The Soldiers Fix Jesus to His Cross

Reference

Mark 15:21-28

Introduction

The Romans often killed robbers by fixing them to crosses. It was a very painful way to die. They made the man carry the cross to the place for killing. Golgotha was the place near Jerusalem where soldiers killed people on crosses. The hill may have looked like a head bone. Women of Jerusalem mixed wine and myrrh to make a medicine for the person who was on a cross. Then the pain would not be so bad. Roman soldiers could keep the clothes of the people they killed on crosses. Psalm 22:18 had said that this would happen. The prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 53:12 that Jesus would be included with people who broke God's laws. Cyrene was a place in North Africa. Simon may have been 'Black Simon' who later became a church leader in Antioch (Acts 13:1). Paul tells us that Rufus and his mother later worked for God in Rome (Romans 16:13).

Questions to ask

(v21) It seems that Simon's family all came to love God. Can you think of a reason for that?

(v21) Why did the soldiers cause Simon to carry Jesus' cross?

(v23) Why did Jesus refuse to drink the wine and myrrh?

(v23) What difference did it make that he did not drink it?

(v24) Why did the soldiers stay near the crosses?

(v25) Why does Mark tell us the time that the soldiers fixed Jesus to his cross?

(v26) What was special about the notice that they fixed on Jesus' cross?

(v28) The things that happened that day caused scripture to come true. Why does Mark tell us that?

Something to do

Simon must have told his family about Jesus. Can you tell people about Jesus? The things that people did to Jesus were not fair. What do you do when people are not fair to you?

The priests and leaders would not believe what Jesus said. The soldiers did cruel things to Jesus' body. Can you think which would have hurt Jesus most?