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| John 3:16: For God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life. |
Compiled by David Terasaka, M.D.
©1996. All Rights Reserved, David Terasaka, M.D.
However, permission is hereby granted to
copy and distribute
free of charge for non-commercial purposes only.
Heb 12:2 - "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set
before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God."
In the last few hours of Jesus' life what did He endure,
and what shame did He suffer?
EXCRUCIATE: to cause great agony, torment
Latin : ex : out of, from cruciate : cross
"from the cross"
The tone of this presentation can best be summarized in
the word "excruciate", (the root of the word
"excruciating") which refers to something which causes
great agony or torment. The Latin roots of the word are :"ex",
meaning from or out of, and "cruciate", meaning
cross. The word "excruciate" comes from the Latin for
"from, or out of, the cross". (Webster's)
Jesus spent the last hours before the crucifixion at
several places in Jerusalem. He started the evening in the
Upper Room, in southwest Jerusalem. At the Last Supper, He
told the disciples that His body and His blood were to be
given for them. (Matt 26: 26-29) He went outside of the city
to the Garden of Gethsemane. He was then arrested and
brought back to the to the palace of the High Priest. where
He was questioned by Annas, a former High Priest, and
Caiaphas, Annas' son in law. Afterwards, He was tried by the
Sanhedrin, and found to be guilty of blasphemy by
proclaiming Himself the Son of God. He was sentenced to the
death penalty. Since only the Romans were able to execute
criminals, He was sent to Pontius Pilate at the Antonia
Fortress. Pilate, not finding anything wrong, sent Him to
King Herod , who returned Him back to Pilate. Pilate,
submitting to the pressure of the crowd, then ordered that
Jesus be flogged and crucified. He was finally led out of
the city walls to be crucified at Calvary.
It is reasonable to assume that Jesus was in good health
prior to the ordeal that He faced in the hours before His
death. Having been a carpenter and traveling throughout the
land during His ministry would have required that He would
be in good physical condition. Before the crucifixion,
however, He was forced to walk 2.5 miles over a sleepless
night, during which He suffered great anguish through His
six trials, was mocked, ridiculed and severely beaten, and
was abandoned by His friends and Father. (Edwards)
The ordeal began in an upper room of a house at what we
now call the Last Supper, where Jesus, in giving the first
communion, predicted that His body and blood would be given.
Matt 26:17-29) Today in Jerusalem, one can visit the Cenacle
or Cenaculum (Latin for dining hall), a room which is built
over what is believed to be the site of the Upper Room, (Kollek)
which was located on the southwestern aspect of the old
city.
Luke 22:44 And being in anguish, he prayed more
earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood
falling to the ground.
"the Spirit of God ....crushed"
From the upper room, Jesus went outside of the city walls
where he spent time in prayer at the Garden of Gethesemane.
The garden has many ancient olive trees today, some of which
may have grown from the roots of the trees that were present
in Jesus' time. (All trees in and around Jerusalem were cut
down when the Romans conquered the city in 70 A.D. Olive
trees can regenerate from their roots and live for thousands
of years.) The name "Gethesemane", comes from the
Hebrew Gat Shmanim, meaning "oil press" (Kollek).
Since "oil" is used in the Bible to symbolize the
Holy Spirit, it may be said that the garden is where "the
Spirit of God was crushed". (Missler). It was here that
Jesus agonized in prayer over what was to occur. It is
significant that this is the only place in the KJV where the
word "agony" is mentioned. (Strong's concordance) The
Greek word for agony means to be "engaged in combat"
(Pink) Jesus agonizes over what He is to go through, feeling
that He is at the point of death.(Mark14:34) Yet He prays,
"Not my will, but thine be done."
Of medical significance is that Luke mentions Him as
having sweat like blood. The medical term for this, "hemohidrosis"
or "hematidrosis" has been seen in patients who have
experienced, extreme stress or shock to their systems.
