Simon the Cyrenian – A Good Day to Be African (Part B)

God saw him see it reminds us of the story. When Jesus said I have to go to Samaria.

Why won't because that's where the Samaritan woman at the well wasn't Jesus needed to save her soul in her village. Jesus saves Simon to.

He knew he was going to save time knew this would not be a waste.

And he knew the man that touched his cross on this day. At that moment be touched by him in return. 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 book of Genesis. Please stay with us after today's message more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching Romans chapter 16 is where Pastor Rick will start today.

He will be continuing a study called Simon.

This Iranian a good day to be African and Roman 16 pulses greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord and his mother and mine see what this Rufus was a pretty common name back then yeah but the Holy Spirit is linking it, connecting it, Mark knew his readers who were Roman. Primarily, he wrote to the Romans thinking to the Roman mind to the Christians dispersed under the influence of Rome. The Holy Spirit new that when Mark was told or impress to write these names that he would use it again. This is going to resurface. I would use this later in Scripture. And so there we see Rufus in the church and his mother 20 years later and the math works perfectly young mom 20 years later no problems with that. But back to this complexion.

It was the dark skinned that awarded him the right to carry the cross.

According to the law of these Romans. It was an exclusive task in all the universe he gets it. Without that without this complexion. He would've missed the moment wouldn't be in his critical selection. Why is that well when they were leaving the courts and on their way to Golgotha. Jesus was physically spent as stated, the century and knew he wasn't going to make it already knew see the other two they had their breakfast. They want scourge. That night they had been sitting in confinement. They had their breakfast and off to the cross.

They went, the Lord was up all night. He was abused physically and severely just the Roman scourge was enough to strike fear into anyone. Forget about the cross that this makes it worse with the scourge of you just going to give me the scourge of something to tremble over and so the century and knew he wasn't going to make it so soon as he stepped out and looked into the crowd. He said I need to find somebody to carry this cross for this man carry it. My soldiers are not going to carry the cross was a shameful thing couldn't have it you carry it either, so they compelled a certain man, it says here and out Texan Mark 15 and this would turn out to be a good day for this African didn't know it at the time. I mentioned this was early in the March that he was suddenly seized. Matthew chapter 27 verse 32 we read now as they came out they found a man of siring Simon by name him they compelled to bear his cross as they came out.

That's how spent the flesh of the Lord was so the current century and looking for a candidate that he could force to carry the cross less than a mile to Calvary, he couldn't think that you Jew would call could've called to see if this was Passover season. Don't forget the city was loaded with Jewish men. They were it was mandated by God that the Jew come to Jerusalem for the Passover. That's why Simon the convert to Judaism was in Jerusalem. That's why were told in Matthew 1521, he was coming out of the country and passing by. He was going into the city. Coming out of the country it's it's there so we can understand the moment. Now I will say that as he scanned the crowd.

Had he saw saw a Chinese man that Chinese man would've been a candidate had he saw a Nordic a blue-eyed blonde standing there that individual would've been the As they would've been distinct from the rest of the Jews go Chinese man was there no Viking was there, but there was this African clearly distinct from everyone around him. That's the one that got the position. That's the one that qualified. He was outstanding many ways and so during this Passover season, flooded with men, this obedient convert to Judaism is put to shame. It's a shameful thing the cross was nothing good about it at all. There was no unless he knew who this was carrying the cross, which it was not possible for him to know this was nothing but shame and shame for knew the disciples to carry this even be associated with the cross to even touch it would've been unacceptable.

Luke's gospel chapter 23 verse 26 Simon S. Iranian was coming from the country and on him. They laid the cross that he might bear it. After Jesus and so he's walking behind the Lord obedient to Judaism. Having no choice he dared not resist the Roman authority they would've killed him on the spot.

It's another insight into the man that he's in Jerusalem to be obedient.

We find that he is zealous. It sort of reminds us of Cornelius in acts chapter 10. He too was a convert to Judaism. He was known for his dedication to God and his zeal for the Jew.

This was the same type of man and Simon now it's interesting that where Luke says Simon a Ceridian who is coming out of the country that were there are ghosts in the Greek denotes a cultivated field.

Remember, less than two months is going to be harvests celebrated by the Pentecost, the bringing of the firstfruits was he taking a shortcut through the field they have business there is not said it's irrelevant. Perhaps he had a friend who owned the field.

We was staying with Jerusalem would've been crowded. He might've been sleeping outside in the field would've been almost no room for him to find a place even to this day to get an apartment overlooking the Temple Mount. You will pay big money and in the Jews. Many of them that own these apartments may only come once a year to those apartments, but they are so zealous for. They won't give it up until special Jerusalem is to be in the heart of any Jew who considers himself a child of the law of Moses and this man was one of those.

