Crucifixion was an incredibly cruel form of torture...and the Romans were extremely good at it...
We hear the word crucifixion and think that we know what it means...what it entails...I did some research on what I already knew to be a horrible way to die, but I wasn't ready for how horrific the whole "process" of being crucified is. Below I have listed some additional details on what our Lord endured to pay the debt of my sin.
Definition: The word crucifixion comes from the Latin "crucifixio," or "crucifixus," meaning "fixed to a cross."
Crucifixion was an ancient method of execution in which the victim's hands and feet were bound and nailed to a cross. It was one of the most painful and disgraceful methods of capitol punishment. Victims were usually beaten and tortured and then forced to carry their own cross to the crucifixion site. The Roman cross was formed of wood, typically with a vertical stake and a horizontal cross beam near the top. Different types and shapes of crosses existed for different forms of crucifixion
Crucifixion: Jesus Faced a Horrible Death
Crucifixion sometimes began with a scourging or flogging of the victim’s back. The Romans used a whip called a flagrum, which consisted of small pieces of bone and metal attached to a number of leather strands. The number of blows given to Jesus is not recorded; however, the number of blows in Jewish law was 39 (one less than the 40 called for in the Torah, to prevent a counting error). During the scourging, the skin was ripped from the back, exposing a bloody mass of tissue and bone. Extreme blood loss occurred, often causing death, or at least unconsciousness. In addition to the flogging, Jesus faced severe beating and torment by the Roman soldiers, including the plucking of His beard and the piercing of His scalp with a crown of thorns.
After the flogging, the victim was often forced to carry his own crossbar, or patibulum, to the execution site. The patibulum could easily weigh 100 pounds. In the case of Jesus, the record shows that He may have carried His patibulum the distance of over two football fields. In a weak and tormented state, it’s no wonder the record establishes that Jesus needed a great deal of assistance. The victim was forced to lie upon it and spikes about 7 inches long and 3/8 of an inch in diameter were driven into the wrists. The spikes would hit the area of the median nerve, causing shocks of pain up the arms to the shoulders and neck...The position of the nailed body held the victim’s rib cage in a fixed position, which made it extremely difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath. Having suffered from the scourging, the beatings and the walk with the patibulum, Jesus was described as extremely weak and dehydrated. He was probably losing significant amounts of blood. As time passed, the loss of blood and lack of oxygen would cause severe cramps, spasmodic contractions and probably unconsciousness.
Ultimately, the mechanism of death in crucifixion was suffocation. To breathe, the victim was forced to push up on his feet to allow for inflation of the lungs. As the body weakened and pain in the feet and legs became unbearable, the victim was forced to trade breathing for pain and exhaustion. Eventually, the victim would succumb in this way, becoming utterly exhausted or lapsing into unconsciousness so that he could no longer lift his body off the stipes and inflate his lungs. There are several different theories on the actual cause of death for Jesus. Regardless of the actual medical cause of final death, the historical record is very clear -- Jesus suffered several hours of horrible and sustained torture on the cross of Calvary. - Source All About Jesus website
If each time before I sin I would just remember what Jesus went through to save me from my sin, I probably wouldn't sin so much.
Why did Jesus have to die? And why did He have to suffer such a horrible death? The answer is simple...it's because of me! That's right. It's my fault...My Savior had to die to pay the debt of all of my sins since my birth and until my death. No other person, or thing, has sufficient value to atone for my sins...except Jesus. Jesus, as God here on earth came to die in my place. He didn't have to...He did it for love...He loves me in spite of myself...in spite of my sins...in spite of my weakness.
Only Jesus, since He is God, is without sin and therefore able to stand before God. If I stand before God without the atoning Blood of Jesus I will surely die as nothing impure can even approach Him. Jesus died so I wouldn't have to. He suffered the pain and humiliation so I wouldn't have to. Like the song says..."He took the fall, and thought of me...above all" .
So, why did Jesus have to die such an excrutiating death? Because of me! and you, and you, and you, and all the way back to Adam & Eve...so maybe next time before I sin I'll think about what my Savior went through for me.
Thank you all so much for your prayers! I feel them often as I work on the paintings and blog. Please continue to support me in prayer as I begin my prayer in preparation for the next painting. "If I Could Only Touch the Hem of His Garment".
In closing...please consider where you stand with God...if you died today (and you might) where would you spend eternity? This is real...even if you don't believe in "all that religious mumbo-jumbo" as some might describe Christianity...even if you don't believe that there is a Heaven, a hell*...even if you don't even think that there is a God...ask yourself a question...what if i'm wrong?...Well? What if you are wrong?
Denial won't cut it. Just because you say that there is no God, Heaven, hell, or Salvation won't change whether there is or, not. Sort of like if I declared that there is no gravity! Could I then jump off the face of the earth? Hover my way across the ocean? Of course not. Saying something doesn't exist, doesn't make it so...consider the risk of being wrong...especially in comparison with the upside of being Saved...as Paul puts it in 1st Corinthians 2...
9However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
As for me...I know I'm going to Heaven! You can have the same confidence. It's easy to give your life over to Jesus...He asks so little from us yet gives us so much in return. We can know that we are going to Heaven if we follow what it says in Romans 10:9-10
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
If you haven't yet accepted Jesus as your Savior, won't you do it right now? Please don't wait...you don't know if you have a tomorrow. Why risk it? Why take the chance on an eternity in hell when you can guarantee yourself an eternity with our Lord Jesus in Heaven.
