32 As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
In our verses for today we discover a man from North Africa – Simon from Cyrene – a city populated by many Jews – here forced to carry Christ’s cross. I am reminded of our Lord’s Words earlier in Matthew where He calls each of His followers to take up their cross and follow after Him. Believers are to turn away from the idolatry of self – self-centeredness and every attempt to line up one’s life by the dictates of self-interest - and say yes to God’s will and God’s way. This is not merely a denial for denials sake; rather it is agreeing with God that His ways are higher than ours and that He always has our best interest at heart. He Who makes known the end from the beginning knows what is best for our lives. We can trust Him and it is in believing that we respond. We act on what we believe to be true.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matt 16:24 (NIV)
“God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “...let him deny himself...” – deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life – the spiritual life – is allowed the opportunity to grow.” Oswald Chambers
Scripture also tells us that God’s will is good, pleasing and perfect:
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
The believer’s life will exhibit the evidence of this surrender to Christ’s authority. Jesus’ disciples must demonstrate their submission to the One against Whom they have rebelled. True discipleship involves following our Lord and doing His will wherever that path may lead assured that He is totally sufficient for each circumstance He allows. We are to be instruments of His righteousness for His glory and our ultimate good.
“When the Bible speaks of ‘following Jesus’, it is proclaiming a discipleship which will liberate mankind from all man-made dogma, from every burden and oppression, from every anxiety and torture which afflicts the conscience. If they follow Jesus, men escape from the hard yoke of their own laws, and submit to the kindly yoke of Jesus Christ. But does this mean that we can ignore the seriousness of His command? Far from it! We can only achieve perfect liberty and enjoy fellowship with Jesus when His command, His call to absolute discipleship, is appreciated in its entirety. Only the man who follows the command of Jesus without reserve, and submits unresistingly to His yoke, finds his burden easy, and under its gentle pressure receives the power to persevere in the right way. The command of Jesus is hard—unutterably hard—for those who try to resist it.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
They took our Lord to “The Place of the Skull” to crucify Him - an out of the way place where bones and skulls of the dead were heaped together so that people would not touch them and so become defiled. Here lay the “trophies” of death’s victories over many people and interestingly, when Christ died, He destroyed death’s victory triumphing over death on its own rubbish heap.
54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor 15:54-57 (NIV)
Next, we see them offer our Lord even more bitterness in death by presenting Him with wine mixed with gall – a mixture that was both sour and bitter. It was customary for those being put to death to be offered a cup of spiced wine yet what He receives is something much worse which left a terrible flavor in His holy mouth making Him taste death in its full cup of bitterness. They then stripped Him of His clothes and divided them by casting lots as they were keeping watch over beaten body - all this done for the correct charge of being “JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS”.