So now it's 9 o'clock in the morning. He's getting an early start on morning worship then is now shame that is attached to this specified for us, and Maxwell offers Alta Hebrews chapter 12 verse two looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

For the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, you would think the writer would say he endured the cross, despising the pain.

The pain is in the same to be associated with this object. So this is what's going through again. Simon said accept the five so they departed from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name for this didn't belong to this servant. This did not even belong to the apostles.

They did not know how yet to suffer shame without the Holy Spirit. This is why oftentimes you find someone who confesses Christ believes he is the Lord and Savior is not filled with the Holy Spirit and is afraid to tell people that I am a Christian but I love the Lord Jesus Christ and I want to tell you about the Savior that is my Savior are not filled with the Holy Spirit carry in Jerusalem you shall receive power, you should be my witnesses. Jesus said going through his mind at this moment when he was picked most of it.

How did this happen to me how did I get selected for this.

I don't think for one moment he pieced together what was going to the mind of the century, and because he identified Simon identify with the Julie was one of them. The Roman it's not looking at it that way. Life comes at you very quickly.

Thank God this happen to me is what he would be saying for the rest of his life.

Once the story was put together a Roman soldier did compel him to carry the cross with the love of Christ, compelled him to never put it down. That should be how it is for all of us. That is one of the things that struck me going to this form for me personally, not as a pastor.

What I want to come tell this to everybody but I do, but personally, cross of Christ struck me when I was converted and I've never forgotten that moment, I never forgot I have not forgotten when the lights turned on and I saw that I was wrong and Jesus is right, and it's a big right and I had a big wrong he may go away and snap her finger so Mark tells us passing by passing by was going to be part of this no doubt he was wild at the site discouraged and doomed man was in agony was in desperate need of help.

Maybe he said what a non-hacker. The other two guys are carrying their cross. If you going to do the crime, then you should be able to do the time. That's a lot of men think and sometimes it's right but you better be careful who you apply it to saw Christ his first look at Christ was on a hard day was the worst day so far for the Christ physically. Yet much more pain. We didn't listen. What John says. John chapter 19 verse 17 and he bearing his cross went out to a place called the place of the skull which is called in Hebrew Golgotha.

Simon had no idea that this was the suffering Messiah of Isaiah 53 of Psalm 22 Psalm 69 of so many other places of the Old Testament that all of the things that Moses put into the temple were speaking about this person and his relationship to sinners. Not a clue that he was part of the fulfillment of a very grand piece of Scripture, and that this one was what Jerusalem was all about way back to the days of Isaac when Moses was told to take Isaac to Mariah, which would become Jerusalem. Here, here is the crowning moment he had missed his teachings, his healings, his miracles, he wasn't there at the Passover table when Jesus institutes the communion for us and he does it in a matter-of-fact kind away. He's just talking with them and their eating any tears. The bread existed to take this is my body do this and remembers even say everybody can have your attention is just a matter of fact it's commonplace to him as a part of dining to commune with God and then he says takes the glad takes the glass after it and when you drink this.

Remember me the blood that was shed for you.

Simon missed that he missed a great hollow. The hallelujah to God the Psalms that the Jews would sing at the Passover season, he sung those songs but not with Jesus.

There was no connection for him.

Simon's first view of Christ was a distorted one.

One of the defeated felon and failure that often times is the same view we have before we become Christians but we don't become Christians, we humans we see Christ as a failure or something else. A distorted view is once you get a good look at Jesus Christ you never the same again. Even if you reject him.

I believe this was the case with Nero. I believe Nero receive the gospel from Paul because God told him you will confess me before season. Take that literally. It was about that time that Nero went wild. Yes, his mentors were out of the way. There was no one there to constrain him, but deeper than that. There was a man that heard the gospel looking. The apostle Paul in the face and he rejected it and Nero was never the same ever again.

Just which side we going to be on so he did not know that he was looking at the sacrifice you catch that is going to Jerusalem to sacrifice the Passover as part of this worship experience. He's looking at the sacrifice and is even knowing this is the Lamb of God. This is God's substitution. This is the one dying in my place as a Scripture brings out so clearly in so many places in our New Testament. One of the great one is not appropriate that this is in the chapter of our resurrected bodies of the rapture in the 15th chapter, first Corinthians in third verse pulses I delivered to you. First of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the word of God.

I love that you know you do too.

So this kind of lists, look at how this this is in the word of God from just one place.

Leviticus chapter 1 the first chapter with the Holocaust. The whole burnt offering is given to the Jew as to how it is to be presented in in that section. His the specification in the 11th verse of Leviticus 1, he shall kill it on the north side of the altar before Jehovah and the priest's errant sons shall sprinkle his blood all around the place of sacrifice. The altar now. I have no doubt that Golgotha is located. It's known today as as as Gordon's Calvary Gen. Gordon, the British general is the one that pinpointed. This is the spot and the chief feature for it being that spot and not the others. Other place that the Roman Catholics I know this is a spot is this verse. Gordon's Calvary is North over the altar would've been.

