Jesus is now led away to be crucified. The other gospel writers give more details on the beatings that Jesus received before the crucifixion itself. He would be have been greatly weakened by this, and so someone was needed to carry the cross for Him. Simon of Cyrene was enlisted to do this.
Now there are many people wiling and weeping for Jesus. Over Passover week we see many different reactions from the crowd. Maybe the general public were split into two groups, or maybe they were just fickle.
Jesus tells them that it was not Him they should be sorry for, but themselves. Jesus was dealing with the problem of sin, paying the price for our sin. It was the people who had most to fear. They needed to repent. Jesus then quotes from Isaiah 54, which comes after that great chapter in Isaiah 53 that foretells of His suffering. Then He quotes from Hosea 10:8.
Jesus was placed between two criminals. The soldiers cast lots for His clothes and the rulers sneered. Jesus was abandoned and written off by everyone.
One of the criminals recognised the goodness in Jesus, the other did not. So one was saved, the other not. This is a picture of the division that the cross brings. The gospel either brings life or finalises the judgement.
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