Scriptures: Matthew 27:26 (NLT) – “So Pilate released Barabbas to them.  He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.”

 Matthew 27:31-32 (NLT) – “When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again.  Then they led him away to be crucified.  Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.”

 Message: Before He was sentenced, we know that Jesus was flogged with a lead-tipped whip and then turned over to the Roman soldiers who spent the rest of the night mocking Him, adding mental abuse to the physical abuse.  On top of that, Jesus was required to carry the very cross to Golgotha on which He was to be crucified.  During the journey, the soldiers forced Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross for Jesus.  Simon really had no choice, but why did Matthew think it was important to include this in his account of Jesus’ life?  Simon got pulled into the crucifixion story through no fault of his own.

 As I read this, I wondered how I would have responded had I been asked to carry the cross in Jesus’ place.  Looking back, we see it as an honor, but at the time it was anything but an honor.  Then, I thought about today.  Are there times that I have been asked to carry Jesus’ cross, and what does that mean?  Would I rise to the task as Simon did, or collapse under its weight?  The cross is a symbol which transforms an instrument of brutal execution into a profound sign of God’s redeeming love and forgiveness, victory over sin and death, and the path to eternal life. Are we not asked as Christians to love with the love of Jesus?  Only God can take something as horrific as crucifixion and turn it into the greatest expression of love known to man! 

 Prayer: Father God, thank You for a love so complete that Jesus has washed away all my sin and provided a path to eternal life.  Help me to love others with the love You have given to me, especially when loving others can be so difficult.  Amen.

 Teresa Cunningham - To see 1 of 2