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The Second Sunday Before Lent
February 15, 2009
Jesus Carries His Cross

TEXT:  (Luke 23:26 NKJ) Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.
 
The symbolism of Scripture cannot be underestimated—I have read this story of the crucifixion many times—and I have overlooked much of the symbolism until I read a collection of Johann Gerhard’s writings from the mid sixteenth century—in our text Jesus is carrying His cross to the place of the crucifixion—there are many lessons we should learn from these few sentences—we will examine just a couple today
 
We are Reminded of Isaac, the Promised Son
 
After Jesus’ mock trial, and after He was beaten with whips and fists—and after He was spat upon by His enemies—crowned with a thorn of crowns—Jesus was suffering from loss of blood—was physically worn from lack of sleep and the trauma administered by the soldiers—Jesus was made to carry His own cross to the place of the crucifixion—even this is part of God’s plan for the Savior and a symbolic confirmation of the things of the Old Testament
 
 
 
There is a story in The Book of Genesis telling us about a man of great faith--Abraham—this man, Abraham, was promised a son—and God delivered that son when Abraham was 100 years old—after waiting all his life for God’s promise to be delivered, Abraham and his wife Sarah were given their son, Isaac—about 27 years later God came to Abraham and asked him to take his only son and rightful heir of all he had—and offer him as a sacrifice at a place on a mountain God would show him
 
Abraham packed his animals and took his only son—his gift from God in his old age—his son Isaac—and when they arrived at the base of the mountain, Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice up the mountain to the place of the sacrifice—such faith both of these men had in the living God who had blessed them so richly—and as we might remember, Isaac allowed himself to be tied and laid upon the wood of the altar and waited to die—there is no way a 127 year old man could have overpowered a healthy man of 27—Isaac laid down his life in obedience to his earthly father and his heavenly Father—the mountain upon which Solomon built his temple for the Lord was Mount Moriah—Jewish historians record that this is the same mountain that Abraham offered to sacrifice Isaac—his only son—and where Isaac was willing to offer himself as a sacrifice—coincidence?—I think not!
 
The Favorite Son of Jacob, Joseph, was Despised by His Brothers
 
In the Old Testament, Jacob (Israel is the name God gave him) had 12 sons—at an old age, Jacob and his favorite wife whom he loved delivered a son named Joseph—Jacob’s other sons hated him because Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved them—they plotted to kill him, but were convinced by Reuben—the oldest of Jacob’s sons—to imprison him in a dry cistern and sell him into slavery into slavery instead, the brothers dipped his colored coat (a gift from Jacob) into the blood of a young goat—and tell Jacob that Joseph was killed by an animal—the blood-soaked coat was the evidence that the brothers presented
 
(Genesis 37:3-4 NKJ) Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. 4 But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him.
 
Joseph rose to the second ranking officer in Egypt—a great famine came upon the region, and Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy food—in the end Jacob is reunited with his son Joseph and the Israelites were moved into Egypt as honored guests—and Joseph understood that all this was God’s plan
 
 
(Genesis 45:4-5 NKJ) And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me." So they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. 5 "But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
 
How does this story in the Old Testament fit into the crucifixion of Christ?—Jesus told His disciples that He would be delivered into the hands of sinners—much like Joseph was delivered into the hands of the Egyptians
 
(Matthew 26:1-4 NKJ) Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, 2 "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified." 3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, 4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.
 
The prophet Zechariah tells us that the Messiah—the One who would establish the New Testament blood covenant—would set prisoners to sin free from the waterless pit
 
(Zechariah 9:11 NKJ) "As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
 
When we think of a waterless pit, we might consider it to be the abyss of Hell—The Apostle’s Creed says ”He descended into hell”—both Paul and Peter support that with their writings
 
(Romans 10:6-13 NKJ) But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, "Do not say in your heart,`Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, "`Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart " (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
 
(1 Peter 3:18-19 NKJ) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison,
 
There is one more comparison we need to examine—that is the blood-soaked coat of many colors Jacob gave Joseph—and the robes draped upon Jesus during His torment prior to the crucifixion
 
Jesus was arrested and brought before the leadership of the Jews—next He was brought before Herod, then Pontius Pilate—it was all part of God’s plan—Peter and John remembered this persecution when the people attacked them during their ministry—they prayed to God to give them the strength to endure all things in the name of our beloved Lord Jesus
 
(Acts 4:27-30 NKJ) "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29  "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."
 
(Luke 23:11 NKJ) Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate.
 
The robe Herod placed upon Jesus is described as radiant white by some commentators—it is generally agreed that this was a royal white robe to mock Jesus as King of the Jews—probably a robe no longer used by Herod himself—when Pilate turned Jesus over to his own soldiers to prepare Him to be crucified—they scourged Jesus with a leather whip with sharp pieces of stone and metal in the leather—this was intended to weaken the man being sentenced so the crucifixion would not take as long—then the soldiers placed a royal purple robe on Jesus—they also formed the crown of thorns and forced it onto His head—after they tired of mocking Jesus, the soldiers placed His clothes on Him and sent Him to die
 
(Mark 15:16-20 NKJ) Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. 17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!" 19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.
 
The blood of the Lamb on the mock royal robe—and the blood on the robe Jacob gave to Joseph—Joseph saved the Israelites in the Old Testament—and Jesus saved all believers as the Ultimate Sacrifice in the New Testament—perhaps the details of the robe wrapped around our Lord Jesus during His preparation for death is to remind us that unbelievers will try to represent the Savior on their own terms—Joseph’s brothers represented him as dead—unbelievers would like everyone to believe that Jesus is dead—that the entire resurrection story is fiction—Joseph was alive—and eventually God revealed that to all Israelites—Christ is alive and sitting on His throne in heaven—and that will be revealed to all mankind—when God decides it is time
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!