One of the pages that is in this packet is about the crucifixion. When I read it I just cried. I was so humbled. You can go and print it off by following the link about but I am also going to post the information here.
"Crucifixion Practices
Crucifixion sometimes began with a scourging or flogging of the victim's back. 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 patiubulum 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.
Once the victim arrived at the execution site, the patibulum was put on the ground and the victim was forced to lie upon it. 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 shoulder and neck. Already standing at the crucifixion site would be the 7-foot-tall post, called a stipes. In the center of the stipes was a crude seat to "support" for the victim. The patibulum was then lifted on to the stipes, and the victim's body was awkwardly turned on the seat so that the feet could be nailed to the stipes. At this point, there was tremendous strain put on the wrists, arms and shoulders, resulting in a dislocation of the shoulder and elbow joints. 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 beating 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 sever 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. Due to the shallow breathing, the victim's lungs would begin to collapse in areas, probably causing hypoxia. Due to the loss of blood from the scourging, the victim probably formed a respiratory acidosis, resulting in an increased strain on the heart, which beats faster to compensate. Fluid would also build up in the lungs. Under the stress of hypoxia and acidosis, the heart would eventually fail. There are several different theories on the actual cause of death for Jesus. One theory is that there was a filling of the pericardium with fluid, which put a fatal strain on the ability of His heart to pump blood. Another theory states that Jesus died of cardiac rupture. Another theory is that Jesus' death was "multifactorial and related primarily to hypovolemic shock, exhaustion asphyxia and perhaps acute heart failure." regardless of the actual medical cause of final death, the historical record is very clear-- Jesus suffered numerous hours of horrible and sustained torture on the cross of Calvary."
He suffered this for ME. For EVERY SINGLE thing that I have done wrong. He also did this for my suffering. He took on every pain and heart ache and question and bad thing that I did. He did it for ME. He suffered for US.
When I read this it put things into perspective for me. I see my child suffer through pain and I want to take it away and make things better. Jesus did this WILLINGLY. He knew that he had to go through this. He could of said no more. He could have prayed to Heavenly Father to request that everything stop. But he didn't. He did it because he loved each and every one of us so that we would not have to suffer. So that we could turn our hurts and pains and our suffering over to him.
I am so thankful for this knowledge. I am so thankful that He did this for me. What a wonderful, HUMBLE older brother.
1 comment:
Thanks for helping me remember the true meaning for Easter. It seems like it got lost this year. Even in church Easter was hardly mentioned. I just don't understand it. Thanks for your words. Again, you inspire me.
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