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- Simon the Cyrenian
The first thing we know about Simon is that, according to the name he is identified by in Matthew 27:32 and Luke 23:26, he had come to Jerusalem from a place call Cyrene. In looking on the map, Cyrene was a large city in the northern part of Africa, to the west of Egypt. We know that there were a number of Jews who lived in that area, and most likely, Simon had traveled this very long distance to Jerusalem, as so many others had done, in order to celebrate the Passover.
From Mark’s account of this day, we know that Simon had two sons named Alexander and Rufus (Mark 15:21). We are not told how old Alexander and Rufus were on this day, but Mark was the only disciple to mention them. However, Mark does not mention if Simon had brought his sons with him on this journey to the Holy City, but apparently either this day had a dramatic impact on the life of Simon and then he raised his sons in the faith, or they were there and saw the events that took place and made the decision for themselves to place their trust in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Since Mark wrote this gospel primarily to the Romans and mentioned the sons by name, it is believed that the sons became well known to the Christians in Rome. Also, Paul mentions Rufus later in his letter to the Roman church. (Romans 16:13)
Mark also tells us that Simon was coming out of the country and was simply passing by when he was summoned to carry the cross of Jesus. Therefore, it is doubtful that He knew anything in advance about the crucifixion that was he would soon be witnessing. He was an innocent by-stander expecting nothing more than to go into the Holy City and celebrate the Passover, just as he had done so many times before. But this time, something was different. As he approached the city gates, there was a mob scene coming toward him shouting “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Then, just as he was trying to move out of the way and still stay close enough to see what was going on, he heard a loud voice and he saw an armed guard point to him and order him (Simon) to carry the “criminal’s” cross. He tried at first to avoid the assignment, but he knew better than to disobey a direct order given by a Roman soldier. So he walked over to the guard to see what he wanted for him to do. And as he looked down at the condemned one, what Simon saw and felt would have stunned even the strongest of us. Think about it…here was a man beaten beyond recognition. The flesh was torn from His body, blood pouring to the ground. On his head He wore a crown of long thorns shoved deep into His scalp. He had blood pouring from his face where they had plucked His beard out by the handfuls. His face was beaten and swollen, and He was near death as He stumbled under the weight of the huge wooden cross He carried on His back. And as Simon knelt down beside the Savior; he looked into those eyes of love….love like he had never witnessed before in his life. I can see Simon, as he lifted the cross off the shoulders of our Savior, and perhaps he helped Jesus to His feet and walked with Him…struggled with Him…the rest of the way to Golgotha. What started out as a demand from a Roman guard became a mission of love and service to his Master. I’m sure Simon didn’t understand why such a man as this was condemned to die, but I believe that he was changed forever that day. He sensed that there was a presence; an aura about Him, and Simon knew that He was no mere man. And when the Passover came, as Simon sat down to his meal, I believe he understood as he never had before what the Passover lamb truly meant. He had seen first-hand the Lamb of God, Who is our Passover Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world, for you and for me.
- Mary Magdalene
According to the scriptures there are a couple of things that we can be reasonably sure of about Mary Magdalene. First of all, scripture does not verify that Mary Magdalene was the prostitute who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. And secondly, nowhere does scripture indicate that this Mary was the same Mary who was sister of Martha and Lazarus. That Mary lived in Bethany, and of course, Mary Magdalene was from a different city.
But there are several things about this Mary that we can verify from scripture: First of all she was from the city of Magdala, which is on the eastern coast of the Sea of Galilee, thought to have been a fishing port at the time. (Luke 8:1-3) And from the same scripture, we know that Jesus had previously cast out 7 demons from her. We also can speculate that she was probably a woman of some financial means, possibly some type of business person, because she provided for Him (them) financially, along with other women as He traveled. And we know that she was a devoted follower and disciple of Christ.
Three of the four gospel writers tell us that she was also present at the crucifixion. Even though many of the other disciples fled out of fear during this time, Mary Magdalene was one who was faithful to follow Christ to His death. (Matt.27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41; John 19:25) And she was there when He was placed in the tomb, (Matt.27:59-61; Mark 15:47) and she was also among the women who went to prepare His body for burial after the Sabbath. (Matt. 28:1, Mark 16:1-2. John 20:1) She was an eye-witness to the resurrection, (John 20:11-18) and Mark was the only gospel writer to mention that Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene. (Mark 16:9-11) And in Luke’s gospel account he gives us a beautiful picture of what took place that morning. (Luke 23:55-56 & 24:1-12) It seems that Mary Magdalene was there throughout the whole tragic event.
