The Distance
How far did Jesus carry the cross? The Via Dolorosa, or Way of Sorrow, is the path Jesus traveled from his condemnation before Pilate to his crucifixion on Golgotha. It is about half a mile long or just under 1 kilometer from the northern wall of the city. It is roughly a few hundred meters long. It will take 600 meters from the city walls on the way to Golgotha. He was wearing a crown of thorns and was insulted by a hostile crowd as he walked down Via Dolorosa. For an average walk. It will take around ten minutes to walk 600 meters. According to the Bible Scholar, Jesus took it around one hour to three hours to walk, stopping several times along the path.
When we think of the Crucifixion, we usually imagine Jesus nailed to the Cross, lifted up, and left to die. However, Jesus didn’t just carry a Cross—He carried the whole Cross! Jesus was so passionate about saving you that He went far beyond our earthly imagination. The self-crucifying love of Christ is something so unimaginable, most people cannot even fathom it. We tend to view the cross as an instrument of death and torture, but for Jesus it was a love letter to us. In this life, there are many things we don’t understand. We look at the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and ask questions like: How far did Jesus carry the cross? And what does it mean? Keep reading to discover more.
The Incredibly Far Distance Jesus Carried the Cross
Every aspect of the Crucifixion was beyond extreme. From the excruciating pain of the nails breaking through His hands, to the blood pouring out of His feet and onto the dirt. Jesus carried so much more than just the Cross. Let’s look at how far Jesus carried the Cross. There were two people that were crucified with Jesus on both sides of Him. One man was named Dismas, and the other was named Gestas. Their Crucifixion was far shorter than Jesus’ because they were tied to the Cross by their hands, not their feet. Jesus’ feet were tied to the bottom of the Cross, meaning He was hanging from the Cross upside down with His feet tied to the bottom of it.
What It Means For Jesus to Carry the Cross
Jesus’ Crucifixion wasn’t just the physical act of being nailed to a Cross; It was also the spiritual act of carrying every single sin that you and I have ever committed. Jesus’ self-sacrificial death was an infinite act of love, because He knew the spiritual pain we would face in hell for all eternity. Every person who has ever or will ever live has a debt to pay for the sins of their past, present, and future. Jesus’ death was the only way to pay the debt we owe to God for our sins. However, God loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son to carry the entire weight of our sins to the Cross. Jesus took all of our sins, placed them on His back, and accomplished the sacrifice needed to cleanse us of our sins. His Crucifixion was so far beyond extreme that it is almost unfathomable.
A Visual Representation of How Far Jesus Carried the Cross
Because Jesus carried the entire weight of the Cross, He deserves our praise, reverence, and utmost respect. The physical Crucifixion was far beyond extreme, but the spiritual Crucifixion was so intense that no human being could ever fully understand it. Let’s take a look at a visual representation of how far Jesus carried the Cross. The Cross represents the spiritual weight of our sins. Jesus took all of our sins and placed them on the Cross. The Nails represent the spiritual pain and suffering Jesus endured when He carried our sins. The Blood represents the spiritual death Jesus died when He carried our sins. The Dirt represents the spiritual ground where Jesus died and was buried when He carried our sins. Thus, Jesus carried the entire Cross and went far beyond our human understanding.
The Reason Why Jesus Carried the Entire Cross
The question we need to ask ourselves is: Why did Jesus do all this? Why did He carry the entire weight of the Cross? Why did He go so far beyond our imaginations? The answer is: Because He loves us. Jesus loves us so much that He went above and beyond what we could ever imagine. He did this because He loves us and desires a relationship with each and every one of us. We are so lucky and blessed that God’s son Jesus did such a self-sacrificial act. He did this because He loves us, and He desires that we have a relationship with Him. If Jesus didn’t carry the entire Cross, we wouldn’t be able to have a relationship with Him. This is why He went far beyond what we could ever imagine. He did this because He loves us and desires a relationship with each and every one of us.
Conclusion
The Crucifixion was a painful and gruesome form of execution. It was reserved for only the worst of the worst. What’s even more terrifying is that we have no idea how far Jesus carried the Cross. He may have carried it all the way from Jerusalem to Golgotha, or he may have carried it just a few steps. The Crucifixion was such an extreme event that we can’t even grasp it fully. We can’t fully understand the full weight of the Cross that Jesus carried; we may never be able to. However, we can know that Jesus carried the entire Cross because He loves us, and we can appreciate and respect the extreme love that Jesus has for us.