(Edwards) The capillaries around the sweat pores become
fragile and leak blood into the sweat. A case history is
recorded in which a young girl who had a fear of air raids
in WW1 developed the condition after a gas explosion
occurred in the house next door. Scott)) Another report
mentions a nun who, as she was threatened with death by the
swords of the enemy soldiers," was so terrified that she
bled from every part of her body and died of hemorrhage in
the sight of her assailants. "(Grafenberg) As a memorial
to Jesus' ordeal, a church which now stands in Gethesemane
is known as the Church of the Agony. (also called the Church
of the Nations because many nations donated money to its
construction. (Kulak)
Matthew 26:56: "Then all the disciples deserted
him and fled."
Psa 22:11: "Do not be far from me, for trouble
is near and there is no one to help."
While in Gethesemane, Jesus is betrayed by Judas and
arrested by the Jews. His disciples all desert Him, even at
the expense of running away naked (Mark 14:51-52). He is
bound (John 18:12) then brought back to the city to the
court of the High Priest, which is located near the Upper
room.
Following are some of the illegal aspects of the trial of
Jesus:
- Trials could occur only in the regular meeting
places of the Sanhedrin (not in the palace of the High
Priest)
- Trials could not occur on the eve of the Sabbath or
Feast Days or at night
- A sentence of 'guilty' might only be pronounced on
the day following the trial
Deut 19:15: "One witness is not enough to
convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have
committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of
two or three witnesses."
Deut 17:6: "On the testimony of two or three
witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be
put to death on the testimony of only one witness."
Mark 14:56: "Many testified falsely against
him, but their statements did not agree."
While in the court of the High Priest, He was questioned
by Annas (John 18:13) and struck by a soldier (John 18: 22).
He was then brought to Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin. who
sought to put Jesus to death by the false testimony of many
witnesses. The witnesses brought against Him did not agree.
By the law, no one could be put to death without the
agreement of two or three witnesses. Although the witnesses
did not agree, He was found guilty of blasphemy when He told
them of His identity as the Son of God. He was sentenced to
death. Jesus suffered ridicule from the palace guards, who
spat on Him, beat Him and slapped Him on the face. Mark
14:65.) During the trial, Peter denies Him three times. The
proceedings of Jesus' trial violated many of the laws of His
society. Among some of the other broken laws were: Bucklin)
- Any arrest could not be made at night.
- The time and date of the trial were illegal because
it took place at night and on the eve of the Sabbath.
This time precluded any chance for the required
adjournment to the next day in the event of a
conviction.
- The Sanhedrin was without authority to instigate
charges. It was only supposed to investigate charges
brought before it. In Jesus' trial, the court itself
formulated the charges.
- The charges against Jesus were changed during the
trial. He was initially charged with blasphemy based
upon His statement that He would be able to destroy and
rebuild the Temple of God within three days, as well as
His claim to be the Son of God. When He was brought
before Pilate, the charge was that Jesus was a King and
did not advocate paying taxes to the Romans.
- As stated above, the requirement of two witnesses in
agreement to merit the death penalty was not met.
- The court did not meet in the regular meeting place
of the Sanhedrin, as required by Jewish law.
- Christ was not permitted a defense. Under Jewish
law, an exhaustive search into the facts presented by
the witnesses should have occurred.
- The Sanhedrin pronounced the death sentence. Under
law, the Sanhedrin were not allowed to convict and put
the death sentence into effect. (John 18:31)
Today, one can visit the palace of the High Priest. where
one can stand in the midst of the ruins of the courtyard. A
model of the structure in Jesus' time is available for
viewing.
Mark 15:15 - "Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate
released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed
him over to be crucified."
The Sanhedrin met early the next morning and sentenced
Him to death. (Matthew 27:1) Because the Jews were not, and
the Romans were, able to carry out an execution, Jesus was
brought before Pilate. The charge was now changed to an
allegation that Jesus claimed to be King and forbade the
nation to pay taxes to Caesar. (Luke 23:5) In spite of all
the charges, Pilate finds nothing wrong. He sends Jesus to
Herod. Jesus is speechless before Herod, except to affirm
that He is King of the Jews. Herod sends Him back to Pilate.
