The whole world knows that the symbol of Christianity is the cross. For every Christian, it is a reminder of Jesus’s love and His sacrifice, which set us free. However, one important question to consider is how far did Jesus carry the cross?
What can we learn from His sacrifice, and how does it affect our lives and our eternity?
The Reason for the Cross
To some unbelievers, the cross may be a joke. The sacrifice, a scam; the gospel, a bunch of stories. They may even believe that their lives are better off without the saving grace of Jesus, but they are missing the whole truth.
The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, emphasizes the importance of the cross
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:18
He goes on to write:
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
2 Corinthians 4:3–4
The truth is that no matter how “good” we may be or how many rules we follow, no one of us is good enough by nature. Beyond our “good” or “bad” actions, humanity was created imperfect. We can’t save ourselves on our own.
Thankfully, we don’t have to. Paul writes:
“The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.”
Romans 8:3
Through the cross, Christ saved our souls by paying with His own blood, an atonement that the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament could never achieve. Nobody’s “goodness” can save them on the day of judgment, ly but faith in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross can wipe our debt clean.
How Far Did Jesus Carry the Cross?
The Via Dolorosa (“sorrowful way” in Latin) was the processional route Jesus took from Pilate’s court to Calvary, or “Golgatha,” where He was crucified. It represents the agonizing path Jesus took to redeem us from sin to eternal life with God.
Not only was it spiritual agony, but it was quite a walk. According to modern calculation, the route from Pilate’s palace would have been about 2,000 feet (600 meters), over one-third of a mile. In modern terms, this would be about the length of six football fields.
Since Golgotha was on a hill, you can imagine how Jesus would have struggled to climb it bearing the heavy weight of the cross.
It was such a difficult journey, and Jesus was so weak, that God sent Him a helper, Simon of Cyrene, to help carry the cross.
How Far Did Jesus Really Go?
Within this agonizing procession of Christ’s passion from His torture to His crucifixion lies a simple yet profound question: How far did Jesus go with His Cross for your sins and mine?
Jesus went as far as was needed. He went to the point of exhaustion. When He bore that cross, He wasn’t bent under its weight but under the weight of our sins.
“When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”
John 19:30
One moment, humanity was doomed for destruction, and in the next, we were declared guiltless. Why? Because Jesus went all the way, paid the full price, and paved the way to eternal life so that through faith we might become partakers of His righteousness.
What a Savior! What a sacrifice.
What Does the Cross Mean?
The cross is symbolic of the greatest display of love ever shown. It is also a reminder of our loving Savior’s ultimate sacrifice, which redeemed us from death to life.
Now that you have this information, what will you do with it? Will you open your heart to the Savior, or will you turn your back on His sacrifice?
When we ask, “How far did Jesus carry the cross?” let us also remember how far He went for our sins, sacrificing His life to pay for our sins.
Amen