Recently, I was
asked to speak at a youth event-a bonfire.
It was the first function for the youth group, so I was honored to
attend. Before the event, the youth
pastor asked if I would speak on the topic, “Take Me to the Cross.” So, I agreed to follow her instructions for
the event. As I started to
meditate on the phrase and study the scriptures, I couldn’t get my mind off a
man named Simon. Who is Simon? Simon was the man who carried the cross of
Jesus. (Luke 23:26; Mark 15:21; Matthew 27:32)
A man on a simple journey – with no agenda; he is just passing by. He has just left the countryside, walking
into a peaceful journey until he encounters Jesus. Oh, who wouldn’t want to personally meet Jesus! Yet, may I remind you Jesus isn’t preaching
to a multitude, healing the sick, or raising the dead. Jesus is on the road that’s leading to death,
a hill called the “Skull.” A place of
death for horrible criminals to face their punishment for their crimes
committed. Yet, at the end of Simon's peaceful journey, he is placed in the center of a road to a crucifixion.
Life will take us
on several different journeys, some we don’t want to walk down. Yet, if we truly want to walk with Jesus, we
have to follow the road to Calvary.
Nevertheless, I am wondering what’s going through Simon’s mind? Was he trying to figure out the charges of
Jesus? Why is heading to the Skull? Although the cross is a public, humiliating,
and horrific death for our Savior to suffer, He did. Before the cross is placed in the ground,
Simon got to visually see the aftermath of the beating of Jesus. He was completely unrecognizable as a person,
“Who could do this to another person?”
The back of Jesus is scared from the repeated whips tearing His flesh
apart. His face is beaten, bruised, and
bloody from the thorns upon His brow.
“What did this man do?” Simon had to wonder as his eyes met the
Savior’s. As Simon carries the cross
down the road, he hears the voices of others.
He hears the women weeping and wailing as they follow Christ on the
road. As he continues to carry the
cross, he sees the soldiers with their swords.
The soldiers are reinforcing the decision of the government to punish
this criminal. Other voices are yelling
for Jesus to be crucified but the voice of Jesus is comforting towards the
women. “How can you comfort people on the way to
your death?” Simon had to ponder. “Who is this man?” “If anyone needs comfort-it’s this man!” He understands the people are divided about
this man but he is asked to carry HIS cross.
Simon doesn’t know anything about the man except what the many voices
are saying.
A simple walk
through the country would forever change the life of Simon. He will always be known as the man who
carried the cross of Jesus but he was a follower too. According to Bible scholars, “Rufus” found in
Romans 16:13 Paul was referring to Simon of Cyrene who carried the cross. So,
although Simon had a personal encounter with Jesus it changed his life.
What can we learn
about Simon’s journey? Eventually in our
lives we will encounter the life of Jesus, we will either choose to be a
spectator of the events of Christ or become a devoted follower. What we must understand, God calls us out of the crowd to make a public choice about Him.
WHO DO YOU SAY I AM? Which
voice will lead your path? Will it be
the mockers who didn’t understand? Will
it be the followers who walked closely behind?
Sadly, some chose to sit with the mockers to gamble their eternal
destiny. Besides mocking the mission of
Christ, they mock Him directly to His face.
Although they mock Him, He longs to forgive them. Others walk with Jesus closely behind him;
they truly know WHO He is. As they walk
with Him, they suffer with Him.
Calvary does demonstrate the love of the Father but it also demonstrates
the cost-death. We can’t follow Christ without their being a death to sin and to self. So, we can’t have the abundant life or eternal life without believing in Jesus. Besides dying at salvation, it’s a continual journey to die on a daily basis so the will of God is done. (I Corinthians 15:31)
Simon was passing by but he was
called out of the crowd-to follow Jesus.
It’s a personal journey down the road to Calvary, only the footprints of
Jesus and yours. It’s a personal and
public declaration to the world-not for popularity. If we are to follow Jesus, we are to follow
Him to Calvary. At Calvary, Jesus
suffered a public, shameful, and horrific death to publicly carry my penalty,
shame, and sin. He publicly
demonstrated His love for us, so why is it so difficult for us to publicly
demonstrate our love before the world?
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