The Red-Letter Words of Yeshua ~ Part 174
Passion Week ~ Trial Before Pilate ~ Part 5
In our last post, we explored Yeshua’s Trial Before Pilate. In this post, Yeshua Is Led Out to be Crucified.
Bar-Abba Is Released
24 Pilate decided to grant their demand; 25 he released the man (Bar-abba) who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder, the one they had asked for; and Yeshua he surrendered to their will. [1]
Finally, Pilate caved into the crowd’s demand, releasing Bar-abba and handing Yeshua over to be executed.
Yeshua Is Led Out
20 When they had finished ridiculing Him, they took off the purple robe, put His own clothes back on Him, and led Him away to be nailed to the execution stake. [2] Carrying the stake Himself, He went out to the place called Skull (in Aramaic, Gulgolta). [3]
Yeshua had to carry His own stake until Shim’on came along and was forced to carry it for Him. I’m sure most of us have seen this scene and the following in the several movies of this extraordinary historical event.
Shim’on of Cyrene
21 A certain man from Cyrene, Shim’on, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country; and they forced him to carry the stake. 22 They brought Yeshua to a place called Gulgolta (which means “place of a skull”). [4]
Roman soldiers had the right to press citizens of subject nations into compulsory service (Mattityahu 5:41), so they forced Shim’on to carry Yeshua’s stake. Shim’on was a Jewish Cyrenian from the north coast of Africa. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus, indicating that readers in Rome probably knew these men (Romans 16:13). Shim’on apparently became a Believer due to this experience.
Women Weep for Yeshua
27 Large numbers of people followed, including women crying and wailing over Him. 28 Yeshua turned to them and said, “Daughters of Yerushalayim, don’t cry for me; cry for yourselves and your children! 29 For the time is coming when people will say, ‘The childless women are the lucky ones—those whose wombs have never borne a child, whose breasts have never nursed a baby! 30 Then
They will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’
and to the hills, ‘Cover us! ” [5]
31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what is going to happen when it’s dry?” [6]
In our next several posts, we will be reviewing Yeshua’s Crucifixion.
Click here for the PDF version.
[1] Luke 23:24–25.
[2] Mark 15:20.
[3] Yochanan 19:17.
[4] Mark 15:21-22.
[5] Hosea 10:8
[6] Luke 23:27–31.
My Heart is for Israel 