Cross-Bearing After Jesus

W hat happened to Simon of Cyrene on the morning of Jesus’ crucifixion did not initially please him. The other evangelists relate that “they compelled him.” Simon’s entire being resisted such an obligation. He had come from afar to celebrate the Passover feast at Jerusalem, and with the carrying of the cross behind this condemned One he would become impure, and he would not be able to participate in the feast at the temple. He would also be marked for the rest of his life; his reputation would be tarnished, and, in addition to that, instead of going to Jerusalem, he would be going farther away from the city. This certainly could not be the way to the honor and glory of the Lord for this pious Israelite who wished to serve the Lord according to the law.

He does everything possible to resist doing this against his will, but his opposition is fruitless; the enemies of the Lord Jesus compel him, that is, force him. Even though they are blind to it, they are the feeble means to bring this beloved of the Lord behind Jesus and to lay the cross upon him so that he will carry it while following Jesus. Here is the fulfillment of the prophesy which Jesus Himself exclaimed, “I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with Me” (Isaiah 63:3a).

Oh, what painful suffering He had to endure as the Substitute for His people whereby He was forsaken of all men. The people of Israel with their High Priests and Scribes had rejected Him and called out “Crucify Him.” Judas had betrayed Him, and His disciples had all left Him, yea, even Peter had denied Him. His holy countenance was spit upon and buffeted, and His holy back was painfully scourged, causing deep furrows; no matter how many times Pilate had to declare Him not guilty, yet He was delivered to be crucified. Now, while suffering indescribable pain, He was led away to Golgotha. The soldiers, fearing that He would not be able to reach the place, grabbed Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, who not agreeing to do so, is compelled to carry the cross after Jesus.

There cannot be found even the least cause in any person wherefore Christ has given Himself willingly for such suffering and dying on the cursed cross. How His eternal love in the fulfilling of the good pleasure of the Father unto the glorifying of His godly attributes and the blessed restoration of all His people shines forth—yea, His love to all His favored people for whom He entered death and thereby fulfilled the Word, “The zeal of Thine house has eaten Me up.” His name is, therefore, Jesus, that is Saviour. He is a complete Saviour to which man cannot nor is willing to add anything, yea, even shows himself an enemy of being saved by grace through Christ, who had to go in such a way to effect salvation.

Simon of Cyrene wished to serve God through the works of the law and to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover according to the Old Testament servitude to the law. Therefore, when he is suddenly grabbed by these soldiers and obligated to take the cross of this condemned One upon himself and follow after Him, all hope and expectation which he had of his visit to Jerusalem is taken away. In place of going to Jerusalem, he goes farther and farther away.

In addition, according to the law, he has become unclean because he has come into contact with the cross. His reputation is ruined since by carrying the cross he is marked for the rest of his life. Oh, how a person seeks his life in a broken covenant of works and seeks to receive peace while in the breach in our covenant head Adam we have brought ourselves under the sentence of death; therefore, through the works of the law no flesh shall be justified in His sight. How blessed are those who, by means of the irresistible operation of the Holy Spirit, have been cut off from the servitude of Jerusalem and through grace are brought to follow Jesus, to take up His cross and follow Him.

It is necessary for us, just like Simon of Cyrene, to learn by the discovering grace of God that we can never obtain in a legalistic Jerusalem what is necessary for our life and eternal happiness. From our side it is completely lost, and with all our offerings the veil remains closed; it is indispensable in this life to be brought to follow Jesus and through uncovering grace to learn to understand who the “Man of sorrows” is. It is necessary to gain communion with Him and to learn to follow Him and carry the cross behind Him.

Although Simon may have sunk away when the cross was laid upon him and all courage escaped him, and there was no longer any expectation of celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem, what a comforting wonderment must have dawned upon him when following Jesus he realized with an opened eye of faith that the only “Paschal Lamb” upon whom all the offerings were directed, now goes before him to willingly give Himself as an offering. In Israel, the high priest had to approve of the paschal lamb. Now, however, when the truly only Paschal Lamb was brought unto him, he had called out “Away with Him.” Also rejected by the Sanhedrin, delivered to the highest judge, Pilate, He was condemned to the death of the cross and went out to be slain. Even though rejected by the Jewish people, He was ordained by the Father and given to His people, and for that He gave Himself willingly.

With one offering, Christ perfected all those who go to God through Him. How precious He becomes to those who learn to know something of this secret of salvation. What wonderful ways the Lord uses to have His people share in His grace by the communion with Christ and in this way, receive their life out of death. Rough, indifferent worldlings such as Simon of Cyrene are sometimes used as insignificant means in His service. On the other hand, what is also seen is the irresistible power of the Lord, which is necessary for each person, whether pious or wicked as totally lost in Adam, to live in the grace of God which is in Christ, that blessed substitutionary and guilt-assuming Mediator. By nature, we are enemies of the cross of Christ and refuse to become saved with

the loss of our own work and life. Yet, it is necessary for each one, in order to live in comfort and to die in peace, to be brought to follow Jesus and to gain communion with Him. Along with that following belongs the cross. The Lord Jesus said to the rich young ruler, “Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, take up thy cross and follow Me” (Mark 10:21). And, “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).

Everyone, who through the beneficence of the Holy Spirit has been translated from death unto life, receives a cross upon his pathway. The one has a visible cross, the other a hidden cross while another may have to bear a shameful cross. The cross may be heavy, yet the Lord never places too great a cross. How much strength flows into the soul when it is understood that it is only the wood of the cross of Christ which he has to carry, and he cannot add anything of value to it—yea, that He carried the heaviest cross when He carried the wrath of God for the sins of such ones so that they would never have to succumb under it.

Oh, what a comforting secret of salvation, of eternal salvation, is revealed to the soul who, along with the murderer on the cross, through the discovering grace of God, learns to justify God and condemn himself. When he must call out that he himself is worthy to be hung on the cursed cross, to sink away eternally—what a wonder that coming to Golgotha the cross is taken away, and Christ is hung there in his stead. He calls out, “I for you or otherwise you would have had to suffer the eternal punishment.” Oh, what an eternal wonder salvation then becomes. That secret of salvation can never be put into words but can only be revered in holy adoration. In Christ alone God receives the honor and the Church her salvation.

Now the question to each of us is whether we have already through grace shared in this benefit. Without a cross there is no crown. No, cross-bearing is not the grounds of salvation even though it is closely connected to the way of salvation. He who remains a stranger to it will sink away forever under the wrath of God, for there is no life outside of Christ but an eternal condemnation of the soul. p

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