SN - notes from 10/16/10
The Crucifixion of Jesus pt. 8 - the journey to the cross
Mark 15:20-24
A. Getting Jesus wrong
Jesus has always evoked various responses in people:
v17 - some cloth Him in their own purple (color of royalty)- Jesus becomes deified but with much human baggage
v18 - some salute Him - Jesus becomes an object of mere allegiance
v19a - some struck Him - Jesus becomes hated and draws out major opposition
v19b - some spat on Him - Jesus becomes pitied and looked on as an elementary ideology
v20a - some mocked Him - Jesus becomes laughed at and looked at as a ridiculous fairy tale character
v20b - some attempt to take the purple off of Him - Jesus becomes severely marginalized and given boundaries in one’s life
v20c - some attempt to cloth Him in their own cloths (convolute Him) - Jesus becomes integrated into all sorts of cults and false ideals and religions
v20d - all crucified Him - all these false perceptions of Jesus have one common denominator - they require the cross to be made right.
With the cross, the cold salutes can become sincere prayers; the strikes can become embraces; the spitting can turn into crying; the mocking can turn into preaching; and the perfect royalty of Jesus remains unmodified by us.
B. Carrying the cross
Mar 8:34 - When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Mat 10:37-39 - “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
v21 - Simon was from Cyrene (Libya) in North Africa and most likely visiting for Pentecost. He was forced to help Jesus carry the cross to Calvary/Golgotha.
observation 1 - Calvary or Golgotha? Golgotha is the Aramaic word for skull, Calvary is derived from the latin word for skull, Calvaria.
observation 2 - Here we see the humanity of Jesus so clearly. He has: been beaten by temple guards, walked miles, not eaten or drank anything, been scourged, been beaten by Roman guards, and now is forced to carry a 100 lb. cross bar to his place of death.
observation 3 - often, the church also needs to compel one another to carry their own crosses. The best way to do this is to carry your own and follow Jesus - what does this mean?
1. The carrier was a spectacle to all people - sinner and saved alike.
Philippians 2:14-16 - Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the
universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
observation - apparently, this experience changed Simon and eventually his family -
Mark 15:21 - And they compelled, Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. - HE WRITES ABOUT HIS SONS LIKE THEY WERE KNOWN TO THE CHURCHES.
Rom 16:13 - Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine - PAUL LIKENS THE MOTHER TO HIS OWN.
2. The carrier was to make it the destination - he was to continue. There was literally no turning back, no negotiation, no compromises, no other option.
Acts 14:21-22 - And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith,
and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
observation - this is sanctification personified
3. The carrier knew the destination was death - but for us, death is just a passage way to Jesus and glory.
Luke 23:43 - And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Gal. 6:14 - But God forbid that I should glory, save the cross of our Lord, by whom the world is crucified to me and I to the world.
B. Wine revisited
Interestingly, Jesus began life on earth with myrrh, made wine in His 1st miracle, and here He ends His ministry refusing both.
why?
myrrh at birth - Jesus saves
wine at the wedding - Jesus cares
no myrrh - Jesus completes
no wine - Jesus reigns