Pilate is unable to convince the crowds of Jesus' innocence
and orders Jesus to be put to death. Some sources state that
it was Roman law that a criminal that was to be crucified
had to be flogged first. McDowell) Others believe that Jesus
was flogged first by Pilate in the hope of getting Him off
with a lighter punishment .(Davis) In spite of his efforts,
the Jews allow Barabbas to be released and demand that Jesus
be crucified, even crying that ,"His blood be on us and
on our children!" (Matthew 27:25) Pilate hands Jesus
over to be flogged and crucified.
It is at this point that Jesus suffers a severe physical
beating. (Edwards) During a flogging, a victim was tied to a
post, leaving his back entirely exposed. The Romans used a
whip, called a flagrum or flagellum which consisted of small
pieces of bone and metal attached to a number of leather
strands. The number of strikes is not recorded in the
gospels. The number of blows in Jewish law was set in
Deuteronomy 25:3 at forty, but later reduced to 39 to
prevent excessive blows by a counting error. (Holmans). The
victim often died from the beating. (39 hits were believed
to bring the criminal to "one from death".) Roman law
did not put any limits on the number of blows given.
(McDowell) During the flogging, the skin was stripped from
the back, exposing a bloody mass of muscle and bone ("hamburger
" : Metherall). Extreme blood loss occurred from this
beating, weakening the victim. perhaps to the point of being
unconscious.
Matthew 27:28-30 (The soldiers) stripped him and put a
scarlet robe on him and then twisted together a crown of
thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right
hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail,
king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took
the staff and struck him on the head again and again. Jesus
was then beaten by the Roman soldiers. In mockery, they
dressed Him in what was probably the cloak of a Roman
officer, which was colored dark purple or scarlet
.(Amplified Bible) He also wore the crown of thorns. Unlike
the traditional crown which is depicted by an open ring, the
actual crown of thorns may have covered the entire scalp.
(Lumpkin) The thorns may have been 1 to 2 inches long. The
gospels state that the Roman soldiers continued to beat
Jesus on the head. The blows would drive the thorns into the
scalp (one of the most vascular areas of the body) and
forehead, causing severe bleeding.
Genesis 3:17-18: "Cursed is the ground because
of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days
of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field." Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like
wool." The significance of the scarlet robe and crown of
thorns is to emphasize Jesus' taking the sins of the world
upon His body. The Bible describes sin by the color of
scarlet (Is 1:18) and that thorns first appeared after the
fall, as a sign of the curse. Thus, the articles that He
wore are symbols to show that Jesus took on the sins (and
the curse) of the world upon Himself. It is not clear that
He wore the crown of thorns on the cross. Matthew describes
that the Romans removed His clothes after the beating, and
that they put His own clothes back on Him. (Matt 27:31)
Isaiah 50:6: "I offered my back to those who beat
me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not
hide my face from mocking and spitting."
Isaiah 52:14: "..... Just as there were many
who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured
beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human
likeness--"
The severity of the beating is not detailed in the
gospels. However, in the book of Isaiah, it suggests that
the Romans pulled out His beard. Isaiah 50:8) . It is also
mentions that Jesus was beaten so severely that His form did
not look like that of "a son of a man" i.e. that of a
human being. The literal translation of the verse reads, "So
marred from the form of man was His aspect, that His
appearance was not as that of a son of a man." People
were appalled to look at Him (Isaiah 52:13). His
disfigurement may explain why He was not easily recognized
in His post resurrection appearances. (Missler) Today, one
can visit a site known as the Lithostrotos, traditionally
believed to be the floor of the Antonio Fortress. although
recent excavations may cast doubt on this theory (Gonen))
The floor is marked for games once played by the Roman
soldiers
From the beating, Jesus walked on a path, now known as
the Via Dolorosa or the "way of suffering", to be
crucified at Golgotha. The total distance has been estimated
at 650 yards. (Edwards). A narrow street of stone, it was
probably surrounded by markets in Jesus' time. He was led
through the crowded streets carrying the crossbar of the
cross called a patibulum) across His shoulders. The crossbar
probably weighed between 80 to 110 pounds. He was surrounded
by a guard of Roman soldiers, one of which carried a titulus,
a sign which announced His crime of being "the King of
the Jews" in Hebrew, Latin and Greek. On the way, He was
unable to carry the cross. Some theorize that he may have
fallen while going down the steps of the Antonio Fortress. A
fall with the heavy patibulum on His back may have led to a
contusion of the heart, predisposing His heart to rupture on
the cross. (Ball) Simon of Cyrene (currently North Africa
(Tripoli)), who apparently was affected by these events, was
summoned to help.
