Reference: Crucifixion
Easton
a common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It is not certain whether it was known among the ancient Jews; probably it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the Mosaic law were, by the sword (Ex 21), strangling, fire (Le 20), and stoning (De 21).
This was regarded as the most horrible form of death, and to a Jew it would acquire greater horror from the curse in De 21:23.
This punishment began by subjecting the sufferer to scourging. In the case of our Lord, however, his scourging was rather before the sentence was passed upon him, and was inflicted by Pilate for the purpose, probably, of exciting pity and procuring his escape from further punishment (Lu 23:22; Joh 19:1).
The condemned one carried his own cross to the place of execution, which was outside the city, in some conspicuous place set apart for the purpose. Before the nailing to the cross took place, a medicated cup of vinegar mixed with gall and myrrh (the sopor) was given, for the purpose of deadening the pangs of the sufferer. Our Lord refused this cup, that his senses might be clear (Mt 27:34). The spongeful of vinegar, sour wine, posca, the common drink of the Roman soldiers, which was put on a hyssop stalk and offered to our Lord in contemptuous pity (Mt 27:48; Lu 23:36), he tasted to allay the agonies of his thirst (Joh 19:29). The accounts given of the crucifixion of our Lord are in entire agreement with the customs and practices of the Roman in such cases. He was crucified between two "malefactors" (Isa 53:12; Lu 23:32), and was watched by a party of four soldiers (Joh 19:23; Mt 27:36,54), with their centurion. The "breaking of the legs" of the malefactors was intended to hasten death, and put them out of misery (Joh 19:31); but the unusual rapidity of our Lord's death (Joh 19:33) was due to his previous sufferings and his great mental anguish. The omission of the breaking of his legs was the fulfilment of a type (Ex 12:46). He literally died of a broken heart, a ruptured heart, and hence the flowing of blood and water from the wound made by the soldier's spear (Joh 19:34). Our Lord uttered seven memorable words from the cross, namely, (1) Lu 23:34; (2) Lu 23:43; (3) Joh 19:26; (4) Mt 27:46; Mr 15:34; (5) Joh 19:28; (6) Joh 19:30; (7) Lu 23:46.
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they gave Him to drink wine mingled with gall; and, having tasted it, He would not drink.
and, sitting down, they watched Him there.
And, about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "My God! My God! Why didst Thou forsake Me?"
And straightway one of them, running and taking a sponge, and filling it with vinegar, and putting it on a reed, was giving Him to drink.
And the centurion, and those with him watching Jesus, seeing the earthquake, and the things that were taking places were exceedingly frightened, saying, Truly, This was a Son of God!"
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with aloud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!" which is, being interpreted, "My God! My God! why didst Thou forsake Me!"
But he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil did This Man do? I found in Him nothing worthy of death. Chastising Him, therefore, I will release Him."
And there were being led two others also, malefactors, with Him to be put to death.
And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do!" And, dividing His garments among them, they cast lots.
And the soldiers also were mocking Him, coming near, and offering Him vinegar,
And He said to him, "Verily I say to you, "To-day you shall be with Me in Paradise."
And, crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." And, having said this, He expired.
Then Pilate, therefore, took Jesus, and scourged Him.
The soldiers, therefore, when they crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to each soldier a part; and also the coat. And the coat was without a seam, woven from the top throughout.
Jesus, therefore, seeing His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, saith to His mother, "Woman, behold your Son!"
After these things Jesus, knowing that all things have now been finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, "I thirst." There was set there a vessel full of vinegar; so, putting a sponge full of vinegar on hyssop, they bore it to His mouth. read more. When, therefore, Jesus received the vinegar, He said, "It has been finished;" and, bowing His head, He delivered up His spirit. The Jews, therefore, (since it was the Preparation), that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, (for the day of that sabbath was great), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and they be taken away.
but, when they came to Jesus, and saw that He was already dead, they broke not His legs; but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and straightway there came out blood and water.
Hastings
CRUCIFIXION
1. Its nature.
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And, coming out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they impressed to bear the cross.
they gave Him to drink wine mingled with gall; and, having tasted it, He would not drink. And, having crucified Him, they divided His garments among them, casting lots;
And they put over His head His accusation, "THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
And straightway one of them, running and taking a sponge, and filling it with vinegar, and putting it on a reed, was giving Him to drink.
And, evening having come, there came a rich man from Arimathaea, whose name was Joseph, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus.
And the inscription of His accusation was written above Him, "THE KING OF THE JEWS."
But he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil did This Man do? I found in Him nothing worthy of death. Chastising Him, therefore, I will release Him."
And there was also an inscription over Him, "THE KING OF THE JEWS, THIS!"
See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; because a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as ye behold Me having."
See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle Me, and see; because a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as ye behold Me having."
Then Pilate, therefore, took Jesus, and scourged Him.
And Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS."
And Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, "JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS."
The Jews, therefore, (since it was the Preparation), that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, (for the day of that sabbath was great), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and they be taken away.
The Jews, therefore, (since it was the Preparation), that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, (for the day of that sabbath was great), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and they be taken away.
but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and straightway there came out blood and water.
The other disciples, therefore, said to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and press my hand into His side, I will not believe."
The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom ye slew, having suspended Him on a tree:
And we are witnesses of all things which He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem; Whom they also slew, hanging Him on a tree.
