THE PLACE OF AFRICA IN THE EASTER STORY

THE PLACE OF AFRICA IN EASTER STORY

“And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear the cross” (Mk. 15:21)

Matthew, Mark and Luke present one of the most prophetically significant scenes of the events around the death and resurrection of Christ, a story yet to be put at its right place in the prophetic agenda and calendar of God for the salvation of the universe of men.


This singular account of the cross bearing brings a great illumination to the way the history of the church is read, and the missiological adventures that follows the resurrection story.
What is the Lord driving out at the incidence of Simon the Cyrenian carrying the cross of Christ at this last stage of the Messianic mission? How do I as an African locate myself in the overall agenda of God? And of what significance is this great but hidden part of the story of Easter captured by 3 evangelists that recorded the gospel but not so much talked about by the contemporary preachers of the word.
Simon of Cyrene mentioned in this passage is an African. Cyrene is located around Libya. At the time of Christ, the inhabitants of the present Libya, Ethiopia and Egypt were predominantly black African, the descendants of Cush, one of the sons of Noah. References to these people in the Bible clearly indicate that they have black (colored) skin. Simon of this passage was therefore a black man who probably came on religious pilgrimage at Jerusalem at the time of the judgment and crucifixion of Christ. As he was coming out of the country, he was compelled by the Roman solders to carry the cross of Christ to the place of Crucifixion. Mark further identified him as the father of Rufus, one of the great fellow laborer with Paul the Apostle ( Rom 16:13).
Simon came at the last minute of Jesus’ earthly ministry to carry the cross to Golgotha, a prophetic indication of the role of African in God’s end-time missiological campaign. The students of Christian history will clearly see the divine order in the sequence of the appearances of people, and races in God’s mission project. God began with the Semite ( from where came the Jews), entering into covenant relationship with them that will later affect the whole world. The children of Japheth, from where the European came out took over the mantle after death of Christ taking the gospel to the corners of the earth. At this very end-time, as the church is warming up for the second coming of Christ, the center of mission attention is now Africa, the Descendant of Ham representing Simon the Cyrenian carrying the cross to the last stop. ( Read the table of nations from Genesis 9 and 10).
The gospel is meant to be a barrier breaker, and the prejudice against the black race was the first barrier the story of Easter broke. Before the separating curtain of the temple was cut into two, those considered to be beyond the gate of salvation again became the center of attention as Simon carried the cross to Golgotha.
There are prophesies from the Old Testament writings that the gentiles will be brought on board of the ship of salvation in Christ. Of a more particular attention is a description of a people and nation, beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, that will be part of this global missiological revival, a description that resembles that of Nigeria. “In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the river have spoiled, to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, the mount Zion.” (Isa. 18:7)
It must also be rightly stated that the African Christian converts of the early church were the principal brain behind the church’s aggressive global mission project of Acts of the Apostles. “And some of them were men of Cyprus, and Cyrene, which when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus”. (Acts 11:20) This is the Antioch church that sent out Paul and Barnabas on cross cultural missions.
As you remember Easter today, you must focus more on the mission campaign of Easter, and your prophetic position as an African, more than the ceremony traditionally attached to it. One of the purposes of Easter as captured from the text in view, is the fact that you, as a descendant of Ham is been looked upon today to be aggressively involved in the messianic global mission. You have a cross to carry for Jesus. At this season, the challenge is that you must make a covenant with Christ to be responsibly effective in sharing Christ with others.

Written by : Rev Dele Kolade