The present Via Dolorosa was marked in the 16th century
as the route over which Christ was led to His
crucifixion.(Magi) As is the location of Calvary, the true
location of the Via Dolorosa is disputed. Much tradition as
to what happened to Jesus is encountered on the Via Dolorosa
today. There are 14 stations of 'events' that occurred and 9
churches on the way today. The stations of the cross were
established in the 1800's. (Magi) Today, there is one
section of the path where one can walk on the stones which
were used during Jesus time.
Psalm 22:16-17: Dogs have surrounded me; a band of
evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my
feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over
me."
The crucifixion event is prophesied in several places
throughout the Old Testament. One of the most striking is
recorded in Isaiah 52:13 ,where it says that , "My
servant will act wisely (or prosper) .He will be raised and
lifted up and greatly exalted." In John 3, Jesus talks
about His fulfillment of that prophecy when He says,
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son
of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in Him
may have eternal life." He refers to the events recorded
in Numbers 21:6-9. The Lord had sent a plague of fiery
serpents on the people of Israel and they bit the people so
that many of the people died. After the people confessed
their sin to Moses, the Lord for gave them by having a
bronze serpent made. Bronze is a symbol for judgment and the
serpent is a symbol of the curse. Whoever was bitten by a
serpent and then looked at the bronze serpent, was saved
from death.. These verses are prophecies that point to the
crucifixion, in the Jesus would be (lifted up ) on the cross
for the judgment of sin, so that whoever believed in Him
should not die (an eternal death), but live an eternal life.
II Cor 5 :21 amplifies this point, in that "He (the
Father) made Him who knew no sin (the Son) to be sin on our
behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in
Him."(Pink) It is interesting that the sign of
Aesculapius which is the symbol of the medical profession
today, had its roots from the making of the bronze
serpent.(Metherall) Indeed, Jesus is the healer of all!
Jesus is led to the place of the skull (Latin Calvary,
Aramaic :Golgotha) to be crucified. The actual location of
Calvary is also in dispute. At the end of the Via Dolorosa,
there is a "T intersection". If one turns left, we go
to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. If one turns to the
right, one goes to Gordon's Calvary. The Church of the Holy
sepulcher has long been believed to be the traditional site
of the crucifixion.
Gordon's Calvary has a possible prophetic reason for
being the actual site of the crucifixion .In Genesis 22,
Abraham is tested by God to sacrifice Isaac on the top of a
mountain. Realizing that he is acting out a prophecy, that
"God Himself will provide a Lamb" , Abraham calls the
place of the event "Jehovah Jireh", meaning "In
the mount of the Lord it shall be seen." If we take this
as a prophetic event of Jesus' death, then Jesus' died on
the high ground of Jerusalem. Gordon's Calvary is the
highest point of Jerusalem, 777 meters above sea
level.(Missler: Map from Israel tour book) Today, at
Gordon's Calvary, caves in the rock are situated which give
the site the appearance of a skull.
Jesus was then crucified. Crucifixion was a practice that
originated with the Persians and was later passed on to the
Carthaginians and the Phoenicians. The Romans perfected it
as a method of execution which caused maximal pain and
suffering over a period of time. Those crucified included
slaves, provincials and the lowest types of criminals. Roman
citizens, except perhaps for soldiers who deserted, were not
subjected to this treatment. (McDowell)
The crucifixion site "was purposely chosen to be
outside the city walls because the Law forbade such within
the city walls...for sanitary reasons ... the crucified body
was sometimes left to rot on the cross and serve as a
disgrace, a convincing warning and deterrent to passers by."
