Physiological Aspect of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ


What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during His crucifixion? Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, the gospel writers undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason, we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified...and they crucified Him."

Despite the gospel accounts' silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. An attempt to examine the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, we can examine the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion in some detail.

GETHSEMANE The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. The physician, Luke, wrote,"And being in agony, He prayed the longer. And His sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground."(Luke 22:44)

Many scholars have attempted to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotion stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock.

The next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. This is where the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face.

BEFORE PILATE

In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. Pilate attempted to shift responsibility to Herod. However, Jesus suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to PIlate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion.

The scourging was carried out in accordance with Caesar's laws. Jesus was stripped of His clothing and His hands were tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagellum ( a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with small balls of lead attached near the ends of each) in his hand. He brought the flagellum down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first and oozing of blood and finally spurting aterial bleeding from vessel in the underlying muscles.

The balls of lead first produced large deep bruises but were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in the long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When the centurion in charge determined the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped.

MOCKERY

The half-fainting Jesus was untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with His own blood. The Roman soldiers threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They crafted a crude crown form small branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires. They pressed the crown into His scalp, producing copious bleeding as the thorns pierce the vascular tissue.

After mocking Him and stricking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, tired of their sadistic sport, they tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed.

GOLGOTHA

In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently return His garment. The heavy patibulum of the cross was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers begain its slow journey along the route known as the Via Dolorosa.

In spite of Jesus' effort to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by the loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. When the 650 yard journey to Golgotha was finally completed, He was again stripped of His clothing. (There is disagreement as to whether He may have been permitted a loin covering.)

THE CRUCIFIXION

Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh (a mild pain-relieving mixture), which He refused. With the patibulum on the ground, Jesus was thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist and drove a square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action. They then lifted the patibulum into place at the top of the stipes and dropped it into place. The left foot was pressed against the right foot. With both feet extended toes down, a spike was driven through the arch of both feet. The victim was now crucified.

ON THE CROSS

As Jesus sagged down with more weight on the nails in His wrists, excruciatiing, fiery pain shot along His fingers and up the arms form the nails in the wrists that put pressure on the median nerve. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again, there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of His feet.

At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the large muscles of the chest were paralyzed and the small muscles between the ribs were unable to act. He could inhale, but He could not exhale. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, as the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and blood stream, the cramps partially subsided.

THE LAST WORD

Spasmodically, He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in live-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded.

THE FIRST - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do."

THE SECOND - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."

THE THIRD - looking down at His mother, He said: "Woman behold your son." Then turning to John, the beloved apostle, He said:"Behold your mother."

THE FOURTH cry is from the beginning of PSALM 22: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"

He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the sac surrounding the heart slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart.

The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled:"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."

The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. Jesus gasped HIS FIFTH CRY: "I THIRST." Again read the prophetic Psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death."(Psalm 22:15)

A sponge soaked with cheap sour wine was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth HIS SIXTH WORD: possibly little more that a tortured whisper: "IT IS FINISHED."

His mission of atonement had been completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered HIS SEVENTH AND LAST CRY:"FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT."

DEATH

The common method of ending a crucifixion was by breaking the legs. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary. (This, by the way, fulfilled the Law in Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12, which state "Not one of His bones shall be broken.")

To make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. (Again, this fulfilled the prophecy spoken by David in Psalm 22:16,17: "They shall look on Him whom they pierced.") John 19:34 states: "And immediately there came out blood and water." This escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart is rather conclusive evidence that Jesus died, not the usual death by suffocation, but of the heart failure due to shock and contriction of the heart.

In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit towards his fellowman and toward God. It is an ugly sight that could easily leave us despondent and depressed.

BUT THE CRUCIFIXION WAS NOT THE END OF THE STORY!!!!! PRAISE GOD THAT WE HAVE A SEQUEL - a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man - the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of that final resurrection morning!

THE RESURRECTION!!!

Submitted by Tyrone Petrie

Crucifixion: Jesus Faced a Horrible Death


Crucifixion typically began with a scourging or flogging of the victim's back. The Romans used a whip called a flagrum, which consisted of small pieces of bone and metal attached to a number of leather strands. The number of blows given to Jesus is not recorded; however, the number of blows in Jewish law was 39 (one less than the 40 called for in the Torah, to prevent a counting error). During the scourging, the skin was ripped from the back, exposing a bloody mass of tissue and bone. Extreme blood loss occurred, often causing death, or at least unconsciousness. In addition to the flogging, Jesus faced severe beating and torment by the Roman soldiers, including the plucking of His beard and the piercing of His scalp with a crown of thorns.

