A Cyrenian

"They take [Jesus] out to crucify Him. They compel a certain Simon, Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who passed through the fields to carry his cross. They took him to the place called Golgotha, which means: place of the Skull." Mark 15. 20-22

The town of Cyrene, of which this Simon originated, was an important Greek colony of northern Libya today. We do not know whether Simon lived in Jerusalem, in the surrounding countryside, or whether he was one of the Greek pilgrims who came for the feast of Passover (John 12:20). His sons, Alexander and Rufus, were disciples known to the Roman readers of Mark (see Romans 16:13).

Jesus came out of the praetorium "bearing his own cross" (John 19:17). Why was it subsequently unloaded ?

The crucifixion for crimes against the state was exceptional. The Jews executed by stoning, the Romans by decapitation. But the Scripture was to be fulfilled (Ps 22:17). It was also a question of dissuading by example any attempt at revolt. Rome demanded that a condemned man at the crucifixion should publicly show his submission by making him carry the cross of the cross, the sign he had been rebellious, to the place of his crucifixion. No one could testify to an act of rebellion against Jesus during the trial. God preserved his Son from this public infamy : ignoring the divine designs, the soldiers decided that someone else would take charge of the cross of Jesus.

The fact that they had to compel Simon to do so, suggests that he was able to show some resistance to carrying this cross, a symbol of inexorable condemnation. What a procession : the King of the Jews, accompanied by a servant entrusted with the instrument of his execution! Simon did what the disciples should have done if they had not run away.

In Golgotha, the soldiers crucified Jesus. Pilate placed a sign on the cross : "Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews". Unconsciously, this pagan, like the soldiers, fulfilled the purposes of God by proclaiming that Christ was the King and Messiah. God did not allow Pilate to yield to the religious leaders who asked him to change the wording to make it a count : "Do not write: The King of the Jews, but he said to him: I am the king of Jews" (John 19:21).

God is sovereign, even if he remains silent.

Source (To pleasing the Lord)