So this is my first blog, so I don't really know what to share. We'll this has really been on my mind lately so here goes. I went to Brandon with my friend, Carly(http://alienyouth4jesus.blogspot.com) on Friday, we had an awesome time hanging out and fellowshiping together and this is what we talked about on the way in. Part of this was taken from an e-mail i received a while back and the other part from The Purpose Driven Life. Ok so here goes...
The events leading up to a crucifixion: - Prior to the actually crucifixion it was customary for the recipient to receive a Roman flogging. These were known to be terribly brutal. They usually consisted of thirty-nine lashes but we frequently more than that. The soldier would use a whip of braided leather thongs with metal balls woven into them. When the whip would strike the flesh, these balls would cause deep bruises or contusions, which would break open with further blows. Also, the whip had pieces of sharp bone as well, which would cut the flesh severely. The back would be so shredded that part of the spine was actually exposed by the cuts. The whipping would have exposed bone and nerves from the shoulders down to the back, the buttocks, and the back of the legs. The lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. The sufferer's veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews, and bowels of the victim were open to exposure.
Many people died from this beating BEFORE they were crucified! And if not, it is almost certain that they would be experiencing tremendous pain and go into hypovolemic shock. Hypovolemic shock means the person is suffering the effects of losing a large amount of blood. This means four things: the heart races to try and pump blood that isn't there, the blood pressure drops causing fainting or collapse, the kidneys stop producing urine, and fourth, the person becomes thirsty as the body craves fluids to replace the lost blood.
Can you even begin to imagine that pain? And this is BEFORE the actual crucifixion! Heading to the cross, Jesus was already in serious to critical condition.
- The cross. The victim is laid down, and his hands are nailed in an outstretched position to the horizontal beam. The Romans used spikes that were 5 to 7 inches long and tapered to a sharp point. They were driven through the wrists (in the language of the day, 'wrists' were considered a part of the 'hand'). The spikes would go through the place on the wrist where the median nerve runs. This is the largest nerve going out of the hand. This procedure would produce tremendous pain. You know the kind of pain you experience when you bang your elbow and hit your funny bone? That's actually another nerve called the ulna nerve. Picture taking a pair of pliers and squeezing and crushing that nerve. The effect would be similar to what Jesus experience with the nail in the wrist.
The pain was unbearable. In fact, the word excruciating means 'out of the cross.' At this point Jesus was hoisted as the cross bar was attached to the vertical stake, and then the nails were driven through Jesus' feet. Again, the nerves in his feet will have been crushed.
This type of torture put stress on the victims body. Jesus' arms would have been stretched, probably about six inches in length, and both shoulders would have become dislocated.
- The cause of death. Crucifixion is agonizingly slow death by asphyxiation. The stresses on the muscles and diaphragm put the chest into the inhaled position; basically in order to exhale the person must push up on his feet so the tension on the muscles would be eased for a moment. In doing so, the nail would tear throught the foot, by the way. After managing to exhale, the person would then be able to relax down and take another breath in. Again, he'd have to push himself up to exhale, scraping his bloodied back against the coarse wood of the cross. This would go on until complete exhaustion would take over, and the person would be unable to rise and exhale.
