They Crucified Him (Part B)

The other two outlaws. They did not they will not subject's other scourging, perhaps they were treated like this throughout all you do is the sufferings head on in his humanity. In other words, he takes it as you or I would've had to be doesn't say okay I'm going to call upon a miracle and somewhat more strength he doesn't do that. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark.

Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio. Specifically, you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will continue with this study called, they crucified him in Mark chapter 50 coming back to verse 20 and one. They had mocked him, they took the purple off him put his own clothes on him and let him out to crucify him daughter offer him justice soup of water at this point who would show just is just a scintilla of kindness still to come.

Rat father still to come. Yeah, the crucifixion, but the wrath of God would be upon him. He earned those thorns on his brow because of his love for us. The one person in history that could wipe out all of humanity with less than a blink does not do it. Isaiah again.

Chapter 53. He was taken from prison and from judgment, for he was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgressions of my people he was stricken.

They beat him for the sins of my people. Isaiah is saying God expands that this is my people of the people over those who live in the sense not of the sense of a relationship right relationship with God in the sense of the sins of the people in that lesser sense the cross. They laid on him at everyone else's name on it except him. Very interesting and should be very interesting, challenging, so you younger Christians. Have you ever read Isaiah chapter 53.

And if you have you said yourself here's a man that wrote this 800 years before these events in Christ finish them followed every one of them. They are prophecies that have been fulfilled only by Jesus Christ.

No one on earth comes close to fulfilling Isaiah 53, leaving us with no excuse to reject him, but every reason to accept him just Isaiah 53. For example, there are others just pointing out that one verse 21 now and they compel the certain man Simon of Cyrene, and the father of Alexander and Rufus as he was coming out of the country and passing by to bear his cross. Well, there's a lot here. I think I don't. I remember doing it. Character study on this Simon. This Iranian book coming back to this one.

Open it up some about the man, a Roman soldier compelled Simon to carry the cross of Christ. Right we get that the love of Christ, compelled him to never put that cross down this man becomes a believer be pointless to mention his children here.

If the church at that time didn't know who those children were at that time when you had a testimony like that you were serving God you are not just a churchgoer and for them to save his sons are with us to this day. Remember, Mark is writing at least 20 years after these events, and still the children of Simon.

This Iranian are in the Gentile church. Alexander is a Gentile name and there is Rufus who is mentioned again in Romans 16 great Rufus, chosen in the Lord and Paul says his mother and mine are powerful testimony did the agent apostle Paul. Many years later writing to the church at Rome for 30 years. After this, at least he's talking about this man's son and this man's wife and he saying make sure you say hello to Rufus and his mother is like a mom to me. Also, this was, you know, we were just singing. One of the most challenging Christian songs that there is will know that we are Christians by our love yeah will they really want to challenge challenges me Simon. This Iranian now that's the north and north Africa and goes back to the Jews were bid have been there over 300 years.

The days of Ptolemy and they had a substantial community.

He is a convert a proselyte to Judaism is a Gentile that has become a Jew. They have their own church in Jerusalem because they were pretty no question knowing how people are. Knowing how the Jews were in Jerusalem and Jesus day they were sort of funeral be class believers. Hopefully we don't have that view of one another but anyway carrying the cross of Christ was something Simon can do personally, I I'm convinced he was a dark skinned African which would call and contribute to him standing out in in the crowd and you know, here he is minding his business and he singled out Simon.

This Iranian in the place of Simon Peter on the computer, put that together. I would hope not. For his sake, but I you know, we see it is carriage of the cross was by appointment.

He didn't know it until afterwards much. I'm sure long afterwards that cross never belong to guiltless Christ anybody should carry. It would be anybody. Anybody was fit to carry that cross. And of course those crosses.

They were just logs pretty much cut down a tree that was just thick enough. You know, the growth was enough to hold a man's body on it and there was no you know finish carpenter coming in to make sure the splinters were sanded out or anything like that on Bobby's dog barks to lawn it is chop it down, put a crossbeam on it and and impale the prisoner and likely use it for firewood when it was all said and done and will be glad about that up my cover that moment to annoy Sammy cover a lot of things because it just so much stuff and you can't see inside my head flying around bumping all over the place anyway every body. If you just walked up after Simon was picked to carry the cross and he is lugging the cross of Christ and you just walked up. You think he was the felon. You know how sensitive we are people having a wrong opinion about us. They said what I mean to shoot. None of us like to have people slander us say something about us, especially negative, that is not true. No man before or since Simon can claim to have carried the cross of Christ. Abraham can't say Moses what that one a distinction that we cannot look at this man carrying the cross of Christ and say boy.

I missed my opportunity. I have a chance every day to carry the cross of Christ, not the cross.

