Mark 15:20-21 meaning

The parallel gospel accounts of Mark 15:20-21 are found in Matthew 27:31-32, Luke 23:26-32, and John 19:16-17.

In Mark 15:20-21, the Roman soldiers remove the purple robe from Jesus, put His own garments back on Him, and lead Him out to be crucified before pressing Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, into service to bear His cross (v 21).

Following Mark's account of the Roman legionaries' scourging, abusing, and mocking of Jesus (Mark 15:16-19), the Gospel writer returns to what happened after His civil trial ended. The Roman soldiers carried out Pilate's order that Jesus was to be crucified (Mark 15:15).

To learn more about what Roman Crucifixion entailed, see The Bible Says Article: "Bearing the Cross: Exploring the Unimaginable Suffering of Crucifixion."

After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And they led Him out to crucify Him (v 20).

The pronouns Him and His in this verse refer to Jesus. The pronoun they refers to the Roman soldiers who were put in charge of Jesus's crucifixion.

After Jesus's civil trial ended, the Roman soldiers apparently mocked Him again before they took the purple robe off Him (v 20). The first time they mocked Jesus was after He was scourged during the middle of the third phase of His civil trial (John 19:1-4). This was before Pilate presented Jesus to the crowd--saying "Behold, the Man!" (John 19:5).

The purple robe was used as a prop, along with the crown of thorns they put on His head and the reed which Matthew says they put in His hand as a mock scepter, to make Him appear as a ridiculous king (Matthew 27:29). Mark previously described how the soldiers "dressed Him up in purple" (Mark 15:17), mockingly acclaimed Him as King of the Jews (Mark 15:18), and repeatedly beat Him on the head with the reed (Mark 15:19).

Before they led Him out to crucify Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him (v 20). Taking the robe off would have been very painful to Jesus.

John informs us that the robe was first put on Jesus shortly after He was scourged (John 19:1-3), which means Jesus had been wearing it for some time. The scourging had pulverized Jesus's back, torn off skin and flesh, and turned Him into a bleeding mess. The robe, when they first put it on, likely served as a crude bandage and covering that helped slow the bleeding.

Jesus wore this robe for the remainder of His civil trial (John 19:4-16), which included Pilate:

1. presenting Jesus to the crowd in hopes of releasing Him (John 19:4-8);
2. interviewing Jesus for the charge of blasphemy (John 19:9-11);
3. making additional efforts to release Jesus (John 19:12-15; Matthew 27:24-25).

All of this gave time for Jesus's open wounds from His neck to His lower back to congeal and bond to the purple robe that was covering Him. When they took the purple robe off Him (v 20), all these wounds were freshly torn back open with what would have been a terrible sting.

His own garments were put back on Him instead, and they led Him out to crucify Him (v 20).

The soldiers led Jesus away from the governor's Jerusalem residence at the Praetorium and out of the city itself to the place where they would crucify Him. This place was called "Golgotha" (Mark 15:22).

There were several reasons why they led Him out to crucify Him (v 20) instead of crucifying Him there at the Praetorium.

The main reason was because crucifixions were gruesome, bloody affairs. No one wanted to have this inside a city, especially the Jews, who would have regarded such acts as abominable defilements of their holy city. It was Roman practice to crucify their criminals outside the city, along a road or gate, to serve as a warning against defying Roman law to everyone who entered or exited the city.

John's Gospel records how when they first took Jesus out, He was "bearing His own cross" (John 19:17) per Roman protocol. The Greco-Roman historian Plutarch explained the reason for this customary protocol:

"every criminal who goes to execution must carry his own cross on his back, vice frames out of itself each instrument of its own punishment."
(Plutarch, "On the Delays of Divine Vengeance," Section 9)

Following this protocol, the Roman soldiers forced Jesus to bear His own cross as they led Him out to crucify Him (John 19:17). By carrying His own cross for a period of time, Jesus physically showcased the image which He encouraged His followers to emulate in their own circumstances (Mark 8:34).

But having been beaten and scourged, Jesus's bodily strength was depleted. Apparently, He was unable to physically bear His cross for long.

The Roman soldiers recognized this apparent limitation. Based on the modern discovery of the location of the Praetorium near the Jaffa Gate, it was likely a fairly short distance between the Praetorium, where Jesus was given a death sentence by Pilate, and the place of Jesus's crucifixion. The fact that He could not go far shows the extent of His physical suffering to that point.

