion:

	If Simon could be here this morning he would look back upon
that occasion and say to us, "What a privilege it was to carry
the cross of Jesus!  I really did not appreciate it at the time.
In fact I strongly resented being forced to carry that cross.
But I can look back on it now and thank God that I had that
privilege."
	What a privilege it is for Christians today to carry the
cross of Jesus!  He died on the cross for us; it is a privilege
to carry the cross for Him.  And what a blessing it would be to
have one's children or grand children get saved because he has
been faithful to carry the cross for Jesus!
	Let me tell you what we are going to do.  We are going to
have an invitation song.  I am going to ask the musicians to come
forward at this time to lead this song.  I am going to ask that
you who are unsaved take advantage of this opportunity to get
saved.  I am going to ask you to come and take Jesus Christ as
your Savior while this hymn is sung.
	I am going to also ask every Christian here to take up your
cross and follow after Jesus.  If there are Christians here who
wish to come and follow Jesus in baptism, then I am asking you
come while this congregation sings.  If there is some Christian
here who wishes to place your membership here at Pleasant Hill
then I am going to ask that you come while we sing.