Let’s take a look at Mary Magdalene’s relationship with Christ for a moment. From all appearances, she became a faithful follower right from the time of her very first encounter with Him. Her life was changed that day, and she never turned back. Even when the others turned away in fear, Mary Magdalene stayed faithful. She was often found with His mother, and the scripture tells us that she was there and experienced the horrors of the cross that day. But even in His death, she never stopped loving Him. She was among the women who went back to prepare His body for burial on that Resurrection Sunday. And think about this, of all the disciples that Jesus could have chosen, He chose Mary Magdalene to appear to first and instructed her to carry the news that He was indeed alive to the others.
I wonder, when you met Jesus, did He cause a drastic change in your life? Did everything become different for you that day? And did you begin right then to follow Him, no matter what the cost? Mary Magdalene set a wonderful example of what the Christian life should look like…even unto death. If we choose to follow Christ as fully and completely as she did, I believe He will do something special in our lives too…He may even choose us to carry the good news of His resurrection to a lost and dying world. Think about that. Would we respond with joy as Mary Magdalene did?
- Joseph of Arimathea
When I looked online for information about Joseph of Arimathea, there was a lot of legend and also some fables, but very little Biblical fact, so in order to avoid speculation, let’s just stick with the truth we are given in scripture. For this information, we need to read Matthew. 27:57-60; Mark 15:43-46; Luke 23:50-55 and John 19:38-42
From these scriptures, this is the information we can glean about Joseph of Arimathea. We know that he was from Arimathea, which was a town about 20 miles northwest of Jerusalem. We also know that he was a “secret” disciple. Though he believed Jesus was the Messiah, he kept his belief to himself.
In his position as a prominent member of the Sanhedrin, he was not one of the council who consented to the sentence imposed on Jesus. Since Mark 14:64 indicates that they were “all” in agreement to His death, the possibility is that either Joseph did not vote or maybe he was not there during the vote. He may have been omitted from being informed about this vote as part of the plot to bring death to this innocent man. But, at least at the end of Jesus’ life, Joseph became a brave man, because there could have been and according to some legend, there possibly was a very stern penalty for siding with the enemy. The fact that he went to Pilate to ask for the body says a lot about his courage.
Most likely, Joseph was a wealthy man. He had a brand new tomb that he had purchased for his family, and he also supplied the linen cloth used to wrap the body and, joined by Nicodemus, brought about 100 pounds of myrrh and aloes to prepare His body for burial after which, they laid him in the garden tomb near where He was crucified.
How do you think Joseph of Arimathea’s life was affected by the crucifixion? I believe that a transformation took place during the events which he witnessed. Having previously been described as a “secret” disciple, he became a man of great boldness when it came to things related to Christ. I believe Joseph of Arimathea had a true encounter with the Light of the World as he beheld the crucifixion. He was aware of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, and he knew the innocence of Christ. I believe, having beheld the events that occurred that day…the agony and pain that Jesus suffered, the earthquake that shook the ground on which they stood, the darkness that covered the earth, and the veil that was torn in two…how could he walk away from there and not become a changed man?
And I also believe he was sorry for the decision that his fellow religious leaders had made to crucify the Son of God. It was that sorrow…that repentance which prompted him to do what others would not. It was that sorrow which caused him to sacrifice and care for his Savior. So we know that Joseph’s life was changed as he watched the events that took place that day at Calvary.
- Mary, the Mother of Jesus
If you saw the movie, “The Passion of the Christ” I am sure that you probably cried like I did. The part that made me cry the most was when I saw Jesus’ mother as she watched them beat her son, and when she went into the courtyard and tried to wipe up His blood after they had beaten Him. I have two sons that I love very much, and I could not conceive the pain of watching this cruelty being inflicted on one of them. When I saw the agony on Mary’s face, I can’t imagine how her heart must have broken watching this happen to her son, and she couldn’t stop it. The movie showed flashbacks of her remembering when He was a small child, and how she would help Him up when he fell and she would take care of Him. Her mother’s heart was broken that day. Let’s look at how Jesus’ crucifixion had to have affected His mother.
She was such a young girl when the angel gave her the news of the miraculous birth of her first son. It had been such a joy to be His mother, and to watch how passionate His love for God had grown, and how very deeply He loved people everywhere He went. A number of years had passed since the time she and Joseph had found him in the temple at the age of twelve amazing even the most learned teachers because of His understanding of the scriptures. (Luke 2:41-48) And during the years of His ministry, she could not have fathomed that His life would end in this horror. How could they do such inhumane things to such a beautiful man as her son?
