Well, we won't endure on our own.

God brings brothers and sisters in Christ into our lives to help us along the pathway to heaven.

And that's one of the great themes in Bunyan's famous allegory, pilgrim's progress, actually, faithful and hopeful, are the friends.

Christian needs his fellowship along the path

to the gates of the celestial city. That's a point we get into today in a discussion about a very

specific question from an anonymous listener. Here it is. Hi, Pastor John. I was reflecting on

1st Corinthians 1013, which speaks of God providing a way out of temptation,

and I began thinking about Jesus' crucifixion, particularly the moment when Simon was made to carry Jesus' cross.

In my study, I found that this act could be seen as God's provision for Jesus, helping him endure the unimaginable pain of the crucifixion.

Since Jesus came to experience all that humanity faces, including suffering,

it seems that God didn't allow Jesus to rely on his divine strength to bear the cross.

Instead, Simon's involvement in carrying the cross provided a physical relief for Jesus,

allowing him to endure and complete the suffering.

This makes me wonder if in some way this act of heavenly help mirrors the way God provides

us with ways to endure our own temptations and trials as promised in 1st Corinthians 1013.

Could it be in our lowest point when we are tempted beyond our capacity to bear?

God's provision, whether through his

direct help or through others, gives us what we need to keep going. I'd appreciate your thoughts on

this connection between Christ's cross-carrying and our own endurance in the face of suffering.

First, a word about Simon and his carrying Jesus cross. And then what I really want to focus on

is the utterly crucial observation that God sends people into our lives who are crucial for enabling

us to endure to the end. If I were preaching a sermon on Simon's carrying the cross,

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