Matthew 27:27-50 ~ a man of Cyrene, Simon by name.

The Scala Sancta (Holy Stairsa) are the 28 steps leading up to the Praetorium of Pontius Pilate, Antonia Fortress, in Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ stood during path to the Cross. The stairs were, reputedly, brought to Rome by St. Helena in the 4th Century. This is one relic I can see being actual stairs Jesus stood upon. For centuries these white marble steps, Scala Santa, have attracted Christian pilgrims honoring the Passion of Jesus. Martin Luther had the opposite reaction and shortly left the Church over climbing the Scala Sancta on his knees (required to go up the stairs) and the indulgences for forgiveness at the time, also required, in the Church.


Matthew 27:27-50

David Cochran Audio, English Standard Version

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, ^[praetorium] and they gathered the whole battalion before him. ²⁸ And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. ³¹ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. ³³ And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),

³⁴ they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. ³⁵ And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. ³⁶ Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. ³⁷ And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” ³⁸ Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”

⁴¹ So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour ^[noon] there was darkness over all the land ^[earth] until the ninth hour. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ⁴⁷ And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” ⁴⁸ And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. ⁴⁹ But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” ⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

(Yes, yes, yes we all realize this outcropping of rock has changed shape over 2,000 years, but it is overlooking the city - a Biblical requirement and, come on, if this is indeed the place God's Son died for us - it is going to have some preservation aspect to it.)


When you listen to a Sermon on the Prodigal Son or you do a Bible Study - people will frequently say that they are the judgmental older brother or they realize they are the younger son. And in that idea of placing ourselves in the middle of the Gospel (the days Jesus choose to walk among us as grace upon grace) where would you have been the day of the crucifixion? Where you there when the Crucified my LORD.

Remember Luke 23:27
And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.

There were a lot of people there that day. It's an important fact to remember.

When I think of that day, I'm pretty sure I would have been one of the thousands of women who turned up that day. Would anyone have left untouched?

Peter, who had much to lose - did not turn up. Not even Thomas, who'd promised to go with Jesus right up to death right Before Lazarus was raised. But another Simon was there. Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21 & Luke 23:26. Simon gets three mentions in the Scriptures.


Mark 15:21
And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

The thing that touches me is this -

Romans 16:13
Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

That day the Son of God continued to Love. To provide for us atonement of our sins. Because of that day, we are victorious over death in the name and grace of Jesus Christ. We should be touched by that love and do as Jesus asked us to do.


John 13:34
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

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