Thus our dear Lord left the city where He had been rejected and condemned, bearing His heavy, cruel cross.
I think He must have fainted beneath its weight, for we are told that when they came to the gate of the city, they met a man, Simon the Cyrenian, coming in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross after Jesus.
A great multitude came out after them, and the women who had followed and loved Jesus were mourning and grieving at their dear Lord's sorrowful fate.
But Jesus turned to them and told them not to cry for Him, but for all the sorrow which was coming upon Jerusalem because the Jews would not have Him for their Saviour.
HE MUST HAVE FAINTED BENEATH ITS WEIGHT.
And there were two other men led out with Jesus to be crucified at the same time. They were called malefactors, because they had been very wicked.
So the whole great company went outside the city walls, and they bring Jesus to a place called "The Skull." They offered our dear Lord some wine and myrrh to drink, but, when He had tasted it, He would not take it.
Then they crucified Jesus, our King, and the two malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left, and Jesus in the midst.
Children, in all His dreadful sufferings and sorrow, what is it we hear from those dear lips?