John 19:17-25 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:… (Text, and Mark 15:20, 21): — 1. When our Lord had been condemned, the execution of His sentence was hurried. Every moment of delay was wearisome to the Jews. It was the day of the passover, and they wished to have this matter finished before they went with hypocritical piety to celebrate the festival. We do not wonder at their eagerness; but at Pilate we do wonder. In all civilized countries there is usually an interval between the sentence and the death. As the capital sentence is irreversible, it is well to have a little space in which possible evidence may be forthcoming, which may prevent the fatal stroke. With the Romans it was usual to allow the reasonable respite of ten days. Now Pilate might have pleaded this; and he was culpable, as he was all along, in thus yielding to the clamour for an immediate execution. When once we begin to make the wishes of other men our law we know not to what extremity of criminality we may be led. 2. Being given over to death, our Saviour was led away outside the city. (1) Because by the Jews He was treated as a flagrant offender who must be executed at the Tyburn of the day. Alas! Jerusalem, thou didst cast out thy last hope. (2) Because He was to be consumed as a sin-offering. The sweet-savour offerings were presented upon the altar, and were accepted of God, but sin-offerings were burnt without the camp or gate, because God can have no fellowship with sin. (3) Because He died, not for Jerusalem, nor Israel alone, but for the race. Out in the open He must die, to show that He reconciled both Jews and Gentiles unto God. (4) That we might go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. "Come ye out from among them," &c. 3. Let us draw near our Lord for awhile, and carefully observe each instructive detail. I. HIS DRESS. 1. The crown of thorns. Jesus died a crowned monarch. The Man by whom we are redeemed is crowned with that product of the earth which came of the curse. 2. He was bound. By Roman custom criminals were bound with cords to the cross which they were doomed to carry. "Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar." 3. Jesus wore His own clothes — (1) For identification, that all who looked on might know that it was the same person who had preached in their streets and had healed their sick. (2) That there might be a fulfilment of prophecy. "They parted My garments among them," &c. Other raiment could readily have been rent and divided. (3) To indicate that our Lord's passion was a true and natural part of His life; He died as He lived. His death was not a new departure, but the completion of a life of self-sacrifice, and so He goes to die in His ordinary everyday garments. Does not it almost seem as if people put on their Sunday clothes because they regard religion as something quite distinct from their common life? Can we not wear our own clothes, habits, characteristics, and peculiarities and serve the Lord? Is there not some suspicion of unnaturalness in services which require men to put on a strange, outlandish dress? It is ill for a man when he cannot lead his fellows in prayer till he has gone to the wardrobe. II. HIS COMPANY. 1. The rough Roman soldiers, strong, muscular, unfeeling men, ready to shed blood at any moment. I do but bid you look at them to remind you that from beneath their eagle our Saviour won a trophy; for their centurion confessed, "Certainly this was the Son of God." 2. Two malefactors. He must not be separated from the basest of men. I mention them because our Lord won a trophy by the conversion of one of them. 3. The scribes and Pharisees and high priests. Their hate was insatiable, but it was accompanied with fear, and that night it was seen that Christ had conquered them, for they begged a guard to prevent their victim from leaving the tomb. 4. A great rabble. The same, who a week ago shouted, "Hosanna!" The Lord endured the popular scorn as He had once received the popular acclamation. He lived above it all. 5. Kindly women. 6. We must now leave the company, but not till we have asked, Where are His disciples? Where is Peter? Did he not say, "I will go with Thee to prison and to death"? Where is John? Holy women are gathering, but where are the men? Though the women act like men, the men act as women. III. HIS BURDEN. Our Lord carried His own cross at the commencement of the sorrowful pilgrimage. This — 1. Increased His shame. It was a custom of the Romans to make felons bear their own gibbet. Furcifer, "gallows bearer," was hissed at men in contempt, just as "gallows-bird" is now. 2. Note next its weight. 3. There was a typical evidence about this. If Simon had carried Christ's cross all the way, we should have missed the type of Isaac, who carried the wood for his own sacrifice. 4. The spiritual meaning of it was that Christ in perfect obedience was then carrying the load of our disobedience. 5. It also has a prophetic meaning; that cross which He carried through Jerusalem shall go through Jerusalem again. It is His great weapon with which He conquers and wins the world. "The government shall be upon His shoulder;" that which He bore on His shoulder shall win obedience, and they that take His yoke upon them shall find rest unto their souls. IV. HIS CROSS-BEARER. 1. He was pressed into this duty. The word used signifies that the person is impressed into the royal service, How often has a burden of sorrow been the means of bringing men to the faith of Jesus! 2. His name was Simon; and where was that other Simon? What a silent but strong rebuke this would be to him, "Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Simon Peter lost a crown here, and another head wore it. 3. Simon was a Cyrenian — an African — I wonder if he was a black man. In Acts 13., we find mention of a Simeon that was called Niger, or black. Surely the African has had his full share of cross-bearing for many an age. Blessed be he, whether African or Englishman, that has the honour of bearing the cross after Christ. 4. He was coming in from the country. How often the Lord takes into His service the unsophisticated country people, who as yet are untainted by the cunning and the vice of the city. 5. He was the Father of Alexander and Rufus. Which is the greater honour to a man, to have a good father, or to be the father of good sons? Under the Old Testament rule we usually read of a man that he is the son of such a one, but here we come to another style. (C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: |
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