And, when they fulfilled all things that were written concerning Him, having taken Him down from the tree, they laid Him in a tomb.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; because it has been written, "Cursed is every one who is hung upon a tree";
having blotted out the hand-writing in decrees against us, which was contrary to us, and He has taken it out of the midst, nailing it to the cross;
This is He Who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood.
because there are Three Who bear witness; the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the Three agree in one.
Morish
The most painful and the most degrading capital punishment, reserved for the worst crimes and for the lowest class of people. The Romans used a short beam fastened to a long upright one, on which was placed a piece of wood for the feet to rest on. Nails were driven through the hands and feet; but historians say that sometimes the feet were only tied. The torture was dreadful, and the thirst great; but in some cases life lasted three days, none of the vital parts being reached. The crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and of the two malefactors are the only cases named in scripture: crucifixion was not practised by the Jews. A stupefying draught was given to the prisoners, but the Lord refused it. He would drink the bitter cup to the dregs. It is clear from scripture, by His crying with a loud voice just before His death, that as stated in John's gospel (Joh 10:18) He gave up His life. Lu 23:46; Joh 19:30. The Lord referred to the manner of His death as being lifted up out of the earth, so that death by stoning would not have answered to this. Joh 3:14; 8:28; 12:32. We also read that He was made a curse for us; for "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." Ga 3:13; De 21:23. Thus did the blessed Lord in saving rebellious man go down to the very lowest form of death.
The crucifixion is used metaphorically to instruct those who are associated with Christ: of believers it is said their 'old man' is crucified with Him. Ro 6:6. Paul could say that he was crucified with Christ; and that by Christ the world was crucified to him, and he to the world. Ga 2:20; 6:14. He accepted the judgement of himself in the cross, and he was cut off from the world by the same means.
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And, crying with a loud voice, Jesus said, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." And, having said this, He expired.
And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
Jesus, therefore, said, "When ye lift up the Son of Man, then will ye know that I am He; and, of Myself, I do nothing, but, as the Father taught Me, I speak these things.
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again. This commandment I received from My Father.
and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself."
When, therefore, Jesus received the vinegar, He said, "It has been finished;" and, bowing His head, He delivered up His spirit.
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be brought to nought, that we should no more be in bondage to sin;
I have been crucified with Christ; and no longer am I living, but Christ is living in me; and, in so far as I am now living in flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; because it has been written, "Cursed is every one who is hung upon a tree";
But it could not be that I should glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has become crucified to me, and I to the world.
Smith
was in used among the Egyptians,
the Carthaginians, the Persians,
the Assyrians, Scythains, Indians, Germans, and from the earliest times among the Greeks and Romans. Whether this mode of execution was known to the ancient Jews is a matter of dispute. Probably the Jews borrowed it from the Romans. It was unanimously considered the most horrible form of death. Among the Romans the degradation was also a part of the infliction, and the punishment if applied to freemen was only used in the case of the vilest criminals. The one to be crucified was stripped naked of all his clothes, and then followed the most awful moment of all. He was laid down upon the implement of torture. His arms were stretched along the cross-beams, and at the centre of the open palms the point of a huge iron nail was placed, which, by the blow of a mallet, was driven home into the wood. Then through either foot separately, or possibly through both together, as they were placed one over the other, another huge nail tore its way through the quivering flesh. Whether the sufferer was also bound to the cross we do not know; but, to prevent the hands and feet being torn away by the weight of the body, which could not "rest upon nothing but four great wounds," there was, about the centre of the cross, a wooden projection strong enough to support, at least in part, a human body, which soon became a weight of agony. Then the "accursed tree" with its living human burden was slowly heaved up and the end fixed firmly in a hole in the ground. The feet were but a little raised above the earth. The victim was in full reach of every hand that might choose to strike. A death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of the horrible and ghastly, --dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds, all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the sufferer the relief of unconsciousness. The unnatural position made every movement painful; the lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds, inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries, especially of the head and stomach, became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and, while each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the intolerable pang of a burning and raging thirst. Such was the death to which Christ was doomed. --Farrar's "Life of Christ." The crucified was watched, according to custom, by a party of four soldiers,
Joh 19:23
with their centurion,
whose express office was to prevent the stealing of the body. This was necessary from the lingering character of the death, which sometimes did not supervene even for three days, and was at last the result of gradual benumbing and starvation. But for this guard, the persons might have been taken down and recovered, as was actually done in the case of a friend of Josephus. Fracture of the legs was especially adopted by the Jews to hasten death.
Joh 19:31
In most cases the body was suffered to rot on the cross by the action of sun and rain, or to be devoured by birds and beasts. Sepulture was generally therefore forbidden; but in consequence of
De 21:22-23
an express national exception was made in favor of the Jews.
This accursed and awful mode of punishment was happily abolished by Constantine.
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This man, going to Pilate, asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given up.
And, going, they made the sepulchre secure, sealing the stone, in connection with the guard.
The soldiers, therefore, when they crucified Jesus, took His garments, and made four parts, to each soldier a part; and also the coat. And the coat was without a seam, woven from the top throughout.
The Jews, therefore, (since it was the Preparation), that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath, (for the day of that sabbath was great), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and they be taken away.