The Crucifixion
Sun Myung Moon
Mark 15:24
And they crucified
him.
Simon of Cyrene
As they were going
out, they met a man front Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the
cross. Matthew 27:32
A black man played an
important role at the time of Jesus' crucifixion. When Jesus stumbled while
carrying his cross to Calvary, a black person, Simon of Cyrene, took up Jesus'
burden. That act was very significant; when the Last Days come; black people
will be burdened with an important mission from God and will contribute
greatly, to God's overall dispensation.
Corruption has come
primarily from white society. Because of this I feel that some dynamic black
spiritual leaders will be the hope of America in the future.
From the speech of
Sun Myung Moon: The Blessing February 20, 1977
Jesus hoped to hear
of someone who could bear the cross in his place, take the beatings on his
behalf, and on the road of death of Golgotha suffer hardships and desperately
call out in his place, "God! Father!" Although for 30 years he hoped
to hear this kind of voice, when his hopes were dashed, how would he have felt?
We have to understand
this heart of Jesus. We have to experience this pain of Jesus and be able to
sympathize with his pain. Moreover, we should have the mindset that it is
perfectly natural for us to go this path of death on which we will die many
thousands of times for the sake of the humanity of the world.
When Jesus became
fatigued while carrying the cross to Golgotha, there was none among his
disciples who, like Simon of Cyrene, shouldered the cross in his place. There
was not even one person like this among the people of Israel. This foreigner,
Simon of Cyrene, participated in the tribulation of Jesus. Eventually
Christianity emerged not as the religion of the Israelites. It became a
religion of foreigners.
Today, we who have
determined to believe in Jesus and go in search of God should be determined to
carry out the same actions as Simon of Cyrene, even in our dreams. Although
Simon of Cyrene could have made an excuse or rebelled, he silently obeyed and
bore the cross in Jesus' place. We have to become this kind of person today
How did Jesus feel
when he was looking at him? When the apostles with whom he had shared all his
joys and sorrows had all disappeared, a foreigner named Simon of Cyrene
suffered misery on his behalf. Looking at the situation, Jesus must have felt
deeply embarrassed and sorrowful.
If among the twelve
apostles there was just one person who had shouldered the cross in his place,
then by looking at him, Jesus could have forgotten the hardships of death. He
would have overcome his own agony by feeling sympathy for him. Nevertheless, because
this did not take place, Jesus felt greater sorrow You should understand this
situation.
In the Christian
world of today, there should emerge a denomination in the position of Simon of
Cyrene. Yet, which denomination will take on that responsibility? Christians
today should realize that Jesus could not become the Messiah of the apostles
who had followed. He became the Messiah of a foreigner, Simon of Cyrene. They
should build a church in honor of the position of Simon of Cyrene.
From the speech of Sun
Myung Moon: Let Us Become People Who Participate in the Glory of the Lord June
16, 1957
The two thieves
Two robbers were
crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Matthew 27:38
One of the criminals
who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save
yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear
God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are
punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has
done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come
into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him,
"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke
23:39-43
Who received the
blessing of Jesus? It was not the twelve disciples who had followed him nor the
religious leaders, who had believed in heaven, nor the people of Israel, who
had been chosen through blessing. The right-hand thief, who shed blood with
Jesus and died on the cross with him, received the historical blessing and went
to paradise before the chief disciple.
From the speech of
Sun Myung Moon: Who Will Become the Friend of Golgotha? October 19, 1958
The free world has
been referred to as right wing, and the communist world has been referred to as
left wing. This terminology has its origins in Jesus. At the time of Jesus'
crucifixion, there was one thief on his left and one on his right. The thief on
the right represented God's side and the thief on the left represented Satan.
From here the world began to fight.
From the speech of Sun
Myung Moon: The View of Cosmic History and I April 28, 1996
The mind is on God's
side and the body is on Satan's side. The struggle expands from the individual
to the family, clan, nation, and world, and the world will divide into
religious and non-religious spheres. This is symbolized by the two thieves at
Jesus' crucifixion. They represent the left and right wings, which fight
against each other. Also, Barabbas, who escaped crucifixion, represents Islam,
which fights against Christianity. Christianity lined up with the right wing
and Islam lined up with the left wing; so this great separation takes place in
the Last Days. We see the division of left and right wings in Korea and the
division between religions in the Middle East. The world-level task is how to
solve these divisions and unite the two sides.
From the speech of
Sun Myung Moon: Reappearance of the Second Coming and the Completed Testament
Age January 10, 1993
It is finished
A jar of wine vinegar
was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the
hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink,
Jesus said. "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave
up his spirit. John 19: 29-30
While he took his
last breath on the cross, Jesus said, "It is finished." (John
19:30) Until he could say that, he cast out of his mind all his sorrow and
bitter grief and suffered in an attempt to accomplish the will of heaven.
Because the mission of claiming back the universal life through his one self was
on the verge of total collapse, Jesus forgot even his own agony and affliction
and overcame all kinds of ordeals. Therefore, the life of Jesus was not a life
lived to save only himself; it was lived for the sake of building the nation
and people of God.
From the speech of
Sun Myung Moon: Jesus Is the Hero of the Universal Revolution November 11. 1956
Father, forgive them
ReplyDeleteJesus said, "Father; forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34
Jesus Christ has endured the pain and has walked this path full of grievance and suffering for 6,000 years until now in order to find us, and he has put his life at stake and walked the road of the cross. We should hold onto Jesus! Even when he was facing death on the cross, which put an end to the thirty years of his life, he earnestly appealed to God, "Oh Father, forgive them."