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NASB | John 19:17 ¶ They took Jesus, therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 19:17 ¶ So they took Jesus, and He went out, bearing His own cross, to the place called the Place of the Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha. [Matt 27:33-44; Mark 15:22-32; Luke 23:33-43] |
Bible Question: Who carried Jesus' cross, Simon of Cyrene(Matt 27:32) or Jesus? |
Bible Answer: Agent Archer: I'm glad you asked this question, because a first reading of John's account in 19:17 of the fourth Gospel seems to pit it against the accounts of all three of the Synoptics, i.e., Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, and Luke 23:26. But the resolution of this prima facie conflict is easy. Notice what Matthew says (I'm quoting excerpts from the Amplified Bible) in 27:31b,32: "...and led Him away to be crucified. As they were marching forth, they came upon a man of Cyrene named Simon; this man they forced to carry the cross of Jesus." Note that Matthew does not say that Jesus never began to carry His cross. On the contrary, they encountered Simon as they were marching forth and compelled him to carry the cross. The implication is strong indeed that up to that time Jesus bore His own cross. And bear in mind also that the cross in this instance was the cross-member, the horizontal bar only, as was the custom at that time. ...... Now let's examine the Marcan account. Says Mark in 15:20b,21: "And they led Him out [of the city] to crucify Him. And they forced a passerby, Simon of Cyrene...who was coming in from the field [country] to carry His cross." Again, we may ask, "Who then carried it before they met Simon?" and again the strong implication is that Jesus did. .... Now for the Lucan account. In Luke 23:26 we read, "And as they led Him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross and made him carry it behind Jesus." Again, the strong implication that Jesus began carrying His cross but for some reason needed to be relieved of the task? But why? Jesus had suffered a most brutal beating that certainly had taken its toll on His bruised body. He bore His cross as far as His physical strength would permit. Remember that Jesus was fully God and fully human, and His humanity was beset with all human weaknesses except sin. ..... Finally then, let's look at John's account in John 19:16a,17: "And they took Jesus and led [Him] away. So he went out, bearing His own cross, to the spot called [Place of a] Skull; in Hebrew it is called Golgotha." So John stated outright what the Synoptics clearly implied, that is, that Jesus began His journey to Golgotha carrying His own cross. But John never says that Jesus had no assistance along the way. The Synoptics relate, while John does not, that Simon eventually assumed the burden of carrying Jesus' cross to the site of execution. But the exclusion by John of the detail about Simon does not constitute any conflict in the facts. The statements in the Synoptics and the statements in John's Gospel are therefore all true. Some details are mentioned while some are omitted, but there is no disharmony among the accounts. --Hank |