They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross (v 21).

The Roman soldiers in charge of Jesus's crucifixion pressed into service a man named Simon of Cyrene to bear His cross (v 21).

Luke says that after Simon began to bear Jesus's cross, Jesus walked in front while Simon carried it behind Him (Luke 23:26).

Mark describes Simon as a passer-by coming from the country (v 21). Luke similarly says that Simon was "coming in from the country" when the soldiers seized him and placed the cross on him (Luke 23:26).

As will be seen below, Mark's observation that Simon was a passer-by from the country further suggests that the location of Jesus's trial at the Praetorium was the former palace of Herod the Great which was located along the city wall and the road where travelers would walk as they were coming from the country to enter Jerusalem.

The two sites most commonly believed to be the location of the Praetorium are the "Antonia Fortress" and the former palace of Herod the Great.

The Antonia Fortress was built within the city and was connected to the northwest corner of the temple complex. The palace of Herod the Great was located along Jerusalem's western wall. Based on the Biblical accounts of Jesus's civil trial which describe the Praetorium--especially John (John 18:28 - 19:16)--and archeological ruins unearthed in the 1970s, the Praetorium where Jesus was tried by Pilate was likely Herod's palace.

Herod's palace was built along Jerusalem's western city wall. This palace opened up to the outside of the city and had a stone pavement with a judgment seat that faced an open space where the Jews gathered outside and could interact with Pilate from a distance, so as not to defile themselves for the Passover (John 18:28-29). Behind the crowd was a road that wrapped around the exterior of the city wall.

Matthew says that the soldiers encountered Simon "as they were coming out" (Matthew 27:32). Luke says that Simon was "coming in from the country" (Luke 23:26). Mark combines the movement of these events by describing Simon as a passer-by coming from the country when the soldiers pressed him into service (v 21).

These details support the Praetorium's location being Herod's palace along the city wall instead of the Antonia Fortress within the heart of the city. The likely reason Simon was coming from the country was because he was visiting Jerusalem for Passover and was staying nearby outside the city, possibly in an encampment for Passover pilgrims.

It seems that Simon was walking along the city's exterior road on his way into Jerusalem when Jesus and the Roman soldiers were coming out of the Praetorium and/or city.

Luke says that after Simon began to bear Jesus's cross, Jesus walked in front while Simon carried it behind Him (Luke 23:26). Luke also adds: "Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him" (Luke 23:32).

Simon of Cyrene

Simon is a Hellenized version of the Hebrew name Simeon. Simeon was one of Israel's twelve sons (Genesis 29:33; Exodus 1:1-4) and was the name of one of Israel's twelve tribes (Numbers 1:22-23). Simon was also the name of two of Jesus's disciples: the fisherman called "Peter"; and Simon the Zealot (Mark 3:16-19).

Cyrene was located in North Africa on the Mediterranean coast in the present-day nation of Libya. Simon was apparently an observant Jew visiting Jerusalem for Passover.

Mark adds a detail about Simon which the other Gospel writers omit. He identifies Simon as the father of Alexander and Rufus (v 21).

Mark's inclusion of Alexander and Rufus is especially interesting because his Gospel was written for Roman Gentiles. Rufus is also the name of one of the believers to whom Paul writes in Rome:

"Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine."
(Romans 16:13)

Church tradition tells us that the Rufus whom Paul holds in high regard and greets in his epistle to Rome is the same Rufus whose father was pressed into service to bear Jesus's cross.

If this tradition is correct, it seems that this unexpected and unpleasant encounter impressed Simon to become a believer in Jesus and to lead his family to believe in Him. If Mark's Rufus is the Rufus of Romans 16:13, then Mark's original Roman readers may have personally known the son of the man who carried Jesus's cross.

Simon's other son, Alexander, shared the same name as the famous Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great. Rufus was a Roman name meaning "red" or "red-haired."

Mark's description creates a vivid picture of Jesus's earlier call to discipleship:

"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."
(Mark 8:34)

Simon unexpectedly found himself physically living out this picture. He bore the instrument of execution behind the suffering Messiah as Jesus faithfully continued toward His death.

After the soldiers pressed Simon into service to bear His cross, the procession continued toward the place where they would crucify Jesus.

