The act of crucifixion was a punishment meant for the most heinous crimes, intended to inflict the maximum amount of pain, for as long as possible. It was done as a public display as a warning to others to dissuade others from doing the same things.
We do not know for certain, but Jesus was likely crucified naked, as it says that He was stripped of His raiment(clothes), and as that was the common practice for those who were crucified. The arms of the one being crucified were usually outstretched and nailed to the crossbeam of the cross, while the feet were usually place one on top of the other, affixed with nails to the main beam. With the arms stretched out, the victim would then experience difficulty breathing, and begin to asphyxiate. Trying to get a breath, the victim would push upwards, then putting pressure and searing pain on the nails in their feet. When they could no longer push up with their legs due to exhaustion, the pain and pressure then went to the nails in the wrists, thereby starting the process over again.
Although no where near what Jesus experienced on the cross, I got a small glimpse of how horrible this was for Him. When I was a little child playing on a jungle gym at school, as I was playing on the top, I slipped and I was suspended above the ground with my arms outstretched. With a bar under each arm and my legs dangling freely in the air, there was nothing I could do to free myself. I couldn’t move my arms to try to pull myself up or drop myself down, and my arms were in the Y shape slightly over my head. I hope you can picture this by my description, just think of someone placing two poles under your arms and lifting you off the ground. The way my arms were positioned made it so that I could only breath shallow, short breaths. Thankfully, a friend ran and got an adult and they lifted me up so that I could get down.
My experience only lasted a short while and without any real pain, but crucifixion could last days, depending on the victim’s condition. As was what happened to Christ, the victim was often scourged before being crucified. A scourge was an instrument like a whip, made up of several strands of leather, and at the end of each strand were small pieces of iron or bone, used to inflict deep bruising or lacerations. Depending on the severity of the scourging, large amounts of blood could be lost, thereby weakening the victim before they were finally nailed to the cross.
Just imagine the pain that our Lord endured for us. The method of affixing the victim to a cross could be done with ropes, but often large 5 to 7 inch nails were used, one in each wrist and through the feet. With the arms outstretched like a Y, in order to get ample oxygen, the victim needed to try to lift themselves up. This however put incredible strain and pain on the feet. Then trying to ease the pain, they would then try to pull up with their arms and elbows, putting stress on the wrists. All the while, the wounds from the scourging on the victim’s back would get reopened as the victim moved up and down and cause excruciating pain.
For nearly 6 hours Jesus endured this pain, as He was crucified from the third hour until the ninth hour. (Mark 15:25,33) Jesus suffered and died this death, and not because He did anything wrong or hurt someone. He didn’t deserve the punishment that was reserved for the worst of the criminals. Jesus was crucified because He showed others love and helped others. He came to save the world and offer them forgiveness and they crucified Him for it. He came to show the world the better way, teaching people to love one another, and they nailed Him to the cross.
Jesus, the King of kings, gave His life and offer us forgiveness. He sacrificed His life for us while here on the Earth, so that we can be saved. Jesus took all of our sins to the cross, and bore our sins upon Himself.
He suffered through all that pain, His arms stretched out wide on the cross. He stands in Heaven today, His arms stretched out wide, ready to receive those that will come to Him.
Jesus died for you, will you live for Him?
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 