Mark 15:16-21 English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus Is Mocked
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
Accompanying John MacArthur sermon: The Shameful Scorn of Jesus Christ
Accompanying Robert Rayburn sermon: The Crucifixion
It is interesting to note, as MacArthur points out, that the writers of Scripture do not really focus much detail on the physical suffering of Jesus. It is stated, of course, but they are simple statements of facts, not lengthy descriptive accounts. He points out that this is for two reasons. First, the physical suffering is not what Jesus was dreading to such an extreme degree - it was taking on our sin and enduring the wrath of God. As sinful humans, we truly cannot imagine how horrific that would be. Secondly, they focused more on the abuse and ridicule of Jesus. The Romans treated Jesus like a lunatic and the entire thing was a farce, it was a comedy to them.
Yet in the midst of this comedy we see the sovereignty of God. The Romans compelled a "random" passerby, Simon of Cyrene, to carry Jesus' cross. This Simon becomes a follower of Jesus and his sons, Alexander and Rufus, become leaders in the church. Selecting Simon to bear the cross of Jesus was not random. It was a God thing.
It can be so hard to see God's sovereignty in the midst of our suffering, but it is there. It is there.
Monday's scripture focus: Mark 15:22-32
Sunday's passage: Daniel 11-12
Monday's passage: Hosea 1-2, Revelation 1
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