The Crucifixion Revisited

Luke 23:32-56

The term "excruciating" means "out of the cross". That pretty much sums up this most brutal form of execution. "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."1\r
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After scourging, the victim was made to bear their cross to the place of the crucifixion. This beam would weigh up to 150lbs.2 There is some question as to what shape the cross of Jesus was. Several different shapes were used. Some suggest it was a capital T (or tau) cross. Others that it was the Latin "t" which left room for the sign atop the cross proclaiming Jesus to be King of the Jews. Sometimes simple stakes were used with no cross beam at all.\r
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The prisoner was stripped naked and either affixed to the cross on the ground or by climbing a ladder to an already affixed cross in the ground. Various theories exist about the location of the nails, some suggesting the hand, others the wrist saying that the Greek word for "hand" can also mean anything from the forearm down (see Acts 12:7 chains fell off Peter's "hands"). \r
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A sedile was placed at the feet presumably to take pressure off of the arms. It could have been a simple slab of wood. \r
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How did one die on a cross? The most popular theory is by asphyxiation. But others suggest that it could be from shock from the scourging, exposure, dehydration, or by the nailing itself. \r
"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."1 \r
The Second Drink\r
"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, (Exodus 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."1 \r
Spiritual Celebrations\r
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While Jesus hung on the cross, could Satan and his demons been nearby, also taunting as the religious leaders were? Psalm 22 seems to suggest that:\r
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Psalms 22:12-13 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. ESV\r
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Satan is described like a "roaring lion" in 1 Peter 5:8. \r
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Evidence for Crucifixion\r
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"Despite the fact that the ancient Jewish historian Josephus, as well as other sources, refer to the crucifixion of thousands of people by the Romans, there is only a single archeological discovery of a crucified body dating back to the Roman Empire around the time of Jesus which was discovered in Jerusalem. It is not surprising that there is only one such discovery, because a crucified body was usually left to decay on the cross and therefore would not be preserved. The only reason these archeological remains were preserved was because family members gave this particular individual a customary \r
burial.\r
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"The remains were found accidentally in an ossuary with the crucified man's name on it, 'Yehohanan, the son of Hagakol'. The ossuary contained a heel with a nail driven through its side, indicating that the heels may have been driven through the sides of the tree (one on the left side, one on the right side, and not with both feet together in front). The nail had olive wood on it indicating that he was crucified on a cross made of olivewood or on an olive tree. Since olive trees are not very tall, this would suggest that victims were crucified at eye level. Additionally, the piece of olive wood was located between the heel and the head of the nail, presumably to keep the victim from freeing his foot by sliding it over the nail. His legs were found broken. It is thought that since in Roman times iron was expensive, the nails were removed from the dead body to cut the costs, which would help to explain why only one has been found, as the back of the nail was bent in such a way that it couldn't be removed."2\r
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Why The Cross\r
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The cross did not kill Jesus. He "gave up" His spirit (vs 46). So why did Jesus die on a cross? Why wasn't he slain at the Temple as the Passover Lamb who cut the throats of the lambs in a very peaceful and (sort of) non painful death? The cross has several interesting aspects that enlighten our idea of salvation:\r
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It represented the worst of man's brutality. \r
The cross was perfected by the last true world empire (The feet of clay and iron from Daniel) to be as physically tortuous as possible, and as publicly humiliating as possible. \r
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Quintilian who wrote that, "whenever we crucify the guilty, the most, crowded roads are chosen, where most people can see and be moved by this fear. For penalties relate not so much to retribution as to their exemplary effect."3\r
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It was the death of the worst of society-only common criminals and slaves were killed on crosses. Roman citizens were not unless convicted of particularly heinous crimes. \r
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He was suspended between heaven and earth as a lightning rod for God's wrath, not fully man (touching the earth), not just divine (disconnected from the earth) but both human and divine-a connection point.\r
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Crucifixion was possibly created by the Persians (see Esther 7:9 "gallows" can be translated "stake"). Persia is also the area of Babylon, which represents man's rebellion against God. So God used the method of death created by those who wanted to be gods, used by the most powerful nation of men on earth-sort of like unleashing everything powerful about man against his son to judge it and do away with its power. \r
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Why was someone hung on a tree cursed?\r
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"And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God)..." (Dt. 21:22-23).\r
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Galatians 3:10-14 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." 12 But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree" - 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. ESV\r
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By Michael Pearl: "God "made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him (2 Cor. 5:21)." \r
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God was willing to see Jesus as a sinner that He might be permitted to see us as righteousness. Jesus became what we are that we might become what He is. By the imputing act of God, He became a sinful son of man so we could become sinless sons of God. It was a trade. He traded His righteousness for our sin. He then bore the consequences of our sin before God so that we can bear the consequences of His righteousness before God. He ascended the hill of Calvary so we could ascend Mount Zion. The God who "calleth those things which be not as though they were" called His Son something He wasn't-a sinner-so that He could call us something we are not-righteous. "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin (Rom. 4:82)."\r
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For those who believe, God sees no sin except that which is upon Jesus. God therefore punished the man Jesus until the penalty of our sin was exhausted and the justice of the law was fully satisfied."\r
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It's possible that since a dead body was considered unclean it may be that publicly displaying a dead body that has been killed or crucified was like defiling the land by exposing people and it to the decay of the dead. )Not sure about that).\r
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Conclusions\r
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God took the worst of man and threw it against the best of God so there is nothing that you can do that God cannot forgive through the wrath poured out on Jesus on the cross.\r
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Joseph became unclean by touching Jesus' body and unable to celebrate the Passover, but in reality that prohibition was no longer viable because THE Passover Lamb had died. We need not be afraid of getting Christ's blood on us because it, unlike our blood, washes away uncleanness. \r
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We shouldn't forget the depths that God was willing to go to in order to raise us up to life. And we should recoil in horror and also embrace as our own His death.\r
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Galatians 2:19-20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ESV\r
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1 http://www.new-life.net/crucify1.htm\r
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion\r
3 http://www.religiousstudies.uncc.edu/jdtabor/crucifixion.html\r
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