The soldiers led Jesus from the hall where the Roman ruler had condemned Him to death to the Praetorium. Later they headed toward the hill outside of Jerusalem where they were to crucify Him.
The wooden crosses on which persons suffered this cruel death were very heavy; at first Jesus carried His cross (John 19:1717And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: (John 19:17)), and then the soldiers compelled a man who was passing along the road to carry it instead.
Cruelty
Two men who were thieves were crucified at the same time, one on each side of Jesus. This was the third hour of the morning; we would call it 9 a.m. Many people had followed them to this place, some who loved Jesus but many who did not and spoke in ridicule. The priests were there to mock Him, and even the thieves spoke against Him.
The Lord Jesus hung on the cross for six hours, through the middle part of the day. The last three hours, from the “sixth” hour (noon) until the “ninth” hour (3 p.m)., the sun gave no light: “There was darkness over the whole land.” Then Jesus spoke to God and gave up His life.
Laying Down His Life
This was the great work which Jesus as the holy Servant of God came to do, to give Himself as the sacrifice for sins, as was pictured in all the sacrifices of all the years before He came.
Notice these words about the Lord Jesus: “Christ Jesus ... took upon Him the form of a servant, ... became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:5-95Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: (Philippians 2:5‑9)).
Note: The man who was made to carry the cross of Jesus did not live in Jerusalem, but in Cyrene, a city of northern Africa. Except for the soldiers’ orders, he would not have heard the words Jesus said or known so fully of His death. He may have been one of those who listened to the disciples soon after this (Acts 2:1010Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, (Acts 2:10)). If he learned that the One whose cross he carried was the Christ who was going to bear his sins, how fully he would feel repaid for carrying that heavy cross! Men from his city later “preached the Lord Jesus” in other cities (Acts 11:20-2120And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. (Acts 11:20‑21)). His sons seem to be well known to Mark, the writer of this account, and to other believers.
Further Meditation
1. Why did God darken the whole world for those three hours?
2. Where in the Old Testament can we read of Christ’s inner feelings during this time?
3. You would, no doubt, find The Sufferings of Christ by J. N. Darby both challenging and uplifting.