Unlikely Heroes
Simon – Carrying the Cross
Hero – A man of distinguished valor, enterprise in danger, a great, illustrious or EXTRA-ordinary person!
WE have a HERO inside of us waiting to get out!
• There are moments in life – “Divine Moments” – orchestrated by God in which that Hero inside has the opportunity to come out – we can walk right by it or SEIZE IT!
• Not talking about superstrength, being able to fly, being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound – Talking:
The Ordinary becoming the EXTRA-Ordinary
• Not to be seen but to see, not to be heard but to hear – to come Alive in the midst of ordinary life.
• Housewife, banker, real-estate agent, single-parent, student, whoever you are
Joshua 3:5, Daniel 11:32, Ephesians 3:20 ?
One such moment for a man named SIMON
Matthew, Mark, Luke all give us a peak into that moment:
Matthew 27:32 – “Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, Him they compelled to bear His cross.”
Mark 15:21 – “Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of his country and passing by, to bear His cross.”
Luke 23:26 – “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.”
3 Different people – 3 Different views – What do we learn?
• The day is Friday – Jesus has been taken captive by the Romans and already held trial (falsely accused) – He has already been severly punished – Beaten repeatedly by the Pharisees and Jewish leaders – Beaten by the Romans – Scourged (leather strap with pieces of bone and metal attached to the end) Received 39 lashes from a whip – a crown of thorns pressed down upon His head – currently traveling up a hill carrying His own cross that He was to die on
• Why a Cross? Crucifixon was to be the most horribly painful death as well as the most humiliating death – Started by the Medes and Persians around 400 bc – Later by Alexander the great (325bc) – Usually reserved for slaves because of the humiliation – took days sometimes for people to die – death usually by coronary failure, because of the pressure on the organs – many times they would break the legs to create more stress on the organs and death would be very quick – many times they were left on the cross for the bodies to rot.
• Carried His own cross – in a parade of humiliation to be viewed by the entire town.
What we learn about Simon?
• “A Man of Cyrene” A Cyrenian – Cyrene - a coastal city in North Africa – that had a large jewish colony –
• “coming out of his country” Simon was coming to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover
• “the father of Alexander and Rufus” Had 2 sons – Alexander and Rufus
• “bear it after Jesus” – Simon is carrying the cross behind Jesus.
• “compelled” – Simon was coming into town as Jesus was going out.
WHY ME? THE PLAN
This was Simons “Divine Moment” – the Opportunity – This was not an accident that Simon was picked for this duty – God had a plan for Simon (we will see more later) –
We all face the God ordained moments in time where His plan and your life cross – TODAY could possibly be one of those days!
Isaiah 55:8 “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.
• God doesn’t work like you and me – His ways are on a different plain than ours
WHY YOU? THE PARTNERSHIP
• Simon PARTNERS with Jesus to help carry his cross
• We all have to carry the cross of Jesus!
Matthew 16:24 – “If anyone wishes to come after ME, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow ME.”
• “deny Himself” – Selflessness – putting others in front of yourself – The HERO comes out…the EXTRA-ordinary happens when we look out for someone in need rather than our own needs – the difference b/w Ord. and extra-ord. just a little EXTRA.
• Simon probably had heard about Jesus – but now he was faced with a need
Who has God brought in your path that needs you!
• God is compelling you to help them –
• Someone needs you! Someone is waiting on the other side of your obedience!
VIDEO – SONG by Andre Gonzalez
You and I can’t truly help anyone with out first understanding who helped us first!!!!!
WHY JESUS? THE PRICE
- Although physically SIMON was helping Jesus carry His cross
- Really Jesus was Carrying the cross for SIMON
- Jesus carried the cross for every person on the planet who has ever lived and ever will live
- It’s the acceptance of this truth that allows us to enjoy all that God has for us
- THE PRICE is:
1 Peter 2:23-24 (NLT) “He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.
By his wounds you are healed.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus)
- Jesus paid the PRICE for you and me
Everything about what Jesus went through looked wrong – But what looked wrong – righted all the wrongs we ever did!!!!!
SIMON Accepts the PRICE:
Acts 11:20 – “But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.”
Acts 13:1 – “Now in the Church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers, Barnabas, SIMEON who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch , and Saul, As they ministered to the Lord.
Romans 16:13 – “Greet RUFUS (Simons son) chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.”
Simon becomes a Christian, an ordinary man who becomes EXTRA-ordinary by preaching and touching the lives of others – also leaving a legacy for his sons – who make it into the bible.
