The King on a Cross

Monday after Laetare

Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus (Luke 23:26).

As Jesus begins His journey down the Via Dolorosa, carrying the instrument of His torture and death, it is easy to imagine the crowd that gathers to watch Him. It was certainly composed of those who were his followers or associates, to some degree, those who opposed Him and sought His death, and those who wanted to see the spectacle. It is probably safe to say that Simon the Cyrenian wasn’t one of those people cheering for Jesus to die. Perhaps he was just an interested bystander whom the soldiers just happened to draft into their service. More likely, Simon was where he was because he was a follower of Jesus. Mark writes that Simon is the father of Alexander and Rufus,[1] and St. Paul mentions a man named Rufus in Romans.[2]

It is also easy to imagine why the Roman soldiers would have had to compel someone to carry Jesus’ cross for Him. Jesus had just been scourged and mocked by the solders. A scourging was serious business; it wouldn’t have been a surprise if Jesus had not even survived the scourging. It was common for victims of scourgings to suffer broken bones, lacerations, and significant blood loss.[3] After such treatment he certainly had no form or comeliness and when they saw Him there was certainly no beauty that they should desire Him: He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.[4] Certainly, Jesus simply could not physically carry the cross the ½ mile down the Way of Sorrows to Gologtha, the Place of the Skull.

Jesus the man was unable to physically carry the cross down the road. Jesus the Messiah, God in human flesh, however, was the only one strong enough to bear the weight of the sin of the world on the cross. He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.[5] Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows! He was wounded for our transgressions! He was bruised for our iniquities! The chastisement for our peace was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed![6]

It is tempting to understand Isaiah’s prediction of the sin-bearing Messiah and His passion in the way our sinful flesh wants to understand it: as a promise of protection from worldly affliction and healing from physical illness. This is how the prosperity gospel heretics explain these things. They ignore Jesus’ suffering and never speak of sin, death, or the devil. They point to worldly success and prosperity as proof of real faith and God’s approval; economic hard times and illnesses show that faith is weak or absent. That is all a lie. The healing that Christ gives us all goes far beyond physical health. He heals us from sin, the disease that leads us to eternal death. Because He lives, those who share in Christ’s death and resurrection through their baptism will also live.[7] He has promised us that whoever believes in the Son may have everlasting life, and He will raise them up on the last day.[8] So, to echo Paul, for us to live is Christ and to die is gain.[9] He has not promised us an easy existence as members of His body in this fallen, sinful world. He has told us that in this world we have trouble. He has also promised us that we can take heart, because He has overcome the world. And He bids us to repent of our sin, believe the Gospel, and to take up our cross and follow Him along the way of sorrows.

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[1] Mark 15:21

[2] Romans 16:13

[3] Nicolotti, Andrea. “What Do We Know about the Scourging of Jesus?” The Ancient Near East Today. American Schools of Oriental Research, December 2018. http://www.asor.org/anetoday/2018/12/What-Do-We-Know-About-Scourging-Jesus.

[4] Isaiah 53:3

[5] 1 John 2:2

[6] Isaiah 53:4-5

[7] John 14:19; Romans 6:3-5

[8] John 6:40

[9] Philippians 1:21

The King on a Cross

Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ Then they will begin ‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!”’ For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said [d]to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:26-43).

The great crowds of people hailing Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem with palm branches in their hands are gone. As Jesus begins His trek down the Via Dolorosa, the way of sorrow, to Golgotha, the place of the skull, another crowd follows Him. As He struggles to make His way under the burden of the instrument of His own death, women of Jerusalem mourn and lament Him. Jesus tells them not to weep for Him, but rather for themselves and their children. Speaking of the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, Jesus chillingly foreshadows the level of violence and suffering to come: “For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts that never nursed!’”[1] Normally, barrenness would be considered shameful in this culture. Jesus’ statement must have shocked the women. How bad must things get in order for one to say that the curse of barrenness was a blessing? The Roman general Titus would show them, but that would come later.

Jesus is nailed to the cross by the Roman soldiers, and crucified between two criminals. When the soldiers finish their task, they turn their attention to the matter of dividing up Jesus’ belongings. Jesus does not lament His situation; He doesn’t curse the Jews who stood nearby and mocked Him, or the soldiers who murdered Him. He prays to the Father on their behalf: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.[2] This is indeed what Jesus meant when He said that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.[3] Jesus, the sinless Son of God dying on the cross, praying for those who literally put Him there, is what St. Paul was describing when he wrote,

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”[4]

One of those sinners, one of the condemned men hanging on a cross next to Jesus, repented. He acknowledged his sin, at this, the ultimate preaching of the Law. He acknowledges Jesus’ innocence, and His kingship. He does not deserve to enter into the kingdom of God by his own merits; he relies on the grace of God and the merits of Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His prayer to Jesus is one of faith: Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.[5] The criminal’s indefinite, open-ended “when” is met with Jesus’ very definite and specific “today”: Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.[6]

For all sinners in the whole world the Lord has opened the doors of paradise by His life, suffering, and death, and whosoever believeth on Him has complete salvation as soon as he dies. That is the glorious fruit of the Passion of Christ: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.[7]

You who think of sin but lightly

Nor suppose the evil great

Here may view it’s nature rightly,

Here it’s guilt may estimate.

Mark the sacrifice appointed;

See who bears the awful load;

It’s the Word, the Lord’s Annointed,

Son of Man and Son of God.[8]

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[1] Luke 23:28

[2] Luke 23:34

[3] Mark 10:45

[4] Romans 5:6-8

[5] Luke 23:42

[6] Luke 23:43

[7] Kretzmann, Paul E. 1922. Popular Commentary of the Bible: New Testament. Vol. 1. 2 vols. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House. Page 395.

[8] Kelly, Thomas. "Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted." In Lutheran Worship. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1986. Stz. 3.