Mark 15: 21 They *pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and (Rufus), to bear His cross.
Isaiah 50 7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.
With Every Detail of Jesus' Life from His baptism by John the Baptist, to the Mount of Transfiguration, to the walking with the cross on his back on the road of The Via Dolorosa (even in the name of that road means the "Way of Suffering"), to Golgotha the name of the hill (the place of the Skull) the skull a symbol of death, and on that Hill Jesus finished His work of Redemption on my behalf when He cried, "it is finished" He Died on the place of the Skull, but Resurrected three days there after from the Tomb in the garden, a symbol of new growth; with every step Jesus took, God the Father's favor was upon His only begotten Son; With Every step Jesus took the Sovereignty of God the Father orchestrated every detail of Jesus' life.
And Jesus did learn obedience even to the point of Death, even death on the cross! "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Philippians 2:8 So when he fell under the weight of the cross, was he disobedient? He was not disobedient, He became physically drained of all energy and weakened under the weight of the cross, yet, kept on submitting Himself to the Mercy of His Heavenly Father, that in His physical inability God the Father helped Him and Jesus went the way of suffering to the Place of the Skull and was crucified on Golgotha. His physical weakness of falling under the weight of the cross did not make Him disobedient. I think not, Jesus in His humanity after being beaten, scourged, marred beyond that of a man, bloody and then having to carry a heavy wooden cross under such weight, suffering, pain, bloody, bruised, physically exhausted and worn out, did He fall under the weight of the Cross!
Yet, God the Father in His Sovereign Grace orchestrated the details on the way of suffering; from the Roman soldiers, to Simon a traveller from the country to Jerusalem with his 2 sons. Indeed from man's vantage point, it was the Roman Soldiers who pressed Simon into Service. But From The Sovereignty of God's perspective, God Pressed Simon into service, to help His beloved Son, on His journey's end of being crucified on the cross.
You see in Isaiah 50, a prophesy of Jesus life and way of His suffering declares How the Sovereign Lord helps Him. "He offered His back to those who beat Him, His cheeks to those who plucked out His beard, He did not hide His face from mocking and spitting, it is the Sovereign LORD who helps Him, therefore He will not be disgraced, He set His face like flint, He will not be put to Shame, He who vindicates Him is near. Indeed, His Heavenly Father was near Jesus when the weight of the Cross fell on Him, Did God the Father ever pressed into service a passer by, Simon of Cyrene! It was not by chance that Simon of Cyrene travelled from the country to happen to be where the weight of the cross caused Jesus to fall under it. He was there not by chance, but by God's appointment, to help His beloved Son carry the cross to His journey's End, in being crucified on the cross.
Here Simon was living according to his will to plan his day from the country to go into Jerusalem, taking his two sons with him. Living his life according to how he chose to live. Doing what he wanted to; Until the Sovereign Plan and will of God the Father directed His will over Simon's will and pressed Simon into Service. Simon was not a willing party to God the Father's will at that time, he was forced to carry Jesus' cross, it could be said that he grumbled carrying the weight of Jesus' cross, because he was forced to carry it. Yet God the Father Chose him, and pressed Simon into service to help carry the physical cross, and though he was pressed and forced into service, Simon could not resist God the Father's will, it was irresistible to Simon and did he indeed carry the cross being pressed into service.
There is a bottom underlining truth to all this; there are times in our lives, when we come and go freely as we please. We plan our day, we plan our course, we plan our travels, we plan our vacations. But there will come a time when your will gets absorbed to be pressed into the service of God's Sovereign will and Choice, and calling. And when God calls, there is no resisting His will! His calling and Sovereign plan is irresistible and there is no turning back, there is no resisting His will, you will be heavy pressed by His Sovereign Plan, and there is no turning back, and there is no resisting, Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."Another passage comes to mind, your life is not your own, you were bought with a price, I Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." You can live your life as if you have free will and you can choose to do whatever you want and please, yet the end result will be that God's will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Though you may serve your own will and plans, it is God's Sovereign will, plan and calling that will prevail and determine your steps and press you into service of the cross!
