Jesus never carried the cross

THE EDITOR: It is commonly believed that Jesus the son of Mary was forced to carry the cross upon which he was supposedly crucified. However, this is not found in any one of the four Gospels of the New Testament. These “inspired” Books record the incident, which led to “a crucifixion” as follows: Matthew: 27: 31-32. “And after that they had mocked him; they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to bear his cross.”

Mark 15: 20-21, and Luke 23: 26, record the event in a similar way. In John 19:17, it is recorded as follows: “And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of the skull, which is called in Hebrew Golgotha; where they crucified him.” According to the Gospels, Jesus was led away while Simon was forced to carry the cross for him. Commentators of the Wycliffe Bible Commentary write about this verse as follows: “The guard, seizing him, (ie Simon) impressed him to carry the cross for Jesus. Usually the prisoner carried his own, but our Lord, worn out by the tensions of the preceding hours, was unable to do so.” (Wycliffe Bible Commentary, pp 1066-67) It is therefore not correct to say, “Christ was forced to carry his cross.”

DR WAFFIE MOHAMMED
Claxton Bay