Mark 15:21-25
Mark 15:21 (KJB)
And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country,
the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
The scourging and the other blood letting by mocking had severely weakened Jesus
in that He was unable to carry His own cross or maybe just the cross beam which
would be nailed to the supporting post to form a cross. On the way out to
Golgotha, they compelled a man named Simon who was of Cyrene. Cyrene was located
where modern day Libya is. Cyrene was located on the tip, right on the
Mediterranean. It was in the province of Cyrenaica. There were many Jewish
colonies there. Simon was probably in Jerusalem because of the Passover Feast.
Jesus was taken outside the city to be crucified. (John 19:20 KJV) This
title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was
nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. In
the time of Moses, when someone was to be stoned to death it was to be done
outside the camp. (Num 15:35 KJV) And the LORD said unto Moses, The man
shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones
without the camp. Rufus is believed to be the same one mentioned in Romans
16:13. (Rom 16:13 KJV) Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and
mine. Nothing more beyond the mention is known of Alexander.
Mark 15:22 (KJB)
And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The
place of a skull.
The name Golgotha, in the Aramaic is “gulgultă” which means “skull.” In Hebrew
it is “gulgőleth” means “skull” and in the Greek, “kraniou totos” which means
“the place of the skull.” Some believe it is Gordon’s Calvary because the rocks
below the surface look like a skull, but that is doubtful. It was located north
or west of Jerusalem. This place was not a designated place for executions and
nowhere is it described as a skull shaped hill, or even a hill itself. What
happened there was more important than the geographical location, as long as it
was in keeping with the Scriptures.
Mark 15:23 (KJB)
And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
Before they crucified Jesus, the soldiers had attempted to give Him some sour
wine mixed with a bitter substance. It was a Jewish custom to give a condemned
person a pain killing drug before sentence was carried out. Jesus had tasted it
and it was bad so He refused to drink because He wanted to pay for the sins of
His people fully conscious and not drugged up. (Mat 27:34 KJV) They gave him
vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not
drink. “Gall” was normally used to indicate some type of unpleasant
tasting substance. Myrrh would have caused the drink to have a bitter taste. It
is also believed to be some type of opiate which caused a deep sleep or numbed
the pain of the execution. The honorable women of Jerusalem had provided
narcotic drinks to those who were condemned to lessen the pain of capital
punishment.
Mark 15:24 (KJB)
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon
them, what every man should take.
They had crucified Him by stripping Him naked. All the pictures of “Jesus” we
see on the cross always has a loin cloth on Him but the reality is that the
prisoner was stripped naked and then crucified. The arms were outstretched on
the cross beam and were nailed in the wrists because if they were nailed in the
palms, the weight of the body would rip the nail out or between two of the
fingers. The prisoner was then placed on the cross upright and the body was
supported by a little seat. The feet were nailed separately to the upright or
supporting beam. It was done this way to prolong the agony of the prisoner and
they normally took a long time to die. Then when Jesus was already on the cross,
they had cast lots for His garment. (Psa 22:18 KJV) They part my garments
among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. This was also a fulfillment of
prophecy. The soldiers could not tear the garment and give a small piece to each
because it was seamless and that is why they had to cast lots, so one person
would win the whole piece. (John 19:23 KJV) Then the soldiers, when they had
crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a
part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top
throughout.
Mark 15:25 (KJB)
And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
The time that Jesus was crucified was 9:00 AM. He was on the cross for six
hours. (John 19:13-14 KJV) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he
brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called
the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. {14} And it was the preparation of
the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your
King! John states that it was the sixth hour that Jesus was crucified. This
was because it was looking at Roman time plus it was the time which Pilate sat
down to begin to hear the case against Jesus. So there is no conflict in the
timing. Mark is going by Jewish time which makes 6:00 AM the beginning of the
first watch or the first hour of the day.