The tunic Jesus wore to the crucifixion overlapped the marks on the Shroud. So the total weight of Jesus cross would be about 90 pounds. But Jesus could not have carried a cross weighing 350 pounds. What Lent and Why is it Celebrated?What is the Holy Week? Under microscopic analysis, the Shroud shows dirt and lime particles on His face. Many others are traditionalists who agree that art confirms the complete crossover view. It has also been speculated that Jesus had to carry the entire cross, because the dirty, used stipes, covered in blood and feces were taken out of their holes in the ground and stored. The reason this may be the case is because in Mark 15:21 Simon is called the father of Alexander and Rufus. Since all of this happened before he began to carry his cross, he would have suffered a certain amount of blood loss and therefore have been very weakened. In fact, when Pilate was later informed that Jesus had already died before dusk, he was so surprised he had died that soon that he sent a centurion to confirm it (cf. | My first suggestion is based on Simon being described as from Cyrene. The first experts who analyzed the Shroud of Turin believed that the condemned Messiah only wore the pitabulum because only two abrasion marks were visible on the upper right of the back and on the lower left of the back. Yet, many scholars believe Christ only carried the crossbeam on which his wrists were nailed. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In fact, our word excruciating is derived from the Roman word for crucifixion crucis. And he pleaded with his Father, Dont let death destroy me like that. And an angel came and helped him. But it does not correlate with the historical evidence concerning how the Romans performed crucifixions. It must have been a frightening moment: to be pulled from the crowd by hated Roman soldiers and told to bear the cross of a condemned man. In John 19:17, John says Jesus carried the cross while in Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21 and Luke 23:26 we are informed that Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus to carry the cross. According to Dr. Pierre Barbet, first pioneering author of A doctor at Calvary: the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ described by a surgeon, the cross beam called pitabulum would have weighed about 125 pounds and the large upright pole, the stipes it would have weighed 250 pounds.

The markings on the tunic indicate a criss-cross pattern, created by the pressure of the entire cross, the pitabulum, and the striations, on his back, despite the tunic cushioning the bruises. The winding route Jesus would have walked from here led him through the city to the hill outside the city where he was crucified. Roman crucifixion in itself was not unusual but was a common practice of the Romans as a form of capital punishment and intimidation. So, the tau cross was traditionally used and not the Latin cross, unique to Jesus. Among those details, we meet Simon of Cyrene: a person whose legacy has left a significant impact. Supreme Court Upholds Coach's Public Prayers. Thats a city in North Africa, todays Libya. Therefore, he could not have walked half a mile to Golgatha without falling due to navigating barefoot through the rough and uneven terrain. He states in figurative language, For ye are stones of a temple, prepared for the building of God, hoisted up by the Cross of Christ, the Spirit being the rope and your faith the engine.. Join 5000+ readers! So, he could not have walked a half mile to Golgatha without falling due to navigating the uneven, rough terrain with bare feet. Marion's analysis of the Shroud and the Tunic of Argenteuil suggest that the upper part of the vertical beam was carried on the left shoulder, while the horizontal beam's full weight fell on the right shoulder. Praise God that with Jesus death and resurrection we are not weighed down by our sin anymore. Ive argued in an article at Desiring God that Jesus was saved from death in answer to his cry, not in the sense that he didnt die, but in the sense that he was saved from the faith-destroying powers of death. Simon could only go as fast and as far as Jesus went, and we know that Jesus was too weak to carry the cross on his own. InThe Characters of Easter, youll become acquainted with the unlikely collection of ordinary people who witnessed the miracle of Christs death and resurrection. However, I believe that Christ carried the full or partial weight of the cross. They were experts at it, crucifying many thousands of people per year in the firstcentury, most of them being slaves. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Your email address will not be published. We dont always choose the moment of our suffering. In CNNs television documentary first shown last night and entitled Finding Jesus: Faith, Fact or Forgery, they had Jesus dragging his entire cross to Golgotha, and they said it would have weighed about 300 pounds. Powered by WordPress. Interestingly, this evidence supports the fact that the bruise marks were the same size between 11 and 13 cm long. This was probably done because in and around a holy site like Jerusalem, the religious law forbid anyone touching anything unclean. He prayed that God would save him from death and he was heard. 10 ways to find cash buyers for your wholesale deals. The answer is that Jesus and the others to be crucified that day were going out from Jerusalem, as the crucifixion would happen outside of the city walls. Why would that matter, and how would Mark know this? This was probably done because in and around a holy place like Jerusalem, religious law prohibits anyone from touching anything unclean. But Does Is Donald Trump the Most Honest Human Being Epic evangelical self-assurance around abortion.

