Jesus died on the cross, such a nice, tidy, sanitary, phrase, which is devoid of any inkling of the pain and torture that Jesus faced and endured on the cross.
- - Have you ever known in advance that something you had to do would be extremely painful?
Jesus did, to the point of sweating blood!
- - Have you ever experienced betrayal by someone close to you, someone you loved and cared for?
Jesus did! Judas did it for 30 pieces of silver, & the rest of the Apostles out of fear!
- - Although innocent, have you ever been accused of doing something wrong?
Jesus was! Only speaking the truth, He was accused of blasphemy.
- - Have you ever received an undeserved beating?
Jesus did! Flogged in an attempt to please those, who cried, "Crucify Him!". (Roman flogging was routinely accomplished, with what we call today - 'a cat-a-nine-tales' -, with the added feature of tying a piece of metal to each of the 'tails', and consisted of thirty lashes across the back.)
- - Have you ever stumbled through a thorn bush and experienced being pierced with thorns?
Jesus experienced the piercing of thorns!
The Roman guards crowned Him with a crown of thorns. Not being content solely with this, they then drove the crown into His head by striking it repeatedly.
- - Have you ever experienced being ridiculed, called names, and being spit upon?
Jesus did! Firstly, by the Roman Guards; and then later those He came to save derisively made fun of Him, while He hung on the cross.
This was the path that lead to that 'death on the cross'.
It is important that we realize, what that sanitary phrase, Jesus died on the Cross, actually means.
It began with being stretched out on rough wooden beams.
Iron spikes were then driven into His hands and feet.
The cross was then raised to the upright position with Jesus supported only by the iron spikes.
Death on the cross was not an easy death. It was an extremely lingering, tortuous, death. Basically, it is death by slow suffocation.
As Jesus hung on the cross, His lung capacity was reduced to nil. To be able to breathe, Jesus had to raise His body only supported by the nails. When His body could no longer stand the pain in His arms and legs, it then relaxed bringing with it the inability to breathe.
Then the cycle would be repeated.
The cycle caused extremely violent and painful muscle cramps.
Ever had a bad muscle cramp?
As the cycles continued the cramps grew more violent and painful; muscles began to tear.
Ever had a torn muscle?
Then the joints began to separate.
Ever had a shoulder separation, a wrenched back, or a knee out of joint?
The bodily damage continued with each cycle. Each cycle became shorter due to the growing inability of Jesus' body to support itself. Due to being unable to breathe normally, oxygen starvation began, which only intensified the muscle cramping.
Have you ever felt extremely short of breath?
As it continued, the brain sensed the lack of oxygen and went into 'panic mode', causing adrenaline to be released into the bloodstream, which only intensified the agony of the muscle cramps and damage. Slowly Jesus' body began to die, all the while He knew what was happening. Jesus endured this cycle of agony for about six hours and "then gave up His Spirit."
What did Jesus see as He looked down from the cross in those last moments?
Did He see all those He had healed, cleansed, made to see or hear?
Did He see the remaining 11 Apostles, whom He loved and cared for?
Did He see a large gathering of those who professed belief in Him?
Did He see His brothers and sisters?
No, none of them were there with the exception of His Mother, Aunt, and the Apostle John. For the first, and only time in, all eternity the Father had to withdraw from Him due to the sin debt that Jesus had willingly taken upon Himself.
Basically, alone, deserted, denied, rejected, and in the most terrible pain imaginable, He died!
That is what the nice, sanitary phrase, "Jesus died on the Cross", actually means.
Why did He willingly do it?
Out of love and obedience to the Father and out of love for those who would become His brothers and sisters, the 'Children of God'.
By truly understanding what happened before and during the Crucifixion, the extent of God's love is revealed.
Fear not though, for three days later,
"He is Risen, indeed!"
Jesus Died on the Cross
page updated 07/23/2011.