Mark 15:21 to 38
The soldiers led Jesus from the hall where the Roman ruler had condemned Him to death, and started tard the hill outside of Jerusalem where they were to crucify Him.
The wooden crosses on which persons suffered this cruel death were very heavy; at first Jesus carried His cross (John 19:17), then the soldiers compelled a man who was passing along the road, to carry it instead.
When they reached ‘the hill, the soldiers fastened Jesus on the cross. We do not like to think of the cruel treatment, but we know He was fastened with strong nails through His hands and His feet, which was foretold in Psalms 22:16. (John 20:25).
Two men, who were thieves, were crucified at the same time, one on each side of Jesus. This was the third hour of the morning; we would call 9 A. M. Many people had followed to this place, some who loved Jesus, but many who did not, and spoke in ridicule. The priests were there to mock Him, and even the thieves spoke against Him.
The Lord Jesus hung on the cross for six hours, through the middle of the day: the last three hours; from noon, the sixth hour, until the “ninth” hour (3 P. M.), the sun gave no light, “there was darkness over all the land.” Then Jesus called on. God, and gave up His life.
All the cruel treatment did not take the life of the Lord Jesus, for He had said, “I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me, I lay it down of Myself,” John 10:17,18.
This was the great work which Jesus, as the Holy Servant of God, came to do, to give Himself as the sacrifice for sins, as was pictured by the sacrifices of all the years before He came.
Notice these words about the Lord Jesus:
“Christ Jesus... took upon Him the form of a servant, ... became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name.” Phil. 2:5-9.
“Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:24.
“Ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain,” Acts 2:23.
Note: The man who was made to carry the cross of Jesus did not live in Jerusalem, but in Cyrene, a city of northern Africa. Except for the soldiers’ orders he would not have heard the words Jesus said, or known so fully of His death. He may have been one of those who listened to the disciples soon after this (Acts 2:10). If he learned that the One whose cross he carried was the Christ to bear his sins, how fully he would feel repaid for carrying that heavy cross! Men from his city later “preached the Lord Jesus” in other cities. (Acts 11:20,21). His sons seem to be well known to Mark, the writer of this account, and to other believers.
ML 08/27/1944