Luke's Account of Jesus and the Daughters of Jerusalem

Mark and Matthew move directly from Simon bearing Jesus's cross toward Jesus's arrival at Golgotha (Matthew 27:32-33; Mark 15:21-22).

Luke records an additional event which occurred somewhere along Jesus's journey from Pilate to the place where He was crucified.

Luke writes that "a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him" followed Jesus (Luke 23:27). Jesus turned to these women and addressed them as the "Daughters of Jerusalem" (Luke 23:28).

Jesus told them:

"Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."
(Luke 23:28)

Jesus then prophetically warned them of the terrible judgment that was coming upon Jerusalem (Luke 23:29-31).

Mark omits this encounter, keeping his narrative moving directly from Simon bearing Jesus's cross to Jesus's arrival at Golgotha.

During that era, it was customary for professional wailers to trail behind Jewish individuals who were being led to execution by Rome, purportedly to mourn the death of an Israelite at the hands of Gentiles. But they were wailers who were paid for their wailing. Accordingly, their wailing was often a display of feigned sorrow.

The uproar was a spectacle. Considering the people's earlier declaration to Pilate: "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:25), this charade was Jerusalem's final act of hypocrisy in their rejection of their Messiah before His execution.

Jesus addressed these mourners as "Daughters of Jerusalem" (Luke 23:28). He bid them to cease their weeping for Him. He had no need for their insincerity.

Jesus was not condemned because the Roman governor desired His crucifixion. Rather, His execution was the result of the demands of the religious leaders and the populace. It was ridiculous to pretend otherwise. Thus, Jesus called for the wailers to stop the charade, imploring Jerusalem to confront its own self-deception.

Jesus not only urged them to wake up from their delusion, He also urged them to realize their own impending destruction. Jerusalem was bringing upon itself imminent destruction by rejecting the One whom God sent to them to be their King and Redeemer.

Jesus was the Messiah whom God sent. Hence, Jesus directed them to "weep for yourselves and for your children" because they had missed the time of their visitation (Luke 23:28).

His admonishment to the Daughters of Jerusalem was not a bitter retaliation of anger toward those who had unjustly condemned Him. Rather, it was a prophetic warning born out of love and sorrow for the suffering they and their children would endure when Rome would lay waste to Jerusalem in 70 A.D. This destruction was to occur roughly 40 years after Jesus's crucifixion.

Jesus's prophecy to the Daughters of Jerusalem predicted the horrors of Roman siege and directly referenced Hosea 10:8 (Luke 23:29-30).

Jesus concluded His prophetic warning to the Daughters of Jerusalem with a metaphorical question for them to ask themselves:

"For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
(Luke 23:31)

Rooted in Ezekiel 20:47, His metaphor revolves around the symbols of green and dry wood. A green tree, being alive, is not fit for burning, while dry wood, long dead, readily succumbs to flames.

In this allegory, Jesus embodies the green tree, symbolizing righteousness and life. Conversely, Jerusalem, which was spiritually dead inside, represents the dry tree.

Despite Jesus's innocence--acknowledged by the Roman governor (Luke 23:4, 15, 22)--Rome condemned Him to death. The metaphor implies that Rome was executing Someone who was as unfit for death as a green and living tree is fit for burning. And if they will burn green trees, what will they do to dead ones?

In rejecting Jesus, Jerusalem both rejected their Messiah and their God. Within a generation they would rebel against Roman authority, inviting Rome's fury that would be akin to a raging fire that incinerates the dry wood of a dead tree.

More plainly, Jesus's prophetic inquiry to Jerusalem was this: If Rome was willing to crucify a person their own governor had declared innocent, what fate awaited Jerusalem in its rebellion?

Similarly, ultimate suffering and judgment follow this pattern: if the blameless Messiah endures punishment, how much greater will the punishment be for the unrighteous at God's fiery judgment?

Jesus's metaphor is an allusion to the LORD's warning in Ezekiel 20:45-49.

To learn more about what Jesus meant by this statement, see The Bible Says article: "On the Way to the Cross: A Prophetic Warning."

After this encounter, Jesus, Simon, the Roman soldiers, the two criminals, and the crowd continued toward Golgotha, where Jesus would be crucified.

Mark continues his account with Jesus's arrival at the place of crucifixion (Mark 15:22-26).