“They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get.”
- Mark 15:22-24 -

Mark described Jesus' crucifixion was not a random incident but the fulfillment of the Scriptures. The mockery and insults at him were prophesied in the OT, particularly in Psalm 22. The cross of Jesus was not a random incident but the fulfilled event of God's redemption. By believing that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures and rose from the dead according to the Scriptures, we are saved. We are redeemed from the curse of sin and we have the blessing of Abraham to live as a blessing (Gal 3:13-14). In our text, we see how the cross touched a certain man, named Simon of Cyrene. He was passing by and was forced to carry the cross of Jesus. Yet it must have touched his soul. He is introduced as the father of Alexander and Rufus. We assume that Alexander and Rufus were well known brothers in the early church. Romans 16:13 tells of Rufus and his mother. If Rufus is the same, Simon's family all became sincere Christians. Indeed, Jesus' cross is a great grace of God and His great love and a blessing for us. Let us come near the cross on this Passion Week. Let us even carry Jesus' cross for the glory of God. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your great sacrifice for us. We praise your great love for us. We worship you with all our hearts and we make up our minds to follow you faithfully.