*recommended readings: "90 Minutes in Heaven" also "23 Minutes in hell" & "Heaven is for Real"
May God Bless you all...
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Ephesians 3:20,21
Definition: The word crucifixion comes from the Latin "crucifixio," or "crucifixus," meaning "fixed to a cross."
Crucifixion was an ancient method of execution in which the victim's hands and feet were bound and nailed to a cross. It was one of the most painful and disgraceful methods of capitol punishment. Victims were usually beaten and tortured and then forced to carry their own cross to the crucifixion site. The Roman cross was formed of wood, typically with a vertical stake and a horizontal cross beam near the top. Different types and shapes of crosses existed for different forms of crucifixion
Crucifixion: Jesus Faced a Horrible Death
Crucifixion sometimes began with a scourging or flogging of the victim’s back. The Romans used a whip called a flagrum, which consisted of small pieces of bone and metal attached to a number of leather strands. The number of blows given to Jesus is not recorded; however, the number of blows in Jewish law was 39 (one less than the 40 called for in the Torah, to prevent a counting error). During the scourging, the skin was ripped from the back, exposing a bloody mass of tissue and bone. Extreme blood loss occurred, often causing death, or at least unconsciousness. In addition to the flogging, Jesus faced severe beating and torment by the Roman soldiers, including the plucking of His beard and the piercing of His scalp with a crown of thorns.
After the flogging, the victim was often forced to carry his own crossbar, or patibulum, to the execution site. The patibulum could easily weigh 100 pounds. In the case of Jesus, the record shows that He may have carried His patibulum the distance of over two football fields. In a weak and tormented state, it’s no wonder the record establishes that Jesus needed a great deal of assistance. The victim was forced to lie upon it and spikes about 7 inches long and 3/8 of an inch in diameter were driven into the wrists. The spikes would hit the area of the median nerve, causing shocks of pain up the arms to the shoulders and neck...The position of the nailed body held the victim’s rib cage in a fixed position, which made it extremely difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath. Having suffered from the scourging, the beatings and the walk with the patibulum, Jesus was described as extremely weak and dehydrated. He was probably losing significant amounts of blood. As time passed, the loss of blood and lack of oxygen would cause severe cramps, spasmodic contractions and probably unconsciousness.
Ultimately, the mechanism of death in crucifixion was suffocation. To breathe, the victim was forced to push up on his feet to allow for inflation of the lungs. As the body weakened and pain in the feet and legs became unbearable, the victim was forced to trade breathing for pain and exhaustion. Eventually, the victim would succumb in this way, becoming utterly exhausted or lapsing into unconsciousness so that he could no longer lift his body off the stipes and inflate his lungs. There are several different theories on the actual cause of death for Jesus. Regardless of the actual medical cause of final death, the historical record is very clear -- Jesus suffered several hours of horrible and sustained torture on the cross of Calvary. - Source All About Jesus website
If each time before I sin I would just remember what Jesus went through to save me from my sin, I probably wouldn't sin so much.
Why did Jesus have to die? And why did He have to suffer such a horrible death? The answer is simple...it's because of me! That's right. It's my fault...My Savior had to die to pay the debt of all of my sins since my birth and until my death. No other person, or thing, has sufficient value to atone for my sins...except Jesus. Jesus, as God here on earth came to die in my place. He didn't have to...He did it for love...He loves me in spite of myself...in spite of my sins...in spite of my weakness.
Only Jesus, since He is God, is without sin and therefore able to stand before God. If I stand before God without the atoning Blood of Jesus I will surely die as nothing impure can even approach Him. Jesus died so I wouldn't have to. He suffered the pain and humiliation so I wouldn't have to. Like the song says..."He took the fall, and thought of me...above all" .
So, why did Jesus have to die such an excrutiating death? Because of me! and you, and you, and you, and all the way back to Adam & Eve...so maybe next time before I sin I'll think about what my Savior went through for me.
Thank you all so much for your prayers! I feel them often as I work on the paintings and blog. Please continue to support me in prayer as I begin my prayer in preparation for the next painting. "If I Could Only Touch the Hem of His Garment".
In closing...please consider where you stand with God...if you died today (and you might) where would you spend eternity? This is real...even if you don't believe in "all that religious mumbo-jumbo" as some might describe Christianity...even if you don't believe that there is a Heaven, a hell*...even if you don't even think that there is a God...ask yourself a question...what if i'm wrong?...Well? What if you are wrong?
Denial won't cut it. Just because you say that there is no God, Heaven, hell, or Salvation won't change whether there is or, not. Sort of like if I declared that there is no gravity! Could I then jump off the face of the earth? Hover my way across the ocean? Of course not. Saying something doesn't exist, doesn't make it so...consider the risk of being wrong...especially in comparison with the upside of being Saved...as Paul puts it in 1st Corinthians 2...
9However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"
As for me...I know I'm going to Heaven! You can have the same confidence. It's easy to give your life over to Jesus...He asks so little from us yet gives us so much in return. We can know that we are going to Heaven if we follow what it says in Romans 10:9-10
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
If you haven't yet accepted Jesus as your Savior, won't you do it right now? Please don't wait...you don't know if you have a tomorrow. Why risk it? Why take the chance on an eternity in hell when you can guarantee yourself an eternity with our Lord Jesus in Heaven.
*recommended readings: "90 Minutes in Heaven" also "23 Minutes in hell" & "Heaven is for Real"
May God Bless you all...
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Ephesians 3:20,21