He died on the cross he assigned me. Take up your cross and follow me additional cross like this. Only Christ could die on this piece of wood. That's what Peter said anything think they crucified him on a tree because I still look like a tree you look at the cross. It wasn't. Again, this nice block of wood. Someone had shaped and and and and smooth out.

And when they crucified them put them at face level she could see into their face the horrors of what crucifixion was it was to be at the Tarrant Rome knew how to do it they crucified so many of those with Spartacus. They crucified so many Jews when the after the destruction of the Temple and Renata would father of Alexander and Rufus at two Simon is and clearly marked understood that his audience was familiar with these men and I think that is what we call testimony, men or people of Christian reputation. Now there's no direct evidence in the Scripture to equate Simon. This Iranian would Simon Niger, who was later one of the early deacons are servants of the church in acts chapter 13 Simon who is called Niger and the Latin verb for black and likely a reference and they didn't have the hangups we we are encountered today about these things, but they did specify made the distinctions they were meaningful to them. I believe it is the same man but I can if you just it will prove it from the Bible. I could not do it unless I lied I could do that way I wouldn't do it that way. I don't know. Do you like serious Rick or do you like my putting you to sleep with all the points in every none any needed injection of humor will so this man Simon his first look at Jesus. It wasn't a pleasant one did not see him standing up teaching or sitting down teaching.

He did not see them healing the blind or forgiving some woman caught in adultery order or removing the hideous leprosy for me didn't see them that way. This first look at this.

Looking at an exhausted Jesus was out of adrenaline. That's his first look Christ. Under the sentence of death, and the weight of his cross again. Isaiah 53 surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we esteemed him stricken, that's how Simon saw him, he esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted Army. What was this initial response other than why me to get past that is look at Christ the how much ministry was in that Christ is still able to speak, he tells the women who are watching all this take place, he said, don't wait for me. If they do this to the Greenwood was going to happen to you. They do this to the innocent and the guilty don't stand a chance.

It says, and he was coming out of the country in passing by. Apparently, as I mentioned minding his own business going off. You know he's probably seen these processions before, and he's just you know heading to where he's going. Maybes going to the temple for morning worship because it is about the time of the morning sacrifice. He seems to have no no intention of stopping to watch what is going on. He stumbles upon Christ smitten it says as he was coming by out of the country in passing by to bear his cross was first Christ was carrying his own cross that was the standard procedure for the Romans you get to carry your V the object you going to be killed on John's gospel chapter 19 verse 17 and he that's Christ bearing his cross went out to a place called the place of the skull which is called in Hebrew Golgotha's goal Hill is exhausted is dehydrated. He had that intense prayer in Gethsemane, where his sweat became like drops of blood is endured to beatings for sure, discouraging six trials in his body is beginning to fail. The other two outlaws. They did not they were not subject to all of this other scourging. Perhaps they were treated like this throughout all he endures the sufferings head on in his humanity. In other words, he takes it as you or I would've had to of taken it. He doesn't say okay I'm going to call upon a miracle and some up more strength he doesn't do that. Philippians chapter 2. Speaking of Jesus bosses, who, being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. In other words, no crime, for him to say I am the father of one you and I can't say that no one can say that except him. He continues Paul does but made himself of no reputation. He made himself. This is God plan not of an accident, taking the form of a bondservant bondservant a willing servant versus one who is enslaved against their will continues and coming in the likeness of men were there it is.

That's how he came to earth in the likeness of man. That's his humanity when he did not eat food. He got hungry when he fasted he felt hunger when he was cut he would bleed and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. So what we're looking at here is him facing the cross with the same physical strength as other men, and he's out of gas is been abused to the point.

He's got nothing left. Roman soldiers know they're not going to get to the place up to two skull Hill if they wait for him to carry the cross and that's why they tag Simon all of us need help from time to time carrying across.

That's the message of Christ is saying to us if if I needed help in my humanity you're going to need help in yours to. Of course he dismissed his humanity on the cross and uses father, into your hands I commend my spirit that was it. No more humanity. From that point on is Jesus glorified apostles didn't even recognize such a thorough transition will that's going to happen to us to this body of the flesh. We are going to jettison one day it's going to be gone, but until then we're human flesh and blood and we better understand that life will teach us that you younger Christians who are learning it. You will do Christians have good the cross. The cross of Christ.

Tubular shaped and yet we do so many things with crosses to make them look nice hostile crime long as we don't forget. It is the emblem of sin and condemnation of sin and hope for the sinner. That is what the cross is supposed to symbolize in just a flash. It's visiting a picture paints a thousand words, or says a thousand words of MD emblem of the cross in a flash is supposed to say sin and sinners. I condemned God says I condemn all sin.

