WAS JESUS THE ONE WHO WAS CRUCIFIED?

QUESTION: What’s your view on these questions: In Luke 23:26, 33 talks about Simon carrying the cross, and no verse indicate that at a point Simon gave back the cross to Jesus, and it is said they crucified the one who had the cross, is it possible they crucified Simeon not Jesus. Mark saw Jesus arrayed in purple going to be crucified (Mark 15:16-17). Matthew saw Jesus arrayed in red (Mathew 27:28) so question, which Jesus did they crucified, the one in Red or Purple? Pastor Daniel

RESPONSE: Pastor, thank you for your questions. You requested my opinion, so here it is. I’ve learned a lot from my experience responding to questions, and two of the most important lessons I’ve learned are: 1- you need to pray that you understand what someone is asking in what they’re asking, and 2- you need to pray that you will detect the claims someone makes in their questions, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Allow me to begin by praying that I understand what the pastor is asking, and then to identify the detected and assumed assertions expressed in these inquiries.

The Claims

Because no verse indicates that Simon returned the cross to Jesus, the first argument made here is that Jesus never bore the Cross again. The second claim in the first question is found in Luke 23:33, which states, “They crucified him who had the cross.” It’s critical that we look into these allegations to discover if they’re accurate. In the first claim, we wonder what connection there is between being given the cross back and being crucified on it. The goal was to get the cross to the hill, and the crucifiers had to figure out who the law had ordered to be crucified on it.

Simon may have brought the cross to the Hill, turned it over to the Romans, and then crucified the one who belonged to the cross. To speculate on why no verse mentions Simon returning the cross to Jesus, one must suppose Simon never carried the cross up the hill but returned it on the way. If Simon had taken it to the Hill, there was no need to return it to Jesus because the cross couldn’t be carried any further once it had arrived (Luke 23:33a). Second, I’m not sure that every occurrence on the Hill is covered by a verse.

The second claim is that it reads in the verse, “they crucified the one who had the cross.” As I write this, I have ten bible translations in front of me, and none of them says such in Luke 23:33b. I also double-checked the Greek text, which likewise states that they crucified ‘him‘ rather than ‘the one who had the cross.’ When they arrived at the cross, it was clear that no one had the cross except the authorities, who were intended to lay the one accused of a crime (Jesus, not Simon) on it.

According to Mark 15:17 and Matthew 27:28, Jesus was dressed in purple and then red. Assume this occurred, then consider what is wrong with the same person wearing various colours. This argument appears to be arguing that the naked and hanging Jesus on the crucifixion is not the same Jesus we saw before dressed.

The Robe

A quick literal reading of the Bible reveals that the persecutors of Jesus may have clad him in three different clothes at his crucifixion. The first was a famous robe (colour not specified) worn by Herod, as recorded in Luke 23:11. The second was by Pilate and the soldiers, and the hue was purple, according to Mark 15:17-19 and John 19:2-3. The third was carried out by the governor’s soldiers, and it was crimson (reddish), as recorded in Mathew 27:26-28. The good news is that whether or not Mathew was colorblind, purple and scarlet were royal hues and symbols of authority.

Was it Jesus that was crucified?

Yes, Jesus was crucified, not Simon of Cyrene, as many people believe. The Bible has proof and witnesses for this, as well as historical records from both believers and non-believers. Jesus was the one who was arrested, tried, and charged. It was Jesus who claimed to be a King, who was mocked with the royal garment, and who was crucified alone.

God bless you.

I invoke TRUTH, WISDOM and FAITH (2Tim 2:7)
Priest M.I.T White (+256-775-822833)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24)
Questioning to Believe and Believing to Live