by Timothy W. Burnett
The accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke give the same information about what happened as Jesus was lead to the location of his crucifixion. Matthew's account says, "And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. It was him they compelled to bear his cross" (Matthew 27:32). According to the above scripture, as Jesus was lead out, the soldiers compelled another man to carry the cross for Jesus.
God's word gives detailed information about the man who carried Jesus' cross. His name was Simon and was from a place called Cyrene. According to Mark 15:21 Simon was passing through, and he was the father of Alexander and Rufus. The record in Luke 23:26 does not provide any new information.
The Rufus of Romans 16:13, and the Alexander of Acts 19:33 are two remotely possible candidates for Simon's sons. God's word does not provide any new details about them, but He has a reason for honoring them with their father, Simon.
Let's turn to John's record of the cross that Jesus carried "And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called, 'the place of a skull,' which is called in the Hebrew, 'Golgotha.'" (John 19:17). Three of the Gospel records clearly have another man carrying Jesus' cross behind him as he walked toward Golgotha. Yet John's record has Jesus bearing a cross. Why the apparent contradiction?
The word "cross" comes from the Biblical Greek word "stauros" which meant an upright stake, especially a pointed one. The use of this word in the first three Gospel records must be understood literally. They clearly refer to Simon carrying a pointed stake on behalf of Jesus.
Go to Colossians 1:20 where it says, "And having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself..." and again in Colossians 2:14 it says, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that were against us, which were contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross."
According to an old eastern tradition, when any person carried a debt that could not be paid, the elders would post his name with the names of the creditors and the amount of the debt, on the city's entrance gate. If another person passed by and decided to pay the debt, the posted debt was doubled or folded up so it could not be seen, and nailed to the gate. This meant the debt was paid in full and the person was free from the debt.
Jesus paid the full price for the debts of sin. And in so doing, the law that was against mankind was symbolically folded up and nailed to his cross. We were freed from the bondage of the letter of the law. This was the symbolic cross that Jesus carried for all of mankind.
Simon of Cyrene involuntarily carried the literal cross on behalf of Jesus. Jesus the Christ voluntarily carried the symbolic cross on behalf of mankind according to the will of his Father in heaven.
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