A Few Questions About the Actual Crucifixion Pastor. Thank you so much for your patience with me.

Question. Pastor...Just who was it that carried Jesus Cross? Mark 15:21, Matthew 27:32 and Luke 23:36 all say that someone named Simon of Cyrene helped him with it, but John seems to not know this part and says in John 19:17 that Jesus carried it the whole way himself. I know one can say that they each did a part of it and John is just going for the big picture, but John often seems to no know the details the others did and does imply Jesus was alone in this. Seems important to me.

Question. Pastor...these two thieves have always puzzled me. Mark, being the first Gospel and most simple, mentions them but tells nothing of them at all. (Mark 15:27) But then Matthew makes the story more interesting and in Matthew 27:44 has them taunt Jesus to save them all and at least himself. Then the story gets even better in Luke 23:39 by having the one tell the other one to leave Jesus alone and they deserve to die but not Jesus. With this, Jesus promises him that he would be with him in Paradise that day. Or perhaps, he meant he told him that day he would eventually be with him in Paradise, but it sounds like Jesus meant that very day. This story keeps getting better in the order of the writing. Since Jesus didn't ascend for 40 days, where was Jesus telling this man he and Jesus would go together and when? John and Luke don't have this detail and John doesn't even call them thieves. Some say rebels against Rome and run away slaves were crucified, but not thieves as we know them. And Jesus was labeled on the sign, King of the Jews, which seems to be why Rome and not the Jews crucified him....the Bar-Abbas thing remember? At any rate, it always seems like there is an outwardly bad person, like the thief or the Roman Centurian admitting that Jesus is the Son of God and seems contrived. You know, kinda like props in a play.

Question. Pastor...Wow, this is good one for you. In Matthew 27:51-53 we see Jesus dies on the cross and there is a great earthquake. If it was this big, how did the city and the temple survive intact as it said the