Crucified. Mark 15:21-27.
And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews. “And with him, they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.
Dear Family,
The procedure for the crucifixion was well laid out. Things proceeded pretty much as they would have with the hundreds of other crucifixions that would have been the norm during this period of Roman rule.
Compulsion (v. 21). Jesus would have been weakened by the flogging he had received earlier (v. 15). It was usually so bad that some victims died from it. So the soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus carry the cross. The law permitted them to force a person to carry a load for a mile and they applied it here. Simon was most likely Jewish or a proselyte (a convert to Judaism) Cyrene is in what is presently Libya. Alexander and Rufus must have been Christians who were well known in the early church. There is a Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13 and several mentions of the name Alexander (Acts 19:33; 1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 4:14). The fact that they had Greek names could be a pointer to the possibility that their mother was Greek, but it also could be that the parents had been influenced by the Greek culture of their home city.
Crucifixion (v. 22-26). Golgotha could have got the name from the many executions that took place there, or it could have been a hill that looked like a skull. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh. It was meant to dull the senses and therefore the pain, but he refused to take it. Even in this horrible moment, scripture was being fulfilled. The soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ garments (see Psalm 22:19). Mark Jesus was crucified at the third hour, while John says it was the sixth (John 19:14). It may be that John and Mark were simply approximating the time, or that they were using different references for the hour. One could have been using Jewish time and the other Roman, or one could have been referencing the time lapsed after sentencing, while the other was referring to the time of day. We may never know but the time reference shows that both Mark and John were recording a historical event. The irony of the inscription on the cross, a requirement for crucifixion victims – that their crime is written above their head, is that Jesus was indeed king.
Company (v. 27). Jesus was crucified between two robbers, itself a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12. This is also a picture of Jesus carrying the sins of humanity as he was crucified, the robbers offering a graphic depiction of the worst of sinners. That Jesus suffered and died for a purpose is clear. The question is whether we each have gained from the sacrifice he made. To go to destruction after Jesus already suffered to provide salvation is an insult to the grace of God. Have you availed yourself of God’s free gift of salvation that cost the life of his Son?
Your Loving Pastor Chris.