After the flogging, the victim was often forced to carry his own crossbar, or patibulum, to the execution site. The patibulum could easily weigh 100 pounds. In the case of Jesus, the record shows that He may have carried His patibulum the distance of over two football fields. In a weak and tormented state, it's no wonder the record establishes that Jesus needed a great deal of assistance. Once the victim arrived at the execution site, the patibulum was put on the ground and the victim was forced to lie upon it. Spikes about 7 inches long and 3/8 of an inch in diameter were driven into the wrists. The spikes would hit the area of the median nerve, causing shocks of pain up the arms to the shoulders and neck. Already standing at the crucifixion site would be the 7-foot-tall post, called a stipes. In the center of the stipes was a crude seat to “support” for the victim. The patibulum was then lifted on to the stipes, and the victim's body was awkwardly turned on the seat so that the feet could be nailed to the stipes. At this point, there was tremendous strain put on the wrists, arms and shoulders, resulting in a dislocation of the shoulder and elbow joints. The position of the nailed body held the victim's rib cage in a fixed position, which made it extremely difficult to exhale, and impossible to take a full breath. Having suffered from the scourging, the beatings and the walk with the patibulum, Jesus was described as extremely weak and dehydrated. He was probably losing significant amounts of blood. As time passed, the loss of blood and lack of oxygen would cause severe cramps, spasmodic contractions and probably unconsciousness.

Ultimately, the mechanism of death in crucifixion was suffocation. To breathe, the victim was forced to push up on his feet to allow for inflation of the lungs. As the body weakened and pain in the feet and legs became unbearable, the victim was forced to trade breathing for pain and exhaustion. Eventually, the victim would succumb in this way, becoming utterly exhausted or lapsing into unconsciousness so that he could no longer lift his body off the stipes and inflate his lungs. Due to the shallow breathing, the victim's lungs would begin to collapse in areas, probably causing hypoxia. Due to the loss of blood from the scourging, the victim probably formed a respiratory acidosis, resulting in an increased strain on the heart, which beats faster to compensate. Fluid would also build up in the lungs. Under the stress of hypoxia and acidosis, the heart would eventually fail. There are several different theories on the actual cause of death for Jesus. One theory is that there was a filling of the pericardium with fluid, which put a fatal strain on the ability of His heart to pump blood. Another theory states that Jesus died of cardiac rupture. Another theory is that Jesus' death was “multifactorial and related primarily to hypovolemic shock, exhaustion asphyxia and perhaps acute heart failure. Regardless of the actual medical cause of final death, the historical record is very clear -- Jesus suffered numerous hours of horrible and sustained torture on the cross of Calvary.

Crucifixion: Jesus Suffered for You and Me


The crucifixion accounts of Jesus Christ are in entire agreement with the customs and practices of the Romans in that period. The evidence for Christ's horrible and painful death is unquestioned by today's legitimate scholars. The only dispute is the nature and character of the "criminal" Jesus Christ. Look at the record yourself -- Even with all the pain, Jesus thought of others rather than Himself. His first words from the cross were, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). He thought of His mother, who stood by the cross weeping, and asked his beloved disciple John to take care of her. On either side of Jesus were two thieves executed at the same time. When one of them accepted Jesus as Lord, Jesus shared with him, "To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). Finally, Jesus expressed his complete surrender to the will of God as He said, "It is finished;" (John 19:30). "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit" (Luke 23:46). Investigate the historical record, and then examine your heart. Jesus gave Himself willingly for you and me. Jesus suffered a horrible death for you and me. Jesus loved us so much that He willingly died in utter shame and pain for our sins. In fact, the Bible teaches us that He who was without sin was literally "made sin" for us. God, in human form, allowed himself to be made sin to save us. On the cross, he bore all the world's sin because of His love. The only way to complete His story of love is to love Him in return.

Jesus Christ: Many Things to Many People


Jesus Christ has been called many things by many people, including a great man, a great teacher, and a great prophet. There is no legitimate scholar today that denies that Jesus is a historic figure that walked on this earth about 2,000 years ago, that he did remarkable wonders and acts of charity, and that he died a horrible death on a Roman cross just outside Jerusalem. The only dispute is whether Jesus was God incarnate who rose from the dead three days after His crucifixion. These are all matters of historical record that can be earnestly discovered and tested. Jesus told us who He was He didn't mince words. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6).

Jesus Christ: He is the Way


Jesus Christ declared I am the Way, but clearly, not everyone believes Him. What are we all afraid of? The evidence for Jesus and His great works are well documented both in and out of the Bible. The evidence for His crucifixion on the cross, the empty tomb three days later, and His appearances to over 500 eye-witnesses after his resurrection is very compelling. Jesus fulfilled over 300 messianic prophecies written in the Old Testament scriptures. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth, you can be assured that these prophecies were not "conspired" after-the-fact. They were truly fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Actually, if you look at the polls, most people aren't afraid of Jesus at all. They're afraid of Christians. Look at the way many Christians act, and who can deny this fear. Arcane rituals, flamboyant preachers, money, power, hypocrisy. Do these present a real picture of who Jesus is, and who He wants us to be? No. However, Jesus did not ask us to follow men and religion, He asked us to follow Him.