The events leading up to a crucifixion: - Prior to the actually crucifixion it was customary for the recipient to receive a Roman flogging. These were known to be terribly brutal. They usually consisted of thirty-nine lashes but we frequently more than that. The soldier would use a whip of braided leather thongs with metal balls woven into them. When the whip would strike the flesh, these balls would cause deep bruises or contusions, which would break open with further blows. Also, the whip had pieces of sharp bone as well, which would cut the flesh severely. The back would be so shredded that part of the spine was actually exposed by the cuts. The whipping would have exposed bone and nerves from the shoulders down to the back, the buttocks, and the back of the legs. The lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. The sufferer's veins were laid bare, and the very muscles, sinews, and bowels of the victim were open to exposure. Many people died from this beating BEFORE they were crucified! And if not, it is almost certain that they would be experiencing tremendous pain and go into hypovolemic shock. Hypovolemic shock means the person is suffering the effects of losing a large amount of blood. This means four things: the heart races to try and pump blood that isn't there, the blood pressure drops causing fainting or collapse, the kidneys stop producing urine, and fourth, the person becomes thirsty as the body craves fluids to replace the lost blood. Can you even begin to imagine that pain? And this is BEFORE the actual crucifixion! Heading to the cross, Jesus was already in serious to critical condition. - The cross. The victim is laid down, and his hands are nailed in an outstretched position to the horizontal beam. The Romans used spikes that were 5 to 7 inches long and tapered to a sharp point. They were driven through the wrists (in the language of the day, 'wrists' were considered a part of the 'hand'). The spikes would go through the place on the wrist where the median nerve runs. This is the largest nerve going out of the hand. This procedure would produce tremendous pain. You know the kind of pain you experience when you bang your elbow and hit your funny bone? That's actually another nerve called the ulna nerve. Picture taking a pair of pliers and squeezing and crushing that nerve. The effect would be similar to what Jesus experience with the nail in the wrist. The pain was unbearable. In fact, the word excruciating means 'out of the cross.' At this point Jesus was hoisted as the cross bar was attached to the vertical stake, and then the nails were driven through Jesus' feet. Again, the nerves in his feet will have been crushed. This type of torture put stress on the victims body. Jesus' arms would have been stretched, probably about six inches in length, and both shoulders would have become dislocated. - The cause of death. Crucifixion is agonizingly slow death by asphyxiation. The stresses on the muscles and diaphragm put the chest into the inhaled position; basically in order to exhale the person must push up on his feet so the tension on the muscles would be eased for a moment. In doing so, the nail would tear throught the foot, by the way. After managing to exhale, the person would then be able to relax down and take another breath in. Again, he'd have to push himself up to exhale, scraping his bloodied back against the coarse wood of the cross. This would go on until complete exhaustion would take over, and the person would be unable to rise and exhale.
"If God never did anything else for you, he would still deserve your continual praise for the rest of your life because of what Jesus did for you on the cross. God's son died for you! This is the greatest reason for worship.
Unfortunately, we forget the cruel details of the agonizing sacrifice God made on our behalf. Familiarity breeds complacency. Even before his crucifixion, the Son of God was stripped naked beaten until almost unrecognizable, whipped, scorned and mocked, crowned with thorns, and spit on contempuously.
Then, nearly unconcious from blood loss, he was forced to drag a cumbersome cross up a hill, was nailed ot it, was was left to die the slow, excruciating torture of death by crucifixtion. While his lifeblood drained out, hecklers stood by and shouted insults, making fun of his pain and challenging his claim to be God.
Next, as Jesus took all of mankind's sin and guilt on himself, God looked away from that ugly sight, and Jesus cried out in total desperation, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Jesus could have saved himself - but the he could not have saved you.
Words cannot describe the darkness of that moment. Why did God allow and endure such ghastly, evil mistreatment? Why? So you could be spared from eternity in hell, and so you could sharein his glory forever! The Bible says, "Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God."2 Cor. 5:21
Jesus gave up everything so you could have everything. He died so you could live forever. That alone is worthy of your continual thanks and praise. Never again should you wonder what you have to be thankful for."
How many times have I selfishly asked God for more, or why, or why not. For example, why am I the only Christian living for God in my whole entire family, including my extended family, Why? You would think he could have given me someone, even a distant cousin, but no. But God has done so much for me already, I have no reason to complain, or ask for more. He sent his son to die on the Cross for me, and he never gives more than I can handle, and he's always with me. He called me to believe in him, when none of my family believes in the truth. For that I'll always be thankful. I'll always pray for my family to come to him, and I'll be incredibly sad if they die not believing, but I'll still be thankful, because Jesus was perfect, he was without sin, he could have snapped his fingers at any time and come down off of that cross, but he didn't because he was obediant to his father up in heaven, and he loved us. He loved us so much that he gave us his reward and he gave us the choice to come to him, fully knowing that people were going to reject what he did and block him out of their lives. I can't even begin to comprehend that kind of love. I have such a bad attitude some times, where I can't understand why God does the things he does or I want something, etc. etc. And then something like reading the things above or watching the Passion just gives me a reality check. It truely his funny how reading about Jesus dieing on the cross in the bible has become like nothing to us and then yet when we watch The passion or read what the crucifixtion was really like we see the harsh, brutal reality of what he did. It's uncomprehendable to me that he would waste his time on a selfish person like me, but he doesn't give up on me, he keeps drawing me back and for that I'll always be thankful.