Reading through the story of the crucifixion this week, something caught my attention that I had read over many times. He spends his free time hanging out with his family, exploring new places, and writing about the experiences. ThisFREE podcast provides a fresh approach to the Lenten season and can be used as a devotional or study for both individuals and groups. It may be that those who listen to me could see more than I see and make one of the suggestions move toward, Oh, that really was intended by Luke. So Im giving you homework to do (kind of). Only Jesus could remove this burden of sin from us because He is God in the flesh (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9). And crucifixion victims badly weakened from scourging would not likely have been able to drag an entire 300-pound cross more than a few yards. They come upon us in unexpected ways, frightening ways, heavy ways, painful ways, seemingly random ways. Death was so horrible that it could have deterred him from obedience. The new computerized data clearly shows more bruises that form a perpendicular cross pattern from his bruised shoulders to where the stipes met the pitabulum between and under both shoulder blades. All of the other Gospels include Simon of Cyrene as the reluctant man who helps Jesus on the way to Golgatha. So, the tau cross was traditionally used and not the Latin cross, exclusive to Jesus. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. The new computerized data clearly shows more bruises that form a perpendicular cross pattern from his bruised shoulders to where the stipes meet the pitabulum between and below both shoulder blades. The name Simon was a common name at the time and is a name shared with several others in the New Testament, most notably the Apostle Simon Peter. He is author of. Jason Soroskiis a homeschool dad and member of the worship team at matthias lot church in St. Charles, MO. So, Jesus and the two thieves crucified with him had to carry both stipes and pitabulum. This article is part of our larger Holy Week and Easter resource library centered around the events leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Maybe it was just pure expediency: We got to get this man up there to get him crucified. Or it might have been a moment of compassion from one of the Roman soldiers. So, the total weight of Jesus' cross would be about 90 pounds. When Jesus and Simon arrived at the crucifixion site, the pitabulum and Jesus were set down on the ground. Executions were usually performed every year in the same locations, which were very accessible to the public. We dont know if he was visiting Jerusalem or lived there, but what we know is that the Gospels draw attention to the fact that this mans got a foreign origin. The Shroud reveals evidence that Christ's nose appears to be broken and his right cheek swollen - injuries consistent with one or several falls while bearing the crossbeam as long as he did. In the same way, we are called to change directions, take up our cross and follow Jesus. It is a joyful day, even if it is the most solemn day in the church calendar. Many others are traditionalists who agree that art confirms the "whole" cross view. Taking a look at these three verses, along with Johns version which doesnt mention Simon, we can see the different aspects of the story: Matthews Gospel tells us that they were going out, but going out from where? So if Jesus carried a much lighter full cross, it would have been the traditional Latin cross, a t.

Harrington A Lackey| But what we may not think about as quickly is whether this act to get Simon to help was an act of compassion or cruelty or simple expediency. Then a nail was driven through his feet. We can learn a bit about Simon just by his name. At Easter, the Son of God took on the worlds sin and defeated the devil, death, and the grave. This world needs more people willing to look foolish in the eyes of the world so that more in the world might be saved. If you are not a Christian, but have seen the movie, The Passion of the Christ, it's difficult to forget the gruesome parts - His brutal chastisement, the arduous way to the cross, and the horrifying crucifixion. Victims crucified on a traditionally shaped cross were forced to carry only the crossbeam from the place of the official judgment to their place of execution, thus not the entire, traditional cross. According to legend, in 326 AD, Elena, the mother of Emperor Constantine of Rome, made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to find the location of the cross of Christ. However, I believe Christ bore the partial or full weight of the cross. Hes an African. Helena took the relics related to the crucifixion to Rome. The arms and hands of Jesus were tied to the crossbar. Article Images Copyright . Carrying the cross behind Jesus is a beautiful and painful picture of our calling as disciples, according to Luke 9. These were the hardest hours of Jesuss life. In Luke 23:26, amid the crucifixion event, we read, And as they led [Jesus] away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. I know that God is sovereign, and therefore this was not an accident or a random detail added into the story. This type of cross is known as a T shaped tau cross. https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Harrington_A_Lackey/1594833, 2022 EzineArticlesAll Rights Reserved Worldwide. However, many scholars believe that Christ only carried the cross