A brief history of the Crucifixion

Crucifixion was practiced by several ancient nations as their form of capital punishment. The nations that probably practiced it the earliest may have been the Persians, Greeks and Romans.

Crucifixion was a slow tortuous death by asphyxiation. This form of punishment was reserved for the worst of criminals. Prior to the actual crucifixion the accused was tied to a post and flogged with a leather whip called a Flagrum. At the end of the leather thongs are lead balls that contain nails, glass and bones. When the criminal was whipped the lead balls with the glass, nails and bone would tear off the outer flesh exposing the criminal’s bones and tissue. Some would die as a result of this beating before they were even crucified.

In Psalm 22:16-17 David by inspiration of the Holy Spirit says, “For dogs have surrounded me. A band of evildoers have encompassed me. They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones.”

What is going on here is that David was predicting the crucifixion of the Messiah. These thing (i.e. tortures of the crucifixion) never happened to David personally for the punishment of crucifixion had not been invented yet. David lived approximately 1,000 years before Christ. David was distressed over his enemies in his day so the Lord used that occasion to prophesy through David to his readers of the ultimate torment fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

After the flogging, the condemned would have to carry his cross outside the city to the actual crucifixion site. The vertical beam is called a stipes.  The cross beam was called a patibulum. The one being crucified had to carry the patibulum across his shoulders.  The upright beam was already in the ground. The cross beam is reported to have weighed 110 pounds. If the one carrying this beam fell under the weight of it, someone would be elected to carry it for them. This happened to Jesus (Matt 27:32).

The criminal had 5-7 inch spikes driven through his wrists. This attached him to the cross beam. Then the cross beam was fastened to the upright beam. With the left foot behind the right, another spike is driven through the arch and heel of the feet. There was also a small seat called a sedile attached to the cross also which provided little or no relief for the one being executed if trying to sit on it.

After this a sign called a titilus was attached at the top of the cross identifying the prisoner and their crime.

The torture of the crucifixion could last for hours or even days. The prisoner was stripped naked and his clothes became the property of his executioners. In the case of Jesus they gambled for his clothes (Psalm 22:18; fulfilled in John 19:24).  Being unnaturally suspended on a cross did horrible things to a person’s body. Using one’s legs and arms to inhale and exhale air caused severe muscle spasms along with excruciating pain. Relaxing one’s body would bring a quicker death so the struggle to stay alive marched painfully on.  To hasten a criminal’s death, a Roman soldier would break their legs with an iron mallet.  

Without the use of their legs, one could not push up to inhale or exhale air causing suffocation and death.

This was done to the two criminals crucified on either side of Jesus so that they would die instantly. The Passover began at sundown along with the Sabbath. Those being high days, the dead bodies could not remain there for that would have defiled this most holy day and their land (Deut 21:23; John 19:31).

The soldiers did not break the legs of Jesus because he was already dead, but a soldier pierced His side. Not breaking Jesus legs and piercing His side fulfilled two Old Testament Messianic prophecies:

1. Not one of his bones was broken (Psalm 34:20)

2. They will look upon Me whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10)   

Anyone hanging on a tree was considered cursed according to the law (Deuteronomy 21:23). That is exactly what Jesus became for us; a curse. Galatians 3:13-14 says, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us; for it is written cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The word redeem in the original Greek is exagorazṓ which means to buy out. Metaphorically when Jesus was crucified, He bought us out of the sin slavery market. He purchased our freedom with His obedient sacrifice for our sins. The debt we owed but could never pay was lovingly paid by Him; a debt He didn’t owe but was able to pay. Our sin debt cost Him his natural life and a humiliating death He went through for countless unworthy, wicked human beings.

  

                                                           Final Thoughts

The writer wrote the aforementioned regarding the history of the crucifixion so that we could get a closer view of the horrors of this heinous form of execution our Lord suffered for us. Each time we ponder on it, we should realize this is the death we deserved. The horrific, humiliating death Jesus died was for our benefit. Please understand the death of Jesus was not God’s greatest defeat, it was His greatest triumph! This was predetermined by God that Jesus would die this way to save His people from their sins (Matt 1:21).

Jesus said in John 12:27, “Now my soul has become troubled, and what shall I say, Father save me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

Jesus knew that He was sent to the earth by the Father to die.

Another verse reads this way, “this Man delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of 

God you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23).

Again we see the death of Jesus was no accident. Although godless men crucified Jesus for evil, God had predetermined it for good (Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28) Even though Jesus had been condemned to die a sinner’s death, He was in total control of it all. How do I know this?

           

          Listen to the words of Jesus Himself.

“ Even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down of My own initiative. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This commandment I have received from My Father” (John 10:15-18).

We read in John 19:30b Jesus saying, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up (italics mine) His spirit.

When Jesus was crucified, His hour had finally come and was accomplished. Prior to that when the religious leaders and Jews wanted to kill Him, they were unable to for His hour of trial had not come (John 7:8, 30; 8:20, 59; 10:39).

This clearly demonstrates Jesus was in complete control of everything that happened to Him, even His death was under His power.

            

                  Extraordinary!

God working providentially through the wickedness of men to condemn Jesus to death fulfilled His purpose. By the Father God unleashing His holy wrath on Jesus, it satisfied His soul that sin’s debt was completely paid for by the death of His Son.

As a result, the Father is now able to pour out abundantly His grace to all men.