She had come with Jesus and the others from Galilee and joined with the women who ministered to Him. (Mark 15:40-41) Also, she was most likely included as part of the group that Luke mentions. (Luke 23:48-49)
She was also there to witness the crucifixion of her son. (Matthew 27:55-56) John shared a very touching scene concerning Mary in his gospel where Jesus, even in His death, was concerned for the welfare of His mother. (John 19:25-27). Matthew (27:61) and Mark (15:47) include her presence when he was removed from the cross and buried in Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. But, after all the agony she had endured, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also present and witnessed the fact that Jesus, her own precious son, was indeed risen from the dead just as He had said He would. (Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, Luke 24:1) Glory to God!
Was it worth it to her? I often think of all the moms and dads who send their precious sons and daughters off to war, knowing that there is a chance that their child might not return alive. But so often in these cases, you hear the parents of the fallen soldiers say things like, “He did what he believed in.” or “She wanted to serve the greater cause.” Perhaps this is how Mary felt. When she saw that the tomb was empty, she knew that there was a greater purpose for the life of her Son. And, by way of this empty tomb, that greater purpose had been fulfilled. Her Son had not only made the way for her to receive eternal life, but also for anyone who would come to Him by faith. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) Mary knew that her Son’s purpose had been fulfilled.
- Soldiers, Thieves and Others
There were a number of others who were present and witnessed first-hand the crucifixion of Christ, and we are given a little information about some of them in scripture.
One of the people who was there was a Roman Centurion. His position required that he be present this day because he was the man whose responsibility it was to see that the crucifixion was carried out in orderly fashion, and without delay. He was in charge of the guards on duty, the ones who carried out this barbaric sentence. He watched as they laid Jesus on the wooden torture device, as they pierced his wrists and feet with the huge metal stakes. He heard the screams of agony and saw the terror in the eyes of our Savior. Then, even in the midst of all the violence, he heard the trembling voice of the Crucified One as He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Surely he was frightened when the earth was darkened for three hours, and then, just as Jesus breathed His last, the earth shook and the rocks were split. Matthew 27:51-53 records, “Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” Having seen these things, his response was, “Truly this was the Son of God!” How do you undo such a travesty? How do you go on from here? How do you live with the knowledge of the injustice that you have carried out…to crucify the Son of God? (Matthew 27:51-54; Mark 15:33-38; 44-47)
The two thieves who hung on crosses on either side of Jesus were affected that day. On the one side, the thief blasphemed Jesus saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” He was looking out for his own personal welfare. While the one on the other side rebuked him saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” The one had a repentant heart; the other was concerned, even in death, with his own personal vindication.
And there were many others there that day. The soldiers who cast lots for the very clothes that Jesus wore. The other soldiers who also mocked Him, the chief priests, the scribes and the elders…the religious leaders…joined in the ridicule. People from all walks of life came out that day to mock and ridicule the Innocent One…the Sinless One…the spotless Lamb of God Who was slain from the foundations of the world.
But in the end, it was God Who had the final say! The sky blackened, the earth trembled and the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the saints of God came out of the grave! Hallelujah! Victory was won because, as they learned three days later…even death could not hold Him. Praise the Lord! Jesus rose victoriously!
But I have a question for you. How is it that so many people were eyewitnesses to the same tragic event on that day so many years ago, yet their reactions were so different? Simon the Cyrenian saw love like he had never seen before and it changed his life and the lives of his sons. Mary Magdalene, from her very first encounter with Jesus, never turned back, and never turned away. Joseph of Arimathea became a bold follower of Christ, even though he was late. Mary, His mother was heartbroken when she realized that this was the price that her son had to pay for the sins of the world. The Centurion finally realized that He was the Son of God, the religious leaders mocked Him and ridiculed Him, along with a multitude of others. How is it that, even though they all saw the same events, the same tragedy, they heard the same excruciating sounds, experienced the same darkness for three hours and the same earthquake; how did their reactions differ so drastically?
And what about us today? How can we hear the same gospel truth over and over and continue to deny its validity? Though many don’t deny Him in word, they certainly do in deed. How can so many people reject and ridicule a Savior Who gave His everything so that they might have access to the throne of God. How can intelligent people continue to live in sin and refuse to repent to the only One Who can set them free? How can they continue to live their lives without Jesus?
And to those of us who claim the name of Christ, how can we go on with our lives day after day, and not tell everyone we meet that Jesus died on a cruel cross, that He became sin on our behalf, and that He rose again on the third day, that we might have eternal life? How can we, like Joseph of Arimathea remain “silent disciples”, unwilling to risk rejection and ridicule for the sake of our Lord. Think about how He has affected your life. Don’t you want to share that gift to someone else today?
May you, this Easter, remember the Christ Who gave His all for you and for me, and share in the victory that set us free from sin. He is alive forevermore!
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