Sermon No. 10
CARRY HIS CROSS
By: Atty. Numeriano P. Galgo, Jr.
April 14, 2019
Tagum City, Philippines
attyborgegalgo@gmail.com
Part I.
A. Greetings
B. Overview of the message
The message this morning is about carrying the cross of Jesus Christ. He carried our cross of sins. Can we carry his cross which is a symbol of his life, love, ministry, sufferings and the salvation of mankind? By carrying his cross, we proclaim him to those who are perishing so that they too will be saved. Are we willing to do it voluntarily?
Our main verse is found in Luke 23:26 which says:
As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.
C. Prayer
Part II. Discussion
A. Simon’s journey
Luke 23:26 portrays the journeys of two individuals — Simon of Cyrene and Jesus of Nazareth. Simon is from Cyrene, an ancient city located in the north-eastern part of Libya, Africa. Simon is mentioned in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as the man who carried the cross of Jesus to the location of His death. He had come to Jerusalem to worship during the Passover. Jews celebrate Passover as a commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in ancient Egypt and their freedom as a nation under the leadership of Moses. It commemorates the story of the Exodus in which the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt. Cyrene is about 783 miles or 1,260 kilometers away from Jerusalem. Simon was on a pilgrimage. If he walked, it took him about a month, more or less, to reach Jerusalem.
After a long travel, Simon must have been very excited to celebrate the Passover. Passover lasts for at least seven days. He had great plans for these seven days, especially the first day — a Friday. He had imagined probably the food that he would eat, the bottles of wine he would drink, the dances he would participate in, the music he would listen to, the shows and sights he would see, the stories he would hear and the people he would meet. He must have felt lucky and proud to be able to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem at last. This was Simon’s greatest moment — the party of his lifetime. The best Friday ever!
We can relate to Simon’s journey. Everyday, we are occupied with plans, ambitions, family matters, activities, work, chores, obligations, problems, needs, wants, how we look and, of course, parties. We have experienced also the joy and excitement of traveling to new places. When we are on a vacation, we want to see the beautiful sights, taste new food, take plenty of pictures and have a good time. Facebook here, Instagram there. We don’t want troubles or the pressures of life. We want to just rest and relax. We satisfy ourselves. On Friday nights, we party and go out with friends. When we succeed, we feel lucky and proud.
B. Jesus’ journey
If Simon’s journey was filled with excitement, Jesus’ journey was a total opposite — very terrible and painful. We know what happened. He was betrayed by Judas; arrested by the guards; disowned by the disciples; mocked by the soldiers; tried and convicted for a crime he did not commit; he was tortured and flogged; he was called names; he was crowned with thorns; he was hit time and again; and then he was made to carry the cross on which he would be crucified to death. His journey was filled with blood and agony. Unimaginable pain!
Simon’s journey was a personal achievement — an item in his bucket list. Jesus’s journey was for the forgiveness of our sins. Isaiah 53:5 says “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."
C. Meeting at the crossroad
These two individuals on different journeys met at a critical point while Jesus, in his human nature, could not carry the cross any farther. Jesus was already tired and weak. But he was still far from the place of crucifixion. Who would carry it for him?
Just in time, Simon of Cyrene was there. He was there to celebrate the Passover. But he was looking at Jesus, the reason for the Passover beaten and wounded. What should Simon do? Just look; just remain a plain passer-by?
Then the unexpected happened. Simon was seized by the Roman soldiers and was made to carry the cross behind Jesus.
Part III. Lessons
A. First, there are two crosses that we can choose from. Our cross and that of Jesus. We are meant to carry only one cross. What cross will we choose? Our worldly cross of problems, needs, dreams, and plans for the future or the cross of Jesus that brings hope, life, blessings, peace, and salvation? Simon denied himself of his personal gratifications and carried the cross of Jesus. We thought that we can carry two crosses. No, because they cannot exist harmoniously together. That is why we are so burdened in this life. We are carrying two crosses on our shoulders! We could hardly manage to carry one, how much more if we carry two crosses that oppose each other.
The only cross that we are supposed to carry is His cross. Matthew 11:28-30 says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus also said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” As Christians, we must let go of our worldly cross — our selves — and focus on His cross. That is the one we must take up. It is our duty, among others, to share his word, to show compassion to others, to bear the fruits of the spirit and to bring others to the feet of Jesus for their salvation. That is what Jesus’ cross is all about.
So, what about our worldly cross of daily needs, problems, sufferings, and dreams? As long as we live, we will have them. Who will carry it? Jesus is already carrying it for us! He can properly handle such cross — not us. It is the wrong cross for us to carry. 1 Peter 5:7 instructs us to give all our worries and cares to God for he cares about us. He promised never to leave us or forsake us. He knows what we need. Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” We should rather say, “Lord please take care of my personal cross. You know what is best and you will make a way.”
B. Second, Jesus wants us to have a real experience in carrying his cross and not just celebrate its remembrance. Simon of Cyrene was in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, something that he did not personally experience because it happened centuries ago. All he could do was to listen to the retelling of the story or read about it in the scriptures. But when he carried the cross, everything changed. He can tell the story based on his personal experience — not hearsay. When he went home to his family, when he talked in his church, to his friends and relatives, he had a great testimony to share. He was with the Messiah at that moment. He spent time with him. It is different when the testimony is from our personal experience. It is more convincing, more powerful. It is unforgettable. It can bring many souls to Christ.
We will be celebrating the Holy Week. This is good but Jesus is inviting us to have a personal experience with him; to have a true and deep relationship with him. Celebrations come and go, but a lasting experience will change our lives and those of others. We should not look forward to a celebration, instead, we should experience Jesus who is the reason for the celebration. Consequently, we will become a living testimony of Jesus’ love, hope, kindness, humility, and salvation. Wherever we are in our journeys in life, regardless of our ages and status, we can still have a close encounter with Jesus.
We can imagine Jesus looking at Simon of Cyrene as if asking, “Can you carry the cross for me at the weakest point of my life?” Jesus has a weakness for the perishing and for those who are not yet saved. Can we carry the cross of salvation and forgiveness of sins to them? They could be our family members, relatives, neighbors or friends. He wants us to stand in the gap. We are God’s fellow workers (1 Corinthians 3:9).
C. Third, we are not meant to carry Jesus’ cross alone. In his human nature, Jesus needed help in carrying the cross. Physically, the wooden cross was heavy and he was tortured badly. Human as we are, there will be times wherein we feel tired and discouraged in carrying the cross or in the service of God for many valid reasons. We have so many ‘Why Lord? Why am I treated this way?” The solution is not to give up. When Simon carried the cross, it did not mean that Jesus gave up on his purpose and mission to forgive us of our sins. He did not quit. He continued to walk towards Calvary. He was crucified still on the cross. He finished the race.
Like Jesus, we need other Christians to refresh our tired souls. When we are beaten and wounded, others can pray and help us. Call for them. We are a family of God. In Galatians 6:2, we are to bear one another's burdens. There is no place for pride or conceit in carrying the cross of Jesus. Do not quit. Keep moving on.
Is anyone praying for the salvation of a loved one for a long time already and no change has taken place yet? Is anyone feeling the burden of praying for the healing of someone for quite sometime now and there is no healing yet? Is anyone praying for the restoration of a church member or pastor who has gone astray that is not yet answered? Should we give up because we are tired and hopeless? No, we don’t.
As we carry the cross, Jesus is ahead of us. We must look up to him and learn from him. Have faith in him. In that way, we will not go astray and we will finish the race too. Isaiah 41:10 reminds us saying, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Part IV. Conclusion
What is preventing us from carrying the cross of Jesus? Is it our successes, problems, and needs, age and status, lack of courage, lack of faith, self-doubt, work or business or simply lack of concern? If Simon did not carry the cross or if Jesus did not continue with his mission, what could have happened to our salvation? Like Simon, we have the opportunity of a lifetime to bring people to Christ Jesus so that they too will be saved.
Can we lay down and surrender our personal cross to Jesus and carry his cross instead? Can we exchange it for the best? It could be hard but it is the right thing to do. In our text, Simon was “seized” by the Roman soldiers. But in the book of Matthew and Mark, Simon was “compelled” by the soldiers probably because he resisted at first. Human nature clings tightly to the worldly cross -- possessions and pleasures. May the Holy Spirit compel or convict us to let go when we resist. Let us carry the cross of Jesus because that is the only one that truly matters in our lives.
Sources:
1.https://www.ancient.eu/cyrene/
2.https://www.compellingtruth.org/Simon-of-Cyrene.html
3.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passover
4.https://thenotesaregood.com/tag/how-far-from-cyrene-to-jerusalem/