According to the Scripture.

He being the high priest. His blood was sprinkled around the place of sacrifice outside the city to the north. When Moses wrote that Scripture he knew nothing of styrene of Simon the African nothing about him when Simon, the African took up the cross, he knew nothing about. He was part of the fulfillment of Leviticus 111 and its relationship to the Messiah. Amazing life comes at us fast. No one can carry the cross of Christ and remain the same and that is one of the reasons why I also believe that this man Simon Ace Iranian is the same Simon. This Iranian known as Niger found in acts chapter 13 and again he is the father of Alexander and Rufus and the mother whom Paul said your mom and my mom so all of this, making Simon the conscript that man came out from the field update. Who would've bypassed it all. All of it, making him into someone else. Again he almost missed it. Is that close look with me again at our text Matthew 15 at the bottom is his and he was coming out of the country and passing by. I don't see that the century and saw him. God saw him his seeds and reminds us of the story.

When Jesus said I have to go to Samaria. Why won't because that's where the Samaritan woman at the well wasn't Jesus needed to save her soul in her village. Jesus needed to save Simon to and he knew he was going to save Simon and he knew this would not be a waste.

And he knew the man that touched his cross on this day. At that moment would be touched by him in return, not against his will with his will in the Simon was obedient. He knew Simon was looking for truth in assignment came out of the religions of Africa came into Judaism. This could made much more sense was closer to what he knew was the truth and it hadn't even begun yet.

Simon lingered long enough after taking that cross to Calvary after it was then transferred to the soldiers and Christ was placed upon and then after nailing him to this cross and erecting it. And remember when the Romans crucified, they wanted the public to see it. There was nothing about it that was shrouded everything about it was public. It was supposed to be a deterrent to crime and so and they crucified him. They wanted them to be eye to eye with anyone who stood in front of them. It was not upon a hill in this quarry where they cut the very stone, probably to build the temple, or at least contribute to its building certainly to the houses of the city and the roadways and walls and so that means he would've not only have heard the words. Had he lingered at Calvary and I believe he did but he would've also caught the facial expressions that went with the words.

All of this would have been drilling deep down into him think getting in their touched by the suffering is humanity was stirred and might've been one of the reasons why he was passing by. You want to see this scene at stuff I saw the voice disgusting Romans do with condemned criminals. God let him get away while he was touched by the suffering he was further touched by the sacrifice. How many of us in our past, knew about the cross of Christ. Maybe we felt in all its not a good story but then once we became believers had hold of you everything. Everything was sweeter, brighter, more brilliant, everything reach deeper into to us when you mentioned cross report right up Wednesday that the cross of Christ not like it is my cross. That's mine. Nobody else's get Sharon size touched by the sacrifice. As I said, Simon was looking at the sacrifice in Christ Jesus. He was looking at Isaiah 53 right in front of him. Isaiah 53 verse three he is despised and rejected by men, man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him.

Is that not Simon walking by not looking these passing by that little thing put in there by the Holy Spirit to connect Isaiah 53 a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces.

That's what Cain did. He hid from the sacrifice and the blood, the core God's holiness flashed out like a flame on the altar is a flame at the cross in a physical flame of his fire as much of it. So again, we return to this idea that over 20 years later. Since that great day when it was good to be African because had he not been African somebody else would've been picked see his own family one to Christ again. Romans 1613 greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord and his mother and mine this is so you know again the Bible when these men were writing Scripture.

They were writing to other human beings to other sinners to other save sinners to people who had jobs and were slaves and who had horrible thing sicknesses and also to problems like we have today.

They were writing to each other. They were always say well I better say who Rufus is for 2000 years later so we can all understand this. The Holy Spirit is not to care that and he does because, as he tells us in Ezekiel.

I do nothing without a cause. God writes the name down the something happening for us to find out. So little did he know that day that he was being identified with Christ, cross who doesn't want that what Christian does not want to be identified with the cross of Christ. So much so we wear it around our neck.

We put it on our jewelry. We we inscribed on our books we have everywhere the cross of Christ. We want to be identified that our identity that's who we are. That is what is happened to us is no longer I who live is Christ lives in me, the Christ on the cross off the cross out of the tomb, that's who we are identified with that is what is happening to this African man who you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick asked of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick is teaching from God's Word each time you tune as we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast is teaching is available free of charge at our website. Just visit cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick you can do so@crossreferenceradio.com or search for cross reference in your favorite podcast app store.

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