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Luke 23 26-43 THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS 01 Luke 23 26 Identifying with Jesus
📖 Luke 23:26-43
Sat 11 Dec 2021 – Identifying with Jesus - Luke 23:26-43 - THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS (01) - Bible reading: Luke 9:23
As we understand what the Lord went through for us, by dying on the cross, we have the opportunity to learn and apply precious lessons to our lives.
We have completed the study of Luke 23:18-25, which we had titled as the WILL OF MAN. This study consisted of 12 lessons.
We now begin the study of the next paragraph in our study of the Gospel of Luke, which we have titled as FRIEND OF GOD.
This new study will be of Luke 23:26-43. We will title it as THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS.
As we can expect, this will be a fairly long study.
Luke 23:26 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.
We had stayed for quite a while considering the trial of Jesus. The trial is now over and Pilate has sentenced Jesus to be crucified. The crucifixion of Jesus now begins.
Matthew 27:32 Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross. Mark 15:21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.
It is mentioned in the three synoptic gospels that this man who bore the cross for Jesus was a man named Simon and he was a Cyrenian.
Simon was identified as a Cyrenian. It could be that he looked different or his attire was that of Cyrene. The message of the cross was already crossing the Jewish boundaries.
The crowd was pushing and shoving, wanting to get a glimpse of Jesus, going to be crucified. There was much, noise and confusion and the soldiers would have had to use force to clear the way through the crowd, to take Jesus to Golgotha. There would have also been much cursing and ridiculing that would have been hurled at Jesus. The crowd would be treating Jesus, scornfully and shamefully. This was also a crowd wanting to be entertained with the violence of the worst kind.
Simon was not a part of the Jewish crowd. He had no idea as to what was happening nor was he aware of who Jesus was.
Here are some lessons that we can learn from Simon the Cyrenian carrying the cross for Jesus.
Simon was compelled to carry the cross for Jesus.
Simon was forced to identify himself with Jesus, which meant that the shame, the ridicule, the suffering, the agony of Jesus was now being shared by Simon.
Simon happened to be passing by at that time and he was compelled by the soldiers to carry the cross of Jesus.
Simon had to carry the cross, not of his own choice, but it was by compulsion. Though Simon bore the cross of Jesus by compulsion, all that Jesus was going through at that time, fell on Simon too.
Are we willing to bear the cross for Jesus, willingly?
John 7:17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
The Lord is inviting us to identify ourselves with Jesus by carrying our cross. The cross symbolises shame, scorn, ridicule, pain and suffering. To carry the cross and follow Jesus is to participate in all of what Jesus went through for us.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Simon, by compulsion, had to bear the cross for Jesus. Will you and I, willingly, bear the cross for Jesus? The cross of Jesus carries with it, its shame.
The problem of man, as we understood from our previous study, is the will of man. This matter of the will of man has to be set right. There is only one place, where the self can be set right and that place is by identifying ourselves with the death of Jesus on the cross.
It was to rectify the problem of man’s will that Jesus went to the cross.
II Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
Can we bear the cross of Jesus, willingly, and there have ourselves crucified with Christ ? This is the crux of being a disciple of Jesus.
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 14:27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
The first lesson is that of identifying ourselves with the death of Jesus on the cross. As a disciple of Jesus, I must die with Christ, daily.
Thought to ponder
Are you learning to be crucified with Christ, daily?