The Crucifixion of Jesus
- What Was It
Really Like?
(Mel Gibson didn't know.
Do You?)
There is an exchange that took place upon the cross and it is offered to all those who earnestly seek it. Jesus received the curses due us, that we might receive the blessings due Him. The apostle Paul reminds us of this exchange in his epistle to the church at
Galatia, "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" (Gal 3:13).
The curses that Paul is referring to began with the fall of man and are described in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. They affect every part of a human being's life and are the results of disobeying God's commandments. God shared His counsel with the nation of Israel and encouraged them to choose blessings and life.
Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known (Deut 11:26-28).I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live (Deut 30:19).
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isa 61:1 NIV)
3 He is despised, and left of men,
A man of pains, and acquainted with sickness,
And as one hiding the face from us, He is despised,
and we esteemed him not.4 Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, And our pains
--he hath carried them, And we--we have esteemed him
plagued, Smitten of God, and afflicted.5 And he is pierced for our transgressions, Bruised for our iniquities,
The chastisement of our peace is on him, And by his bruise there is healing
to us.6 All of us like sheep have wandered, Each to his own way we have turned, And Jehovah hath caused to meet on him, The punishment of us all.
10 And Jehovah hath delighted to bruise him, He hath made him sick...12 ...And with transgressors he was numbered, And he the sin of many hath
borne, And for transgressors he intercedeth (Young's Literal Translation)
"Our transgressions"
"Our healing" (by his stripes we are healed)
"Our separation from God"
"Our shame, rejection and humiliation"
"Our unrighteousness"
"Our weaknesses of the flesh"
The following account of Christ's crucifixion will help us understand the impact of our punishment upon the body and spirit of Jesus. The Lord's last Passover meal had ended and His spirit became overwhelmed as He pondered the events of the next eighteen hours. He knew every horrifying detail of the gruesome murder that He was to suffer. For it was Jesus Himself, who had revealed them to the Old Testament prophets. The fate of mankind was upon His shoulders and God's desire for a family was at stake. It had to be accomplished in pure love; no human feelings of hate or revenge could be allowed to enter His heart. The hour had come, and the weight of the words of the Old Testament prophets would begin to torment the spirit of Jesus. Mark's account of this Passover evening describes the oppression of our Lord's heart.
And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 33And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; 34And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. 35And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. 36And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt (Mark 14:32-36).
Dr. Terasaka goes on to describe the great agony that Jesus was experiencing, "It is here that Jesus agonized in prayer over what was to occur. It is significant that this is the only place in the KJV where the word "agony" is mentioned. The Greek word for agony means to be "engaged in combat". Jesus agonizes over what He is to go through, feeling that He is at the point of death (Mark 14:34)." The last recorded prayer of Christ's human life would be answered by the touch of an angel. "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him" (Luke 22:43).
The tranquility of the garden was soon shattered as Judas led a multitude of armed citizens to seize Jesus and take Him to the Roman leader, Pontius Pilate (Mark 14:43). Although Pilate could find no fault with Jesus, he allowed his guards to beat, abuse and humiliate the very Son of God. The soldiers blindfolded Jesus and ridiculed His divinity. A mock crown was made of thorns and placed upon His head. The guards began to pound the two-inch thorns into Christ's scalp and skull. They also spit upon the Lord and struck Him on the face with their hands and a reed (Matt. 27:27-31 & Luke 22:63-65).
Bloody, humiliated and exhausted, Jesus would continue to be mocked and beaten throughout the night (Luke 22:66). The next morning He was led to the site of His execution. The ordeal of the night before would pale in comparison to the events that were about to take place.
It was customary to strip the clothing from the one who was to be crucified. Most likely, Jesus was also stripped of his clothing before He was nailed to the wooden members. The cross was laid upon the ground, and the Savior's torn and bloody back was pressed into the splinters of the rough-sawn wooden beams. His body was attached to the cross by driving six-inch spikes through His wrists and ankles. The pain that He was suffering would be multiplied as the cross was raised into place and His weight came crashing down upon the spikes that were driven through His body. Ashamed and naked, the Lamb of God was made a disgrace for all humanity.
The Roman soldiers began to scourge Jesus with great fury. His flesh became so ripped and torn that He could look upon His bones and internal organs.
...the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me (Ps 22:16-17).
I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting (Isa 50:6 NIV).
As many were astonished at him-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men Isa 52:14 RSV).
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
However, the ultimate pain was yet to come. During the crucifixion, Jesus became so identified and filled with the sins of man, that God had to abandon His own Son. This is confirmed by His agonizing cry upon the cross, "... My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me" (Matt 27:46)? Do we realize the impact of ours sins upon our Savior? For the first time during His life on earth, Jesus was no longer able to address God as His Father. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) and the words of Isaiah were also applied to Jesus. "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" (Isa 59:2). Becoming filled with the sins of man had shattered Christ's relationship with His Heavenly Father, and turned the face of God away from His only Son.
While Jesus was being held captive to the cross, darkness covered the earth (Luke 23:44). His soul was being crushed by the tremendous weight of man's sins and guilt. The last ounces of His blood were flowing from His wounds. Heaven and earth had forsaken Him and He knew that the end was near. Jesus made one last gesture to insure that we could have full confidence, that He had consumed all of our sins. He said, "I thirst."
After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth (John 19:28-29).
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, (Exod. 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. 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". Yeast or leaven, is the 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.2
"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost" (John 19:30).
The means for our eternal salvation and the healing of our physical bodies were finished in Christ. We are now free to exchange our curses for the blessings that were due Jesus, because of His sinless life of obedience. These blessings are now available to all those who will open their hearts and accept them in simple and unquestioning faith.
What a tremendous price Jesus paid in order for us to become the children of God and to receive physical healing for our sick and diseased bodies. Without doubt, the exchange has been made, the ultimate price has been paid and the victory is ours. The faithful Christian can rest assured that he is now reconciled to God, and made His child, according to His promises.