(Johnson) Sometimes, the subject was eaten while alive and
still on the cross by wild beasts. (Lipsius)
The procedure of crucifixion may be summarized as
follows. The patibulum was put on the ground and the victim
laid upon it. Nails, about 7 inches long and with a diameter
of 1 cm ( roughly 3/8 of an inch) were driven in the wrists
. The points would go into the vicinity of the median nerve,
causing shocks of pain to radiate through the arms. It was
possible to place the nails between the bones so that no
fractures (or broken bones) occurred. Studies have shown
that nails were probably driven through the small bones of
the wrist, since nails in the palms of the hand would not
support the weight of a body. In ancient terminology, the
wrist was considered to be part of the hand. (Davis)
Standing at the crucifixion sites would be upright posts,
called stipes, standing about 7 feet high.(Edwards) In the
center of the stipes was a crude seat, called a sedile or
sedulum, which served a support for the victim. The
patibulum was then lifted on to the stipes. The feet were
then nailed to the stipes. To allow for this, the knees had
to be bent and rotated laterally, being left in a very
uncomfortable position. The titulus was hung above the
victim's head.
There were several different types of crosses used during
crucifixion. In Jesus' time, it was most likely that the
cross used was a T shaped (or tau cross,), not the popular
Latin, or t shaped cross which is accepted today.(Lumpkin)
Psalm 22:14-15: "I am poured out like water, and
all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a
potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you
lay me in the dust of death."
Having suffered from the beatings and flogging, Jesus
suffered from severe hypovolemia from the loss of blood. The
verses above describe His dehydrated state and loss of His
strength.
When the cross was erected upright, there was tremendous
strain put on the wrists, arms and shoulders, resulting in a
dislocation of the shoulder and elbow joints.(Metherall) The
arms, being held up and outward, held the rib cage in a
fixed end inspiratory position which made it extremely
difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath.
The victim would only be able to take very shallow
breaths.(This may explain why Jesus made very short
statements while on the cross). As time passed, the muscles,
from the loss of blood, last of oxygen and the fixed
position of the body, would undergo severe cramps and
spasmodic contractions
Matthew 27:46: "About the ninth hour Jesus
cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?'--which
means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
With the sin of the world upon Him, Jesus suffered
spiritual death (separation from the Father ). Isaiah 59:2
says that sins cause a separation from God, and that He
hides His face from you so that He does not hear. The Father
must turn away from His Beloved Son on the cross. For the
first time, Jesus does not address God as His
Father.(Courson)
- Shallowness of breathing causes small areas of lung
collapse.
- Decreased oxygen and increased carbon dioxide causes
acidic conditions in the tissues.
- Fluid builds up in the lungs. Makes situation in
step 2 worse.
- Heart is stressed and eventually fails.
The slow process of suffering and resulting death during
a crucifixion may be summarized as follows:
"...it appears likely that the mechanism of death in
crucifixion was suffocation. The chain of events which
ultimately led to suffocation are as follows: With the
weight of the body being supported by the sedulum, the arms
were pulled upward. This caused the intercostal and pectoral
muscles to be stretched. Furthermore, movement of these
muscles was opposed by the weight of the body. With the
muscles of respiration thus stretched, the respiratory
bellows became relatively fixed. As dyspnea developed and
pain in the wrists and arms increased, the victim was forced
to raise the body off the sedulum, thereby transferring the
weight of the body to the feet. Respirations became easier,
but with the weight of the body being exerted on the feet,
pain in the feet and legs mounted. When the pain became
unbearable, the victim again slumped down on the sedulum
with the weight of the body pulling on the wrists and again
stretching the intercostal muscles. Thus, the victim
alternated between lifting his body off the sedulum in order
to breathe and slumping down on the sedulum to relieve pain
in the feet. Eventually , he became exhausted or lapsed into
unconsciousness so that he could no longer lift his body off
the sedulum. In this position, with the respiratory muscles
essentially paralyzed, the victim suffocated and died. (DePasquale
and Burch)
Due to the shallow breathing, the victim's lungs begin to
collapse in small areas. causing hypoxia and hypercarbia. A
respiratory acidosis, with lack of compensation by the
kidneys due to the loss of blood from the numerous beatings,
resulted in an increased strain on the heart, which beats
faster to compensate. Fluid builds up in the lungs. . Under
the stress of hypoxia and acidosis the heart eventually
fails. There are several different theories on the actual
cause of death. One theory states that there was a filling
of the pericardium with fluid, which put a fatal strain on
the ability of the heart to pump blood (Lumpkin). Another
theory states that Jesus died of cardiac rupture." (Bergsma)
The actual cause of Jesus' death, however, "may have been
multifactorial and related primarily to hypovolemic shock,
exhaustion asphyxia and perhaps acute heart failure."(Edwards)
A fatal cardiac arrhythmia may have caused the final
terminal event. (Johnson, Edwards)
John 19:29-30 "A jar of wine vinegar was there,
so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of
the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips." When he
had received the drink, Jesus said, `It is finished'.
