To this point, we’ve talked about Christ’s birth. And we’ve talked about His resurrection. But we haven’t talked about Jesus’ death. And His death and the manner by which He was executed are just as important as any other aspect of His life and ministry.
Why Crucifixion?
Crucifixion is not a pretty way to die. I say “is” because although rarely used today, it is still occasionally practiced. This week’s post will deal with Jesus’ crucifixion, but before we deal with His specifically, let’s look at the practice in a more general way.
To understand why crucifixion was used by Roman authorities, we must first understand that the underpinning of the Empire, that which held the Roman Empire together, was violence or the threat of violence.
The Roman Empire was not a collection of like-minded states which had come together to form a union for mutual protection and benefit such as the United States is today. The Empire’s sole focus and its fundamental purpose for existence was to enrich Rome and its citizens.
It was built by conquest (as had virtually all the empires that preceded it and the vast majority of those which succeeded it). States or regions were added to the Empire, not because the local citizenry desired it but because the might of Rome was sufficient to subjugate and envelop them.
And, they did not remain a part of the Empire because of the benefits of their association. They remained a part of the Empire because to do otherwise was to face certain annihilation (as the Jews learned in 66-73 A.D.).
Essentially, most of the world from the Near-East to the Atlantic was turned into one large slave to Rome. And, what kept the Empire intact was the fact that it would use any level of violence necessary to assure its continued existence and dominance.
Hence the use of crucifixion. Crucifixion was rarely used to punish “common” crimes. (I’m convinced that the two men crucified along with Christ were simply in the “wrong place at the wrong time.) Crucifixion was ugly, painful, humiliating and slow. The aim of crucifixion was not just to punish the offender, but to have the offender’s punishment serve as a reminder to all of the power of Rome, and a deterrent to any activities that could be considered seditious or treasonous.
The right to crucify was reserved by Rome. Jews were not allowed to use this method of execution. It was seen as an extension of Rome’s power and dominance. And, it was brutally effective at communicating Rome’s position and status as superior to any other.
In fact, this is the premise upon which Jesus’ crucifixion was justified. Remember that His ‘crimes’ as reported by the Jewish leaders were not acts of physical violence, theft, or anything mundane. Rather, his crimes as reported to Pilate were, “…inciting…people to revolt, opposing payment of…tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be …king.” [Luke 22:1-2] If true, any of these charges would have constituted a crime against the Roman State and be punishable by death.
Initially Pilate’s judgment was that Jesus was innocent of the charges (“I find no case against this man…” [Luke 23:4]). It was only after he became convinced that the Jewish leadership was prepared to complain to his superiors (“…If you set him free you are no friend of Caesar’s… [John 19:12]) about his refusal to crucify Jesus that he relented and ordered Him to be executed.
Death by Crucifixion.
The condemned person is affixed to a raised structure. The structure can be a pole, a cross (most commonly), or even a tree. The purpose of the structure is to elevate the victim off the ground, to hold him there, and to expose him to the elements and to the view of others.
The condemned is secured to the structure either by ropes, chains or other means. How Jesus was suspended from the cross is not detailed in Scripture. The only reference we have as to the manner of His being secured comes from Thomas, who says in John 20:25, “Unless I can see the holes made in His hands…” [John 20:25]. From this we infer that Jesus was nailed to the cross.
The common understanding is that He was nailed through either His hands or His wrists, and again through His feet. But the Scriptural evidence for this is scarce. Nor do we have an abundance of other corroborating evidence. I am aware of only two tangible artifacts we have of this practice. They are both heel bones from different individuals who appear to have died relatively close to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. They each have been pierced by a nail and seem to have been attached to wood in a manner consistent with the historical description of how crucifixions were carried out.
Regardless of the method of securement, the crucified person eventually dies primarily from suffocation. Having one’s body suspended by the arms secured to either side of a cross causes the body’s own weight to be used against it. As gravity pulls the body down, the position of the arms holding the body up is such that it is nearly impossible for the crucified to draw a full breath. Consequently, the body’s own weight slowly suffocates the crucified.
Some accounts claim that persons suspended in this manner could last for up to three days before exhaustion and exposure took their toll.
Jesus’s Death.
We don’t know exactly how long Jesus hung on the cross, but it is estimated that he hung there for approximately six hours (from Noon-6 pm). This was seen as a relative short period of time (see above). So much so that Pilate sent a centurion to verify for him that Jesus had, in fact, died [Mark 15:44] before he authorized His body to be released to Joseph of Arimathaea.
However, we must remember that Jesus had already been up all night, arrested and beaten by the Roman soldiers, flogged (a punishment that frequently resulted in death), and required to carry His own cross for a good distance (some estimates up to one-half of a mile) before He was placed on it.
Frankly, it’s an amazement that He lasted as long as He did.
But, after He’d been hanging on the cross for six hours, Jesus cried out, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit!” [Luke 23:46] and He died.
Meaning of the Cross as the Manner of His Death.
“What is the point?” you may ask. If Jesus had to die, couldn’t He have just thrown Himself off a tall tower, or drowned Himself in the sea? Was the manner of His death really all that important?
The short answer is, “Yes, the manner of His death WAS important.”
Crucifixion was seen as the most dramatic, abhorrent, and demeaning way that a person could be executed in the Roman world. It was the “ultimate” punishment. And, if Jesus was going to pay the “ultimate price” it would have been necessary for Him to pay it via the Ultimate Punishment. Death by any other device would not have had the same meaning for or to His followers (or the rest of the world).
A core part of Jesus’ message was the need to “be humble.” Dying on the cross was the most humiliating way to die in the Roman world. It was not possible for anyone to die in a more ignominious manner. So, His sacrifice on the cross emphasized that He was willing to go to the “lowest of depths” to make His point. He was the Ultimately Humble and would not allow His death to place Him “above” any other. Allowing His death in any other way would not have demonstrated the depths of His humility and would have rendered His calls for us to be humble empty.
Next, if Jesus was going to die “for our sins,” He had to die for some crime (or sin). In other words, just as we are “convicted” by our sins, so He must have been convicted for some malfeasance to be able to “stand in” for us when it comes to our own Judgment. Since we, collectively, represent the ultimate in sin, we must have the ultimate in expiation. Only by dying in the ultimate manner could that ultimate sin be expiated. Thus, the need for death via crucifixion.
Jesus’ death needed to be public.
Death in a dark cell unattended by others would not have served the purpose of exhibiting His sacrifice for all to see. Also, because He died in such a public manner it could not later be claimed (at least not with any credence) that He had not really died but had somehow escaped. His death was attended by several (believers and non-believers) so that there could be no question later that He had truly died. Crucifixion always drew crowds and a crowd was needed to assure false claims about His avoiding death could not be made.
His death on the cross is seen by many to fulfill prophecy. Examples are: Psalm 22:17-18, Psalm 22:7-8, and Isaiah 55:3. These verses predicted that the Messiah would die a humble death, suffering while despised and forsaken by all. That is exactly what happened.
Finally, only from real death would Jesus’ resurrection have real meaning.
His reappearance from sleep, a coma, or from unconsciousness would have been meaningless and ineffective. He’d said that He would rise from the dead, and that’s exactly what He had to do. And a death on the cross was the only way that could be accomplished without any doubt as to its authenticity.
Conclusion.
Of course, Jesus’ death and the manner thereof is a topic for endless study and reflection. Here we have only scratched the surface. There is much more that can be said on this subject and I direct you to other, more authoritative sources for your further exploration.
I offer these meager ruminations for your consideration and as a vehicle to move your thought process about your faith forward.
Until next week,
God’s Blessings on You All.
Richard
January 18, 2019