Jesus Christ: He is the Truth


Jesus Christ declared “I am the Truth, but clearly, many of us have created our own concepts of truth. Moral relativism and religious pluralism pervade our culture. Truth is redefined daily. However, Jesus, through His Word -- the Bible -- gave us absolute truth. With today's archaeological, historical and manuscript evidence, there's far less reason to deny the origin of the Bible and its divine authenticity than to deny the legitimacy of works by Homer, Plato and Aristotle. What about your own pursuit of the truth? Is it even a priority in your life? How do you discover Christ's truth, you might ask? He tells us in Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Jesus Christ: He is the Life


In Philippians 3:8, Paul said it all when he claimed that everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).

Jesus Christ: He is Who He Said He Was
Jesus Christ said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a “good man, how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? There is only one logically consistent alternative - He must have been telling the truth. Jesus is who He said He was - He is the only way to God!

Christianity: Simple Truth


Christianity rises to the top when you earnestly investigate the other theories, philosophies, movements and religions of the world. Yes, as hard as it is to hear in our pluralistic world community, Christianity is different than all the others. That may sound terribly dogmatic and narrow-minded, but the simple truth is that Christianity is the only true religion.

Christianity: Why Believe It's the Only Way
Christianity is not based upon evidence...but it is backed by evidence. Obviously anyone could "claim" to be God. The difference with Jesus is that His life completely backed those claims. Check out the history, check out the claims it's an absolutely phenomenal study.

A primary focus for your study is that Jesus fulfilled over 300 messianic prophecies written in the Old Testament scriptures. With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the reliability of the Septuagint version of the Old Testament, both of which have been proven to exist prior to the time Jesus walked on the earth, you can be assured that these prophecies were not "conspired" after-the-fact. They were truly fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Examine the probability of one man fulfilling just a handful of the most specific prophecies, and you'll be amazed. "And He [Jesus] said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me." Luke 24:44

Another focus for your study is to understand what Jesus said and did as a historical figure. No legitimate scholars today will deny that Jesus lived about 2,000 years ago, was a great teacher and doer of good works, and that he was crucified on a Roman cross for the crime of blasphemy among the Jews. The only dispute is whether Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion and that He was, in fact, God incarnate. This is where everyone must test the evidence for the resurrection, examine their hearts, and make a decision about who Jesus really was.

Jesus said that He alone was the way to the Father (John 14:6), that He alone revealed the Father (Matt. 11:27; Luke 10:22). Christians do not go around saying Christianity is the only way because they are arrogant, stupid or judgmental. They do so because, based on the evidence, they believe what Jesus said. Christians believe in Jesus, who claimed to be God (John 8:58; Exodus 3:14), who forgave sins (Mark 2:5; Luke 5:20; 7:48), and who rose from the dead (Luke 24:24-29; John 2:19f). Jesus said that He was the only way. Jesus is unique. He was either telling the truth, He was crazy, or He was a liar. But since everyone agrees that Jesus was a “good man, how then could He be both good and crazy, or good and a liar? He must have been telling the truth. He is the only way.

Buddha didn't rise from the dead, nor did Confucius or Zoroaster. Muhammad didn't fulfill detailed prophecy. Alexander the Great didn't raise the dead or heal the sick. And though there is far less reliable information written about these "religious" leaders, they are believed in and followed by millions.

Christianity: Not Religion, but is a Relationship
Christianity is not really a religion; it is a relationship with God. It is trusting in Jesus and what He did on the cross for you (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), not on what you can do for yourself (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christianity is not about ornate buildings, flamboyant preachers, or traditional rituals. Christianity is about truly accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

 

Become a Christian Today!


How do I become a Christian? Once you have asked all your questions, weighed all the evidence, and tested all the arguments, you will ultimately be confronted with the basic question Jesus asked his own disciples in Matthew 16:15:

"But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter replied:

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

What is your reply?

If you have come to the same conclusion as Simon Peter, you are a few steps away from having a personal relationship with our loving God. It is our sincere hope and prayer that each of you reach this conclusion, for we know that true happiness, joy and peace only come when we recognize our purpose for existing and yield our wills to our Creator. As you will see, Christianity is not based on a religious building, formula or ritual, it's a matter of what you truly believe in your heart.

Become a Christian: Step through the Gospel
First, you can be sure that God loves you unconditionally and desires to have a personal relationship with you.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).

Second, you need to admit your sinful nature to God, because this is what separates all of us from Him.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).

Third, you should stop trying to please God through your own efforts, and realize that salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ is a gift that none of us deserves.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).

Finally, you just need to step in and truly accept God's gift -- His Son, Jesus Christ.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (John 1:12).

So, now you know the basic steps to become a Christian. As a result, if you desire God's gift of eternal life and fellowship with Him, you are as close as a sincere act of faith.

Jesus says,

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6).

Jesus also says,

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20).

Receiving Jesus is a matter of truly asking Him to come into your life, to forgive your sins, and to become your Lord and Savior. It's not merely an intellectual undertaking, but rather, an act of sincere faith and heart-felt will.

If you want to receive Jesus now, and accept His gift of salvation, it's a matter of believing in Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, and turning the rest of your life over to Him. This is not a ritual based on specific words, but rather, a prayerful guideline for your sincere step of faith.



"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." (Acts 2:38)

If you decided to become a Christian today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.