"With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
Having suffered severe blood losses from His numerous
beatings and thus in a dehydrated state, Jesus, in one of
His final statements, said "I thirst." He was offered
2 drinks on the cross. The first, which He refused, was a
drugged wine (mixed with myrrh). He chose to face death
without a clouded mind. Edersheim writes:
"It was a merciful Jewish practice to give to those
led to execution a draught of strong wine mixed with myrrh
so as to deaden consciousness" (Mass Sem 2.9; Bemid. R.
10). This charitable office was performed at the cost of, if
not by, an association of women in Jerusalem (Sanh. 43a).
The draught was offered to Jesus when He reached Golgotha.
But having tasted it....He would not drink it. ....He would
meet Death, even in his sternest and fiercest mood, and
conquer by submitting to the full....(p.880).
The second drink, which He accepts moments before His
death, is described as a wine vinegar. Two points are
important to note. The drink was given on the "stalk of a
hyssop plant". Remember that these events occurred at
the Feast of the Passover. During this feast, (Exod 12:22)
hyssop was used to apply the blood of the Passover lamb to
the wooden doorposts of the Jews. It is interesting the end
of this hyssop stalk pointed to the blood of the Perfect
Lamb which was applied to the wooden cross for the salvation
of all mankind. (Barclay) In addition, the wine vinegar is a
product of fermentation, which is made from grape juice and
yeast. The word literally means "that which is soured"
and is related to the Hebrew term for "that which is
leavened". (Holmans) Yeast or leaven, is a Biblical
symbol of sin. When Jesus took this drink, (i.e. a drink
which was "leavened") it is thus symbolic of His
taking the sins of the world into His body.
Psalm 22:12-13: "Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions
tearing their prey open their mouths wide against me."
While He was on the cross, darkness covered the land
(noon to three p.m.). Jesus, in Luke 22:53, associates those
who arrested Him with the power of darkness. Where were the
evil forces while Jesus was on the cross? The verses above
from Psalm 22 seem out of place when first read. There seems
to be no mention of "bulls" and "lions" around
the cross. The verses, however, have a deeper
meaning.(Courson) Bashan was an area to the east of the
Jordan River which was famous for its fertility. Cattle were
raised there which grew to enormous sizes. The people there
worshipped demon spirits (associated with Baal) within the
cattle. In 1 Pet 5:8, Satan is described as "a roaring
lion...seeking those who he may devour" These verses are
thus suggestive of the spiritual activity of Satan and his
demons, celebrating as Jesus was suffering on the cross.
John 10:17-18 "The reason my Father loves me is that
I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one
takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up
again. This command I received from my Father."
Luke 23:46 "Jesus called out with a loud voice,
'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit'." When he
had said this, he breathed his last.
The average time of suffering before death by crucifixion
is stated to be about 2-4 days(Tenney), although there are
reported cases where the victims lived for 9 days.(Lipsius)
The actual causes of death by crucifixion were
multifactorial, one of the most significant would have been
the severity of the scourging. (Edwards) Jesus died a quick
physical death (Pilate was surprised that He had died so
soon.(Mark 15:44)). While many of the physical signs
preceding death were present, one possibility is that Jesus
did not die by physical factors which ended His ability to
live, but that He gave up His life of His own accord.
His last statement, "Into your hands I commit my Spirit"
seems to show that Jesus' death occurred by giving Himself
up. In John 10, He states that only He has the power to lay
down His life. He proved His power over death by His
resurrection. Truly, God is the one who has power over life
and death
HASTENED by the breaking of the legs, so that the
victim could not push up to take a good breath.