beam into which his wrists were nailed. The conflict between what we think we are supposed to believe and Saying 13, Jesus said to his disciples, Compare me to someone and Television's Late Night host-comedian Seth Meyers mocked ex-President Donald Trump, a 3 Steps to Reconstructing Faith from Christian Nationalism. John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. This was really good for me to think about because Ive read that a hundred times and have not paused, like so many of these questions force me to do. In more secular places around the Roman Empire, filthy stipes lay on the ground waiting for their next victim. One of the reasons for that may be that Simon, who carried the cross, may have become a well-known presence in the early church so that the mere reference to his name functions as just another historical evidence. He took the punishment we deserve and thus satisfied the requirement of the law that sin be punished (2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24). In the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, the pitabulum of the good thief is displayed. It appears that Simon, who was literally following Jesus, would eventually become a true follower and disciple of Jesus. Likewise, the actual path Jesus walked, known as the Via Dolorosa, and the hill where the crucifixion took place, known as Calvary (Latin) or Golgotha (Greek), were most likely familiar places for this kind of scene. Jesus was in such weakened condition from the scourging he could barely carry the crossbeam itself. Simons actions seemed to mirror the words Jesus had spoken to his disciples in Matthew 16:24: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Im willing to make them as suggestions rather than pronouncements of certainties that I see. All the other gospels include Simon of Cyrene as the reluctant man who helps Jesus on the way to Golgatha. The Romans reinforced their grip on power through such horrible techniques. Beelleld.com 2022 . Luke tells us that Simon was forced to carry the cross behind Jesus. : Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (called Golgotha in Aramaic) (John 19:17, NIV). How is it, then, that historys most glorious moment is surrounded by fearful fishermen, despised tax collectors, marginalized women, feeble politicians, and traitorous friends? In other words, just the opposite of compassion: Weve got to get nails through his hands and nails through his feet. What about the two diagonal bruise marks on his back? That is why The Passion movie made Jesus ill-treatment with the whip lashes so gruesome. However, for Jesus to have carried the entire cross-the stipes (vertical pole) and the pitabulum (cross beam) -would have weighed much less. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, using the latest computer technology, more evidence has surfaced that Jesus bore the entire cross by reexamining the Shroud of Turin, the tunic of Argenteuil and the good thief's cross. To make matters worse, Jesus' arms and hands were tied to the crossbeam. But Jesus could not have carried a cross that weighed 350 pounds. We also know that Simon was from a place called Cyrene, so why was he in Jerusalem? It bears the imprint of the body of Jesus. Today, using the latest computer technology, more evidence has emerged that Jesus carried the entire cross by reexamining the Shroud of Turin, Argenteuils robe, and the good thiefs cross. It would have to have been heavy for a person who had not been severely beaten, like Simon of Cyrene, to carry Jesus' crossbeam. By carrying the entire 90-pound cross, he would have had his hands free, while dragging some of his weight behind him. Diamond Author It and ", "Yes. He and his sons seem to have become believers due to this privileged incident about Simon helping Jesus carry his crossbeam (Mark 15.21). He was scourged with a whip that no doubt had pieces of sharp bone and perhaps metal attached to it (Matt 27.26; Mark 15.15). When the accused was condemned to death at the official place of judgment, the crossbeam was then laid on the victims shoulders and upper back, with their arms stretched out and around it, and they would carry it to their place of execution. Helena took the relics related to the crucifixion back to Rome. In the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem the pitabulum of the good thief is exhibited. Third, if we think that Luke was pointing to this event as a parable of discipleship, like I just suggested, could the fact that Simon was chosen so suddenly and unexpectedly for the heavy task be Lukes way of teaching us that we dont always choose the moment of our cross bearing? Your email address will not be published. The Shroud of Turin Is Not Jesus' Burial Cloths, "don't incite a terrorist attack and you won't have that concern trumpo. Second, Luke is the only one of the Gospels that says Simon carried the cross behind Jesus. The account of the crucifixion begins at the Antonia Fortress in the heart of Jerusalem, where Jesus would have been tried, flogged, and condemned to crucifixion. (From an anonymous article, Why Jesus Carried the Whole Cross and Not Only the Patibulum.) Every good Christian is familiar with the story of Jesus Christ's Passion. Required fields are marked *. And he was a human being. But I suspect that in Lukes mind there was more going on than merely a historical link between the crucifixion and a person who was known as the father of Alexander and Rufus.

