November 27
Even this
So Pilate…released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. Mark 15:15 (NKJV)
Mark tells us that after setting Barabbas free, Pilate had Jesus scourged and delivered Him to be crucified. As if this weren’t enough, Jesus had to carry His own cross to the site of His execution. But as the suffering procession makes its way to the hill called Calvary (the “skull”), it becomes clear that Christ lacks the strength to carry it further. Watch what the accompanying Roman soldiers do:
They compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. Mark 15:21 (NKJV)
Because it was during the time of Passover, Jerusalem was overflowing with Jewish pilgrims who came to the city to observe the feast. Presumably, this Simon was one of them because he’s from Cyrene, which is in North Africa.
But it’s also interesting that Mark refers to him as the father of Alexander and Rufus. There’s such a sense of familiarity here that most scholars believe these two sons were well known in the early church, which means they were believers and probably influenced to believe by their father, Simon.
It seems well within reason to connect these dots, and if this is so, it shows how God can produce something wonderful out of something seemingly tragic. What could be worse than seeing a bloodied and bruised Jesus carrying His cross to Calvary? What possible good can come from that? Yet, it was there that Jesus was brought face to face with Simon, who most likely became a believer himself and passed on a legacy of faith that impacted the early church.
No doubt, there are things in your life right now that look tragic. There’s blood, there’s bruises, there’s brokenness, there’s nothing that would look good on the surface. But don’t forget what happened here with Simon. God was able to bring something great—something with eternal benefits—out of something that seemed unredeemable on the surface. He can do the same for you!
Think About It…
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
SPECIAL OFFER
God's mercy is new every day. That's because it's needed daily. So to help you walk through a fresh new day, the Active Word has put together this second volume of the 365 Devotional. Our hope in creating this series of devotionals, is to help you connect with God's Word 365 days a year. And the best thing is, you can start any day of the year. Stay in step with God's Word, His will, and learn to live out your faith, daily.