I invite all sinners, because what my son did Galatians chapter 2 for writing your Paul when around what is now modern Asia or Turkey's southern Turkey and the he moved in land and he is ministering to all of these churches there is making establishing churches any he writes to these churches because there will be those that would go behind Paul to undo his work and his weapon against them was prayer and the pen. The letter and he talks about himself. He says no I see all this people talking about you gotta do this to be right with Jesus Christ.

If you want to benefit from the cross of Christ. You got a beard, Jew and you gotta follow these rites and rituals.

Those you will benefit from the cross of Christ deposit is nonsense because I've been crucified with Christ is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Here's this old St. never losing sight of what is so special about our faith even though he caught so much hardship so many beat downs. He never loses sight. He never says, as I am prone to say, why didn't you do more. Why did you bless my ministry more. Why is this all you're doing: just if he had those balloting may be did the flesh is like that he would let Abe I see it don't devalue that you parents with children how important it is at times to not let your children know you are afraid of something that's fighting that is with you looking out for them.

I didn't want to panic the kids and so we moved to verse 22 and they brought him to the place Golgotha, which is translated place of the skull the skull into the house. This is it C. The word escapes me at paradoxes this dark sockets where eyes once were in that ghastly grand that's what you look at a scholar. Why are they grinning at me.

But why is it you know that this is death and visitors to Jerusalem.

You can still see that there are two sites that a claim are said to be the place of Christ's crucifixion. Most maps will have a traditional one that a net that doesn't meet any of the criteria from Scripture it's inside the city.

The Scripture clearly says it was outside the city. There was a garden next to their testes. These things that the Bible makes cribs to the north of the city at well at the there's also a bus station just outside the city walls and all Jerusalem and it it's got the two sockets for the archives and move the nose. It's not as deep as it once were, because he believed they built it up for the bus station laying asphalt things about lost a few feet, but it still there right next to the garden tomb and it is quite remarkable to say that initially that's the place it was or was not is not that critical but that's the place. Verse 23 then they gave him wine mingled with myrrh to drink but he did not take it again.

This is will not again but this is one human concession, the Romans allowed the condemned soul to be crucified, they would give him this concoction with murder that would sort of get them a little altar, there's their senses, their feelings little drunk. You could even say to numb the nerves before they began, how come they didn't offer this before that scourging.

That would've been helpful. What the Lord refused to drink.

He did not.

As I mentioned earlier, one his senses modeled he was going to drink the dregs of this cup is mine was not going to be stupefied. He still had work to do and dying for us is seven teachings that come from the crossing of the seven words of Christ which are teachings or seven of them then not under the influence of any substance yet clear mind just because he was impaled did not mean that he was not clearly thinking for just one. For example, when he says to Mary about John the apostle John's going to take care you now John you to take care of her. No woman behold your son son Bilger your your mother and me just say listen on the lookout for John did that with a clear mind.

You couldn't go back to see a well that was it was under the influence of that murder concoction. No, it was not verse 24 and when they crucified him.

They divided his garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take all four Gospels rush over this, they simply say they crucified him, not daring to emotionally work into the story with graphics our feelings of pathos or sorrow. We don't need the graphics to know what's happening here. To feel it when you first read this is a Christian, did you need anybody to illustrate this to you on the screen. Did you get it through the power of the Holy Spirit is you weep when I first read this I weapon sometimes after I have a hard time this Reno standing up reading him say I don't want to lose my self-control of what is going on here. Those men that recorded this event.

All four of them had no interest in detailing the horrors of it all. They love the Lord Jesus so much it hurt them still to write John over 40 years later writing his gospel still hurt. They were not going to dwell on it. They crucified him they crucified him. Okay that's how it is given is used twice and said that when this section be crucified in the crucified and like okay Hollywood makes money daring to illustrate what the disciples dared not to remember or record may we remember that when no emotions are useful but they can be quite a problem and they can they can mess things up. Anyway, they divided his garments. It says here in verse 25. The only material possession letting we know that he was and that he owned his close to close on his back.

Birds of the air have nests, the foxes have all the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. These men they felt that they were entitled to his clothing, not his family, but they were entitled to all the hard work that was going into killing him depravity his sins work. Psalm 22, all written before Isaiah or a thousand years before these events, the psalmist writes, they divided my garments among them, for my clothing they cast lots. They gambled for my clothing. You know, pick a straw pick a card, some means of trying to find out who's going to be the winner did not only have the seamless rule that says to Kristin's seamless ministry was good thing which is just convinced you don't see my own version of the joints in the everything is just seen as fractions or reduced impressed with that move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com what you there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast.

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