All the other Gospels that mention this just say he carried it. With this evidence, it is more likely Jesus carried the whole cross, with the help of Simon de Cyrene, to the crucifixion site, validating the traditional artistic view of Jesus bearing the entire cross. This might have dislocated His shoulder. We now offer a 100% free, Internet based Bible course. Thats an unusual piece of information. Plus, in their further protrayal, as Jesus arrived at Golgotha the entire cross is laid on the ground and Jesus is attached to it as in Mel Gibsons blockbuster movie, The Passion of the Christ. All of this is indeed how Christians have traditionally conceived of the Via Dolorosa (The Way of the Cross) and Jesus crucifixion. If He had not done this, we would be separated from God forever (Romans 6:23). But because God is also love, He wants us to be reconciled with Him. Simon of Cyrene has just a passing mention in the Scriptures; his name appears in only three verses, all pertaining to carrying the cross for Jesus. On the back of the Shroud two large straight diagonal abrasions are marked from the right shoulder blade down to the left. However, for Jesus to have carried the entire cross, the stipes (vertical post) and the pitabulum (cross beam), it would have weighed much less. The Shroud reveals evidence that Christs nose appears to be broken and his right cheek swollen, injuries consistent with one or more falls while holding the crossbeam for as long as he did. Most of the media, from early medieval paintings to modern films, show a bent, fatigued Jesus carrying the wooden cross to Golgatha (the place of the skull) where he was crucified. Then, Roman soldiers drove nails through his wrists. He needed help so that his obedience would not falter. John tells us only that Jesus carried the cross out of the city but doesnt include the events that happened after Jesus had left the city. Next, the soldiers would have raised the crossbeam, with Jesus on it, with the use of ropes, perhaps pulleys, and a wooden, forked pole until they affixed the crossbeam to a niche in the stationary upright. Early experts who analyzed the Shroud of Turin believed that the condemned Messiah only carried the pitabulum because only two abrasion marks from his right upper back and the lower left back were visible. She could not determine which cross belonged to Jesus, so a terminal woman touched each cross until she placed her hand on the one that miraculously made her illness disappear. The astronomical foundations of astrology. What Does the Bible Say about Women Pastors? Its weight is 25 kg or 55 pounds. Historians and anthropologists also inform us that during the time of Jesus, Jewish men averaged about five feet, seven inches in height. She couldn't determine which cross belonging to Jesus, so a terminally ill woman touched each cross until she laid her hand on the one which miraculously made her sickness vanish. What Are the Keys to the Kingdom that Jesus Gave Peter? On the other hand, many of today's Shroud scholars believe that Christ carried the entire cross. (From an anonymous article, Why did Jesus carry the entire cross and not just the gallows). Although Jesus is usually pictured carrying the whole cross, this may not have been the case. When Jesus and Simon arrived at the crucifixion site, the pitabulum and Jesus were placed on the ground. It would have to have been heavy for a person who had not been severely beaten, like Simon of Cyrene, to carry the crossbeam of Jesus. Now, Jesus had been very badly beaten.

Through careful analysis of the biological and forensic evidence, we can learn about how Jesus suffered. The measurements of the good thief's crossbeam indicate that it weighed much less than previously thought, as probably did the stipes. Then they drove a nail into his feet. Isnt that amazing? ", "Glenn, Constantine had nothing whatsoever to do with the compilation of Codex Sinaiticus. So, Jesus and the two thieves crucified with him had to carry both stipes and pitabulum. The call to suffer for Jesus is often sudden and costly and seemingly random. The good thiefs crossbeam measurements indicate that he weighed much less than previously thought, as do the stipes probably. Crucifixion was considered too horrible a punishment for Roman citizens, as it was a miserable, humiliating, painful form of death. His weight is 20 kg or 45 pounds. While this is the only time he is mentioned in the Bible, it is important enough that he is mentioned by three of the four Gospel writers. Were on a mission to change that. In more secular places around the Roman Empire, the filthy stipes stood in the ground waiting for its next victim. Incredibly, the Bible never says that Jesus carried His own cross, except in the Book of John.

Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. According to Andr Marion & Gerard Lucotte, French authors of the 2006 groundbreaking book, The Shroud of Turin and the Argenteuil Tunic, Jesus bore the whole cross. Could it be, then, that Simons stepping in to help Jesus make it to the cross, to help Jesus just at that moment, was like the angel showing up at the perfect moment as the humanly weak Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and now on the road to the cross needed help to finish his mission? In a deeper way, this symbolizes the understood position of any disciple: walking behind their Lord. Heres what I mean. In other words, death loomed in front of him. Weakened by the torture, scourging, humiliation and beatings, carrying even a crossbar would have been too much for Jesus. In my opinion, the Shroud of Turin is the famous large cloth that is the true canvas on which the temporarily dead body of Christ lay for three days. It is believed to have been made of solid wood , so the whole cross is estimated to be over 300 pounds (136 kilograms) while the crossbar is estimated to be around 70 -90 pounds (32-41 kilograms) . Will there be unintended consequences of the Supreme Courts decision in eBay v. Market Exchange? He was heard because of his reverence, his godly fear. And thats really valuable. Contemporary historians often say that during that first century, the Romans crucified as many as tens of thousands of people per year. This could be a lesson that every moment of our lives coming in from the country, we should be ready to be snatched into the service of Jesus in a painful way. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ! Does Luke want us to remember Luke 9:23, where he said, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me? To make matters worse, Jesus arms and hands were tied to the cross beam. So, Jesus would have carried only the crossbeam. We cant let this man just die here of exhaustion under his cross., Fifth (my final suggestion), only Luke tells us that in the garden of Gethsemane Jesus is in agony and was helped by an angel as he prayed.

All rights reserved. Its weight is 20 kg or 45 pounds. Jesus was so weakened by the lashes that He could barely carry the cross beam. Incredibly, the Bible never states that Jesus carried His own cross, except in the Book of John: Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha) (John 19:17, NIV). Simon means hearer or he has heard, and must have had an especially strong meaning for these men in particular, who had literally heard the good news of Jesus, and been so intimately a part of that good news. The Codex Sinaiticus differs from the "modern" bible in 15,887 instances, some trivial, some ", TRENDING AT PATHEOS Progressive Christian. Its weight is 25 kg or 55 pounds. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Most forms of media from early medieval paintings to modern movies show a fatigued, hunched over Jesus carrying the wooden cross to Golgatha (the place of the skull) where He was crucified. Mark tells us that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. What does God want us to see here?. Jesus would have had a severe walking disorder, restricted to a 45-pound gallows mounted only on his shoulders with his hands and arms tied to him. There are little things like that that cause people to say, Okay, this is an allusion to a man that everybody in the church knew. He had become something of a known person, and so you dont have to say anything about him. Jesus arms and hands were tied to the crossbeam.

I dont see really clear, decisive clues here or in any of the Gospels for why the Gospel writers include this fact. In my opinion, the Shroud of Turin is the famous, large cloth is the true linen in which the temporarily dead body of Christ lay for three days. If you are not a Christian, but have seen the movie, Passion of ChristIts hard to forget the gruesome parts: his brutal punishment, the arduous path to the cross, and the gruesome crucifixion. Our God is holy and righteous, but we are not because we have broken His perfect laws. The only way out was for Jesus, who is perfect in every way, to become a perfect sacrifice and take upon Himself the sin of mankind. Interestingly enough, this evidence supports the fact that the bruise marks were the same size-between 11 to 13 cm long. We dont know. The fact that he is of Cyrene tells us that he did not live in Jerusalem where this event takes place but had traveled there from his home. There are no exact figures on the weight of the cross. But it means something more here. Upon his arrival at Golgotha, the soldiers would have laid his crossbeam on the ground and fastened Jesus to it. In crucifying victims, the Romans used various types of crosses: (1) a traditionally shaped cross, (2) a T-shaped cross, (3) a single pole with arms crucified overhead, (4) a X-shaped cross, and (5) a scaffold that accommodated multiple crucifixions. In conclusion, this common method of crucifixionwith the upright of a traditional cross remaining in place and the victim carrying the crossbeam therewould have made it more plausible that the Romans crucified perhaps up to tens of thousand of victims per year. A listener to the podcast writes us about it. Simons help proved to be both a relief temporarily, but also added suffering because it sustained Jesus to get to the cross and have the horrible experience of crucifixion for us. By bearing the entire 90-pound cross, He would have had his hands free, while dragging some of its weight behind him. As we read the account of Simon of Cyrene today, we see a man who was quite literally thrust into the very heart of the gospel story. That is why they had to force Simon to help Jesus bear the burden. The upright portion of the crosses always remained in their holes in the ground at these locations.