“As the soldiers led [Jesus] away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus” (Luke 23:26).

Simon was grabbed from the crowd and commanded to carry the cross when it became too heavy for Jesus. He is one of the few named individuals whose fingerprints are on the cross. But he’s not the only one with fingerprints on it.  

Our fingerprints are on that cross too. Not because we were there but because its slivers never would have pierced Jesus’ skin had you and I not sinned against God. Jesus chose to be there for us. He put his fingerprints on that block of wood because he looks at your heart and can clearly see that it’s burdened. And there’s no hope that you can ever lift it off.

He gave the world one place to which we all can look to see that his blood was abundant enough, thick enough, and precious enough to completely cover every sin and fingerprint that belongs to you and me. 

When Jesus cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30), it wasn’t a cry of relief that his suffering was finally coming to an end. It was a declaration that your heart no longer needs to feel burdened ever again.