Phil. 2:6-11, ",<>form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Hebrews 12:2, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

1 Cor. 1:18, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."

A. Most of us as Christians have Taken The Crucifixion And Resurrection For Granted.

1. We seem to have become Callous To Its Horror.

2. Unlike Paul, we prefer to maintain a Distant Friendship With Christ.

Phil. 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;"

B. What Did The Body of The Lord Jesus Christ Actually Endure During Those Hours of Torture?

A. The Physician Luke was the only one to mention the "Bloody Sweat."

Luke 22:44, "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

B. Though very rare, the phenomenon of "Hematidrosis" or "Bloody Sweat" is well documented.

1. Under Great Emotional Stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat.

2.

A. After the Betrayal and Arrest in the middle of the night, Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest.

1.

B. A Soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas.

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C. The Palace Guards blindfolded Him and mockingly taunted him to identify each of them as they passed by, spat on him, and struck him in the face.

D. In the morning, Jesus, Battered and Bruised, Dehydrated, and Exhausted from a sleepless night, is taken across Jerusalem to Pontius Pilate, the Procurator of Judea.

1. Pilate's attempted to pass responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea.

2. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate.

3. Pilate then ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to be Scourged and Crucified.

A. The scourging post was 2 - 4 feet high with an Iron Ring close to the top.

1. The prisoner was Stripped of His Clothing and his wrists were shackled to the iron rings.

2. He is then Stretched, Face Down, with his feet pointing away from the post.

3. Jewish Law Prohibited More Than 40 Lashes --- usually stopping at 39 in case of a miscount.

a. The Roman punishment was Not So Limited.

b. The only rule they had was that the prisoner must not die.

c. A Spark of Life must be sustained for the Agony of The Cross.

d. Men have Bitten Their Tongues In Two under such beatings.

4. There were usually Two Mercenaries to carry out the scourging.

B. The Roman scourge was a Short Handled Whip consisting of Several (Usually 9) Leather Cords which ended with small Weights made of Rock, Metal or Bone.

C. Even the Tension of Waiting for the first blow was Cruel.

1. The Body Is Rigid, the Muscles Knot in Tormenting Cramps.

2. Color drains from the Cheeks as Lips are drawn tight against the Teeth.

D. The Roman Mercenary brings the Heavy Whip Down With Full Force again and again across the shoulders, back and legs of Jesus.

1. At first the heavy cords cut through only the skin.

2. As the blows continue, they cut Deeper Into The Tissues, producing first an Oozing of Blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin.

3. Sweat pours from the brow and stings the eyes, as the Body Twitches from the burning pain of the cruel whip

4. Then comes the Spurting Arterial Bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.

5. The Large Deep Bruises are Broken Open by continual blows until the back is a Mass of Torn Bleeding Tissue.

6. Half fainting, Jesus is then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, Wet With His Own Blood.

E. The Roman soldiers throw a Robe Across The Shoulders of Jesus and place a Stick In His Hand for a scepter to mock him as a false king.

1. They also plaited a Crown of Thorns and pressed into His scalp --- again there is abundant bleeding.

2. After mocking him and striking him across the face, the soldiers take the stick form his hand and strike him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into his scalp.

3. As they tire of their sadistic sport, the Robe Is Torn From His Back --- after it had already adhered to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds --- causing excruciating pain.

4. In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans return His garments.

F. The Crossbeam of the cross is then tied to his shoulders and the long slow parade along public streets to the place of the crucifixion began.

1. In spite of his efforts to walk erect, the weight of the Heavy Wooden Crossbeam (110 lb) gouging into his lacerated flesh causes Him to stumble and fall.

2. Simon of Cyrene is then ordered to carry the crossbeam.

3. Jesus follows with his lacerated shoulders, back, and legs --- still bleeding and Sweating The Cold Clammy Sweat of Shock.

A. The prisoner is Again Stripped of His Clothes --- some say, except for a loincloth, which was allowed the Jews.

1. As Jesus is quickly thrown backward with his shoulders against the cross --- the mercenary drives a Heavy Square Five-Inch Wrought Iron Spike through His wrist.

2. He moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement.

3. The left foot is then pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended and toes down, A Spike Is Driven Through The Arch of Each, leaving the knees moderately flexed.

B. As they began to raise the cross, He slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists --- Excruciating, Fiery Pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to exploded in the brain.

1. As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places his full weight on the spike Tearing Through The Nerves and bones of the feet.

2. As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain.

3. Hanging by His arms, it becomes Impossible For Him To Breath --- He fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath of air.

4. As He move up and down with His Lacerated Back Against That Rough Cross, the pain intensifies.

C. After two hours on the cross, every muscle in the body is locked in solid knots and the agony is beyond endurance.

1. Men shriek themselves into insanity.

2. There are Flies, Insects, and the Yelps of Hunger Dogs with the Smell of Blood in their nostrils.

3. Birds of prey, Scavengers of The Skies, circles lower and lower.

D. The Mucous Membrane, that thin, slippery tissue which lines and lubricates much of the human body, dries to the consistency of fine gravel and scrapes the tender tissues of the body.

1. They tear at the tortured Throat.

2. They lie like stones in the Sinuses.

3. The rip layers of tissue from the Eyes every time the lid is blinked or the pupil moved.

E. They would finally end the crucifixion by "Breaking The Legs" so that they could not push up for air to breath.

When they came to break the legs of Christ, He was already dead.

F. However, to make doubly sure, the Roman Mercenary Drove His Lance Through The Fifth Interspace between the ribs, upward into the heart.

1. John 19:34, "But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water."

2. There was an escape of Watery Fluid from the sac surrounding the heart, and Blood from the interior of the heart.

3. Jesus did not die the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of Heart Failure.

First --- Luke 23:34, "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Second --- Luke 23:43, "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise."

Third --- John 19:26-27, "When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!"

Fourth --- Psalm 22:1, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?"

Matt. 27:46, "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Fifth --- Psalm 22:15, "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."

John 19:28, "After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst."

Sixth --- John 19:30, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished:"

Seventh --- Luke 23:46, "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost."

This Completed Our Redemption or The Atonement From Our Sins And Then Came His Resurrection For Our Justification.

Romans 4:24-25, "... if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

Romans 5:6-8, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Isaiah 53:1-12, "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

 

"Up from the grave He arose,
with a mighty triumph o'er His foes;
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever with His saints to reign,
He arose! He arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!"

No Further Sacrifice For My Sins Is Needed --- Jesus Paid It All!

Heb. 10:10-14, "By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified."