The Apostle Paul makes a synthesis of the gospel to a deeper expression in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, where he says that firstly He taught what he received: That Jesus Christ died for each of our sins, according to the Scriptures; and he was buried, and he rose again the third day, as it says in the Scriptures. Matthew does not narrate details of the crucifixion itself or even of Simon Of Cyrene of which he had an encounter with Jesus, and neither do any of the Gospel writers.
These have put a cloth of silence around the cross, but a reverence can be felt in everything they make known. It is as if the Holy Spirit said: “This is beyond human comprehension, and suffering cannot be deepened.” Matthew’s simple statement is: “when they had crucified him”. Many details and incidents related to the crucifixion are given, but the crucifixion itself is not discussed.
“When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to deliver him to death. And they led him bound, and handed him over to Pontius Pilate, the governor. (Matt. 27:1-2)”
When the executioners of Jesus finished carrying out their terrible maneuvers with Him, Jesus was cruelly beaten. The prophet Isaiah tells us in chapter 53 of his prophecy that Jesus was spoiled more than any other man. They beat him so severely that he no longer looked like a human being. In the morning, the Sanhedrin assembled to formulate an indictment to take to the high court. They needed to have a case on their hands that would stand the test before the Roman court. The fact that they appealed to Pilate means that they were seeking the death penalty.
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1. Who is Simon of Cyrene?
Simon of Cyrene is mentioned in only three of the four Gospels as the man who was driven by Roman soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross out of Jerusalem.
He was “the father of Alexander and Rufus“according to Mark 15 verse 21, men obviously known to Mark’s readers. It is speculated that the Rufus mentioned here may be the same man Paul hails in his letter to Rome, whom he calls “chosen in the Lord” and whose mother” she has also been a mother to me” (Romans 16:13). Paul’s knowledge of Rufus’s family indicates that they lived further east at one time.
And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming from the country, to bring him the cross.
Matthew 27:32
And taking him away, they took a certain Simon of Cyrene, who came from the field, and put the cross on him so that he could carry it after Jesus.
Mark 15:21
And taking him away, they took a certain Simon of Cyrene, who came from the field, and put the cross on him so that he could carry it after Jesus.
Luke 23:26
2. Where does Simon De Cyrene appear in this event?
When Jesus was accused of being a blasphemer, he had no value in a Roman court. As the Bible says “And like a sheep before its shearers, he was silent, and did not open his mouth. So says Isaiah 53 verse 7.
After this the soldiers of the governor took Jesus to the praetorium, stripped him naked, threw a scarlet mantle over him, and placed a crown of thorns on his head, and a reed in his right hand; The people, the soldiers and all the authorities mocked him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews! They spit on him, took the reed and hit him on the head. After having mocked him, they took off his cloak, put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him. As they were walking, they met a man named Simon De Cyrene who was forced to carry the cross.
As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene whose name was Simon; they forced him to carry the cross.
3. Where was Simon De Cyrene from?
Its place of origin has led many to wonder if it was descendant of africans where they are blackor if he was simply born there like many other descendants of Greeks, Romans and Jews.
Simon’s hometown of Cyrene was situated in the north of Africa in present-day Libya, Settled by the Greeks in 630 B.C. and later infused with a significant Jewish population, Cyrene was the capital of the Roman district of Cyrenaica at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. By then, Cyrene was home to a large number of Greek- or Hellenistic-speaking Jews.
4. What does Simon of Cyrene mean?
Simon of Cyrene is a figure of all of us, with whom Jesus shares His work, with whom Jesus becomes our partner in suffering and victories in life, in death and in the resurrection, he was walking with Jesus carrying that cross, feeling the weight of the burden as Jesus felt it.
The moment we take His yoke, we carry the spiritual load of the greatest mission in which man can participate, which is a heart-changing experience. is to be united with JesusIt is understanding his humiliation and ours, for glory and exaltation, it is the victory of the King of kings in the greatest battle ever won, it is sharing the fight for love of us, of His brothers.
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5. When did he die?
A burial cave in the Kidron Valley discovered in 1941 by Sukenik, belonging to the Jews of Cyrene and dated before AD 70. C., it was found that it had an ossuary inscribed twice in Greek “Alexander son of Simon”. However, he cannot be sure that this refers to the same person.
6. Did Cyrene know about Jesus?
Simon may have heard of Jesus a few times. The merchant ships that arrived at the coasts perhaps brought with them stories of distant lands. Certainly it was said that Jesus was a good teacher. Many news surely reached his ears like perhaps the story of Lazarus rising from the dead. But what could have worried Simon De Cyrene the most was the eventuality that Jesus was the promised Messiah. When he got to Jerusalem, he was perhaps a bit confused to see the city in an uproar.
Scores of people traveled there every year, which may have added to everyone’s excitement. But this time the atmosphere was charged with a lot of tension. Many people were angry and crowded into the streets, many shouted, others cried bitterly. All this commotion might have made him go take a look at the man people were so eager to kill.
Simon’s Encounter With Jesus
Jesu s’ body was severely injured without the possibility of knowing his face. He could barely get up off the ground, much less he had the strength to support the weight of the cross he was carrying. When the soldiers approached and told him to carry the cross of Jesus, it was surely the fear of what had happened that at first moved him to submit.
But while Simon of Cyrene wore the heavy burden of the cross through the streets narrow, he must have been astonished at the great strength of the one who was going to be crucified condemned. The show of hatred and sorrow that came from the people was very great, but Jesus was able to focus on the road in front of him as he took one step after another. Not once did Jesus utter a word of protest.
Simon of Cyrene may not have fully understood who Jesus was, but he was certainly able to recognize that Jesus was no ordinary man. He may not have been able to participate in the Passover feast, but that year Simon was able to have an encounter with the Passover Lamb that most likely changed his lifestyle forever.