Encourage Me: An Abomination

· “It is a crime to put a Roman citizen in chains. It is an enormity to flog one. [It is] sheer murder to slay one. What, then, shall I say of crucifixion? It is impossible to find the word for such an abomination.” (Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, and public speaker) [i]

· “The word Christianity is already a misunderstanding. In reality there has been only one Christian, and He died on the cross.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)

· “A man who was completely innocent, offered himself as a sacrifice for the good of others, including his enemies, and became the ransom of the world. It was a perfect act.” (Mahatma Gandhi)

Do you know what the Savior experienced (near the end of His existence here on earth) to provide you with eternal life? The cost was expensive for Him. When you read the information below, how does it make you feel to know Jesus went through this for you?

Flogging came before every Roman execution. Only women and Roman senators or soldiers (except in cases of desertion) were exempt. The usual instrument was a short whip with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths with small iron balls (or sharp pieces of sheep bones) were tied at intervals. For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post.

The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged by two soldiers. The severity of the scourging was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of death. As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions. The leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues.

As the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh. Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock. The extent of blood loss may have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross.

The Romans did not invent crucifixion. They perfected it as a form of torture that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum suffering. It was one of the cruelest methods of execution. It was usually reserved for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, and the worst criminals. Roman law usually protected its citizens from crucifixion.

The cross had several variations. It was characterized by an upright post and a horizontal crossbar. The condemned man carried his own cross from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion. He was naked (unless this was prohibited by local customs). The weight of the entire cross was probably around 300 pounds, but only the crossbar was carried. The crossbar, weighed 75 to 125 pounds.

It was placed across the nape of the victim’s neck and balanced along both shoulders. The outstretched arms were tied to the crossbar. The processional to the site of crucifixion was led by a complete Roman military guard, and headed by a centurion. One of the soldiers carried a sign on which the condemned man’s name and crime were displayed. The sign would later be attached to the top of the cross. The Roman guard would not leave the victim until they were sure of his death.

Outside the city walls were permanently located the heavy upright wooden post, on which the crossbar would be secured. To prolong the crucifixion process, a horizontal wooden block served as a crude seat, which attached midway down the post.

At the site of execution, the victim was given a bitter drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) as a mild pain reliever. The criminal was thrown to the ground on his back with his arms outstretched along the crossbar. The hands could be nailed or tied to the crossbar. Nailing was preferred by the Romans. The nails were tapered iron spikes approximately 5 to 7 inches in length with a square shaft 3/8 of an inch across. The nails commonly were driven through the wrists rather than the palms.

After both arms were fixed to the crossbar, the crossbar and the victim, together, were lifted onto the post. The feet were fixed to the cross (either by nails or ropes). Although the feet could be fixed to the sides of the post or to a wooden footrest, they usually were nailed directly to the front of the post. The flexion of the knees may have been quite prominent. The bent legs may have been rotated outward.

The sign was then attached to the cross (by nails or cords) just above the victim’s head. The civilian crowd often taunted the condemned man. The soldiers customarily divided up his clothes among themselves. The length of survival generally ranged from four hours to four days. It was related to the severity of the scourging. The Roman soldiers could hasten death by breaking the legs (below the knees).

Insects would burrow into the open wounds or the eyes, ears, and nose of the dying and helpless victim. Birds of prey would tear at these sites also. It was customary to leave the corpse on the cross to be devoured by predatory animals. The family of the condemned could take the body for burial after obtaining permission from the Roman judge.

The body was not released to the family until the soldiers were sure that the victim was dead. One of the Roman guards would pierce the body with a sword or lance. This was usually a spear wound to the heart through the right side of the chest. The standard infantry spear was 6 feet long.

· “What is good about Good Friday? Why isn't it called Bad Friday? Because out of the appallingly bad came what was inexpressibly good…The good trumps the bad… Though the bad was temporary, the good is eternal.” (Randy Alcorn)

· “The lesson of Good Friday is to never lose hope, or at least give it 48 hours.” (Robert Breault)

· “Easter is always the answer to "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!" (Madeleine L'Engle)

It’s only Friday…

1. Jesus is praying. Peter’s sleeping. Judas is betraying.

2. Pilate’s struggling. The council is conspiring. The crowd is vilifying.

3. The disciples are running like sheep without a Shepherd. Mary’s crying. Peter is denying.

4. The Romans beat Jesus. They put Him in scarlet. They crown Him with thorns.

5. Jesus is walking to Calvary. His blood is dripping. His body is stumbling. His spirit is burdened.

6. The world is winning. People are sinning. Evil is grinning.

7. The soldiers nail the Savior’s hands and feet to the cross. They raise Him up next to criminals.

8. The disciples are questioning what has happened to their King. The Pharisees are celebrating that their scheming has achieved their purpose.

9. He’s hanging on the cross feeling forsaken by his Father. He is left alone and dying. Can nobody save Him?

10. The earth trembles. The sky grows dark. The King yields His spirit.

11. Hope is lost. Death has won. Sin has conquered, and Satan’s laughing.

12. Jesus is buried. A soldier stands guard. A rock is rolled into place.

But Sunday changes everything.

· “Two thousand years ago (in the Middle East) an event occurred that permanently changed the world. Because of that event, history was split. Every time you write a date, you’re using the Resurrection of Jesus Christ as the focal point.” (Rick Warren)

· "All heaven is interested in the cross of Christ, all hell terribly afraid of it, while men are the only beings who more or less ignore its meaning."
(Oswald Chambers)

· “On the eve of the cross, Jesus made his decision. He would rather go to Hell for you than go to Heaven without you” (Max Lucado)

· “We live and die; Christ died and lived.” (John Stott)[ii]

[i] Jesus was a Jewish male from Nazareth, which is the capital of the Northern District of Israel.

[ii] Adapted from a sermon by S. M. Lockridge (1913-2000) “Its Friday…but Sunday’s a Comin’,” Wikipedia, “Scourging and Crucifixion in Roman Tradition” by www.cbcg.org

Inspired by another sermon Questions Jesus Asked: “My God, my God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?” (Installment seven) Good Friday, April 14, 2017 Dave Jansen CenterPoint Gahanna Church Gahanna, OH