John 19:32-33: The soldiers therefore came and
broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with
Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to
Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break
his legs.
CONFIRMED by a spear thrust into the right side of
the heart.
John 19:34: Instead, one of the soldiers
pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of
blood and water. Death in crucifixion was hastened by
the breaking of the legs of the victim. This procedure,
called crurifracture, prevented the ability of the victim to
take in a good breath. Death would quickly occur from
suffocation. In Jesus' case, He died quickly and did not
have His legs broken. Jesus fulfills one of the prophetic
requirements of the Passover Lamb, that not a bone shall be
broken.(Exodus 12:46, John 19:36)
To confirm that a victim was dead, the Romans inflicted a
spear wound through the right side of the heart. When
pierced, a sudden flow of blood and water came Jesus' body .
The medical significance of the blood and water has been a
matter of debate. One theory states that Jesus died of a
massive myocardial infarction, in which the heart ruptured
(Bergsma) which may have resulted from His falling while
carrying the cross. (Ball) Another theory states that Jesus'
heart was surrounded by fluid in the pericardium, which
constricted the heart and caused death.(Davis) The physical
stresses of crucifixion may have produced a fatal cardiac
arrhythmia. (Johnson)
The stated order of "blood and water" may not
necessarily indicate the order of appearance, but rather the
relative prominence of each fluid. In this case, a spear
through the right side of the heart would allow the pleural
fluid (fluid built up in the lungs) to escape first,
followed by a flow of blood from the wall of the right
ventricle.(Edwards) The important fact is that the medical
evidence supports that Jesus did die a physical death.
The story, of course, does not end here. The greatest
event that separates Jesus from all others is the fact that
He rose again and lives today. He intercedes for those who
follow Him at the right hand of the Father.(Heb 7:25)
Revelation 5:6: Then I saw a Lamb, looking
as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the
throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the
elders.
In eternity, Jesus will bear the marks of His
crucifixion. Rev 5:6 suggests that He appears in heaven with
the marks as a Lamb "looking as if it had been slain".
We know that when He appeared to Thomas that He bore the
scars of the nails and the spear in His side.(John 20:26-28)
It is also worth considering reasons as to why He was not
immediately recognized after His resurrection. In John
21:12, it is stated that the disciples did "not dare to
ask Him His identity, because they knew that it was the
Lord." It is possible that His resurrection body still
has the marks of His beatings. "The body of His
glorification will be the body of His humiliation." (Missler)
Are we ready to meet Him? What have we done with what He
has given to us?. Today, He encourages us to consider the
cost of the cross and to apply it to our own lives.
Luke 9:23: Then he said to them all: "If anyone
would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his
cross daily and follow me."
When He was on earth, Jesus stated that , "If any man
would come after me, let him take up his cross daily and
follow me." (Luke 9:23) As we have seen, in Jesus' time
it meant going to your death, giving up and separating
yourself from all that you had.......your rights, your
friends, your body and blood and even your "god", to
follow Him.
We are challenged by the example of Simon of Cyrene.
Scripture mentions Him as being the father of Alexander and
Rufus.(Mark 15:21) Rufus ("a choice man in the Lord")
and Simon's wife were both addressed by Paul in his letter
to the Roman church. (Romans 16:13) Here was a man, who
indeed carried the cross...and made an impact for Christ in
eternity. What commitment are you willing to make to Him
now?
The Bible, God's Word (II Timothy 3:16-17), relates how
God once had a personal relationship with man. God would
talk and relate to man, just as you might relate to your
best friend. God created man to give him a meaningful and
purposeful life.
Man chose to go his own way by disobeying God. (This
applies to all men as in Romans 3:23). This disobedience,
called sin, caused a break in the relationship between man
and God. If a man casually seeks a relationship with God by
his own efforts (religion), he will find nothing, because
sin has broken the communication. (Isaiah 59:2)
Christianity is the story of God sacrificing His Son to
restore a relationship that was broken. As stated in the
above text, Jesus gave up His life to pay for the sins of
mankind and taking the punishment for the sin upon Himself.
