The Road to Easter – The Unexpected Happens

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain…After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied, by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities…For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:3,11,12b NIV

You may not recognize the name Horatio Spafford, but most of you will be familiar with his most famous work, a poem called “It Is Well with My Soul,” which was set to music and became one of the most beloved hymns in the church. The words would seem to reflect that as followers of Jesus, we enjoy a peaceful, serene life on our road to Easter. “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul.”

However, Spafford didn’t pen these words after a leisurely morning walk through his rose garden but while sitting in a ship’s cabin in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean en route to be with his wife, who had survived a horrible ship accident which resulted in the drowning of their four daughters. Spafford was already well acquainted with grief, having lost his precious two-year-old son only two years before, and had experienced devastating financial ruin. Now, he found himself looking out over the darkness of the ocean water, where days before he had lost his daughters.

The road to Easter is not always lined with flowers and green grass, but we have a Savior who walks the road ahead of us. Spafford could have raised his fists in the air and yelled at the unfairness of life, yet he turned his pain and tears into worship until he could say, “It is well with my soul.”

I knew as I started this Lenten series on the road to Easter that I would come across some challenging, interesting, and faith-filled stories. I found as I read and reread each encounter, my own faith walk was encouraged.  I had never spent much time considering one man who Matthew, Mark, and Luke all give a brief mention. However, he played a significant, but unplanned role, Simon from Cyrene.

“A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” (Mark 15:21, see also Matt 27:32, Luke 23:26)

Jesus was betrayed by Judas, arrested, deserted by his disciples, received a false trial, denied by Peter, faced condemnation by the religious leaders, and endured hours of beatings and mockery. Then, according to Roman law, he was required to carry the crossbeam for his execution. Jesus was now physically and emotionally drained, not only carrying the weight of all humankind but also the added burden of the cross itself.

Then along came Simon, simply minding his own business. Suddenly, a Roman soldier pulled him out of the crowd and forced him to carry the cross of this condemned man. Simon was passing through the area; he hadn’t planned to be involved, and he wasn’t part of the mob crying out for Jesus’ death. He may have been in town for business or, more likely, in Jerusalem as part of the Passover celebration. For whatever reason, Simon found himself literally on the road to Easter.

Simon’s role was cast upon him unexpectedly. He had other plans to do that day, but they were put on hold. He found himself taking up the cross of Jesus and following him to Calvary. Along the way, he heard the crowd yelling, the soldiers barking out orders, and the quiet resolve of a man who had been tortured and mocked, speaking encouragement to his followers and bearing the brunt of humanity’s sinfulness. Simon saw the whip scars on Jesus’ back, watched the blood trickling down his face, and heard his groans.

As Simon struggled under the load of the cross, I can’t help but imagine the words of Isaiah coming to his mind, “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6)

The unexpected happened that day on Simon’s Road to Easter. These are some of my thoughts as I meditated upon this short verse about Simon that had so little information. What was going through Simon’s mind as the weight of the cross was lifted from his shoulders? Did he linger with the others that afternoon, watching Jesus upon the cross? What did Simon feel as the darkness descended upon the hill, the ground shook, and the eerie stillness when Jesus spoke, “It is finished.”

It is in times of the unexpected that we can feel abandoned and hopeless as we face the struggles and challenges of the road. Judah Smith writes, “When we understand that Jesus is here, however, we can make it through anything. People who know that Jesus loves them, who know that Jesus is with them and for them—those people can not only endure pain and loss and difficulty, they can come out the other side stronger and better people. They can be more alive than a person who sits in prosperous ease but is apart from Jesus.”

It was in the pain of the unexpected that Horatio Spafford worshipped. It was in the unexpected that Simon encountered Jesus. Scripture doesn’t say any more about Simon. So why even mention his name?  Church tradition says he and his family became committed followers of Jesus, and ultimately, Simon was martyred for his faith.

Jesus welcomes all who will walk this Road to Easter, even if the road begins with the unexpected. “It is not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried.” (G.K. Chesterton)

God is great! We can know because Easter is coming!