The Weight of the Cross

Have you ever wondered how much the cross of Christ weighed?  Historians predict 75 to 125 lbs.  Without making a science or engineering project out of this questions there are ways to determine an approximation.  From the Shroud of Turin Jesus would have been 5’ 11” tall.  Therefore to allow room for the nails in his hands/wrist the crossbeam would have been at least 6’ 6” to 7’ long.  To hold the weight of Christ, 185 lbs, again from the Shroud, the beam would have been 5” to 7” in diameter.  Using the density of olive wood the cross beam would have weighed between 50 to 90 lbs.  For the vertical beam the height would include 6’ for the body and room for the nails in the feet, a place to hang a scroll, (Jesus King of the Jews), about 1 to 2 feet and an amount buried in the ground about 2 to 3 feet.  Also, being that the Romans were making an example out of him they would have raised him up about 2 to 3 feet.  The total would be 11 to 14 feet.  Using the same 5” to 7” diameter, the vertical beam would be from 75 to 180 lbs making the total cross weigh between 125 and 270 lbs.  Christ would not have carried the cross in such a way that none of it touched the ground but instead held the cross beam off the ground and dragged the vertical.  By doing this the weight on Christ shoulders would have been about 95 to 200 lbs.  This is all very interesting but is still speculation and not to meaningful until some other things are considered.  Physically, Christ was scourged within an inch of His life.  He had lost a lot of blood.  He was also beaten by the guards.  Emotionally, He was carrying His instrument of execution and the people He had cured and ministered to now rejected Him.  With all this in mind it is a miracle He could carry any weight at all let alone 200 lbs.  \

But He did it out of love for us and without a word except “Forgive them Father for they do not know what they are doing.”.  

     How much do the crosses I have to carry.... really weigh and how much do I complain?

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