Because He gave His life on the cross, any one who believes
in Him will have a restoration of a personal relationship
with God. Jesus Himself claimed to be the only way to God
(John 14:6) and only by the knowledge of God through Jesus
Christ can man have a meaningful and purposeful life.(John
10:10)
God desires that all men come to know Him in a personal
way. If you have never received Jesus' gift of Himself for
your sins , or have any doubts to how you can have a
meaningful and purposeful life by the kinowledge of God
through Jesus Christ, you can start by praying a simple
prayer, such as:
Dear Lord Jesus. Thank you for dying on the cross for
me. I confess that I am a sinner before God. I acknowledge
that by your death and sacrifice that you have paid the
penalty of my sins for me. Please come into my heart and
become the Lord of my life.As you gave your life, I give my
life to you. I will take up my cross and follow you, not as
I will, but to follow Your perfect will for my life. In
Jesus Name, Amen.
If you have prayed this prayer, please let us know by
e-mail. It would be a real blessing to us. Or if you have
any further questions about the work of Jesus on the cross,
please send Dr. Terasaka e-mail at:
terasaka@dreamscape.com
Would you like to know more about how you can have a
personal relationship with God? If so,
click
here
References:
Ball, D. A. "The Crucifixion and Death of a Man Called
Jesus". J Miss St Med Assoc 30(3): 77-83, 1989.
Barclay, William. "The Gospel of John Volume 2"
Westminister Press, Philadelphia, Pa.,. 1975.
Bergsma, Stuart. "Did Jesus Die of a Broken Heart?".
The Calvin Forum, 14:165, 1948.
Bible, Amplified version. Zondervan Publishing House,
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1964.
Bucklin, R.. "The Legal and Medical Aspects of the
Trial and Death of Christ". Med Sci Law. 10:14-26, 1970.
Courson, Jon. "Why Psalms 22?" (tape) Firefighters for
Christ, Westminister California.
Davis, C.T. "The Crucifixion of Jesus :The Passion of
Christ from a Medical Point of View". Ariz Med 22:183-187,
1965.
DePasquale, N. P. and Burch, G.E. "Death by
Crucifixion", Am Heart J 66(3):. 434-435, 1963.
Edersheim, A. "TheLife and Times of Jesus the
Messiah". Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. Peabody,
Massachusetts, 1993.
Edwards, W.D., Gabel, W.J and Hosmer, F.E. "On the
Physical Death of Jesus Christ." JAMA. 255 (11), pp.
1455-1463, 1986.
Gonen, R. "Biblical Holy Places : an illustrated
guide",Palphot Ltd. Israel 1994
Grafenberg, J. S.."Observ.Medic.," Lib.III. p.458.
Holman's Bible Dictionary, Holman Bible Publishers,
1991.
Johnson, C.."Medical and Cardiological Aspects of the
Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus, the Christ", Bol Asoc Med
P Rico 70 (3) :97-102, 1978.
Kollek, T. and Dowley, T. , "Next Year in Jerusalem",
Harvest House, Eugene, Oregon, 1995.
Lipsius, Justus. "De Cruce. Libri tres, ad sacram
profanamque historiam utiles. (3rd part Tom III. Opera Omnia.
Antwerp, 1614)
Lumpkin,R.."The Physical Suffering of Christ", J Med
Assoc Ala 47: 8-10, 1978.
Magi, G. "Israel". Casa Editrice Bonechi, Florence,
Italy, 1992.
McDowell, J. "The Resurrection Factor". Campus Crusade
for Christ, Nashville, Tenn., 1981.
Metherall, A.. "Christ's Physical Suffering" (Tape)
Firefighters for Christ , Westminister, Ca.
Missler, C. "Isaiah 53" (Tape) Firefighters for
Christ, Westminister, Ca.
Missler, C. "Israel Tour Book" 1995 Edition.
Pink, A. "The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the
Cross", Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1958.
Scott, C.T. "A Case of Haematidrosis", Br Med J .1:
532-533, 1918.
Strong, J. "Strong's Concordance", MacDonald Pub Co.,
McLean, Va.
Tenney, S.M. "On Death By Crucifixion", Am Heart J
.68(2) :286-287, 1964.
Websters Dictionary, Grosset and Dunlap, New York,
1974.
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