What was the crucifixion like?
The Devotional Answer
The devotional truth is that the crucifixion was the ultimate expression of God's sacrificial love for humanity. It was the moment where Jesus willingly absorbed the full physical and spiritual weight of humanity's sin and God’s righteous judgment (Question 49).
When you consider the physical agony, remember that it was secondary to the spiritual agony Christ experienced when He was separated from the Father while bearing the world's sin.
His willingness to endure such a barbaric death testifies to the immense value He placed on your eternal salvation. The cross is not a symbol of defeat, but of ultimate victory over sin and death.
The Simple Answer
The crucifixion was a brutal, multi-stage process involving four main parts designed for maximum suffering:
The Scourging: The victim was whipped severely with a Roman flagrum (a whip with lead balls and sharp pieces of bone), causing deep muscle tears and massive blood loss.
The Carry: The victim was forced to carry the patibulum (the crossbar, weighing 75-125 lbs) to the execution site.
The Affixing: The victim was nailed or tied to the cross. Nails were typically driven through the wrists (often mistakenly called palms) and the feet.
The Agony: The victim was suspended. Death was not usually caused by blood loss, but by slow asphyxiation (suffocation) as the body slumped, making it impossible to breathe.
The Deeper Dive
The Roman crucifixion system was a gruesome display of efficiency in torture.
1. The Scourging (Pre-Crucifixion)
The flogging was often so severe that victims frequently died from hypovolemic shock (extreme blood loss) before even reaching the cross. The whipping removed skin and muscle tissue, leaving the spine exposed and setting the stage for shock and severe pain.
2. The Mechanics of Breathing
Once affixed, the vertical suspension was the executioner's greatest tool. To take a breath, the victim had to push up on the nailed feet, which brought blinding pain, and pull with the nailed arms, which caused massive shoulder and wrist strain.
Inhaling: Required agonizing effort, pushing up on the feet to stretch the rib cage.
Exhaling: Was easier, which meant the victim naturally slumped, leading to shallow breathing.
Eventually, the victim would be too exhausted to push up, and the chest cavity would seize in a state of sustained inhalation, leading to carbon dioxide buildup and eventual suffocation.
3. Final Cause of Death for Jesus
While many victims died of asphyxiation, historical accounts and the Gospel of John (19:34) suggest Jesus' death was hastened.
The Spear: The Roman soldier plunged a spear into Jesus' side, and "blood and water" poured out. Medical interpretation suggests this water was pericardial fluid surrounding the heart, indicating severe stress and likely cardiac rupture or failure due to shock, trauma, and dehydration.
The Leg-Breaking (Crurifragium): For other victims, Roman soldiers would break their legs to prevent them from pushing up, ensuring a rapid death by asphyxiation. The soldiers did not break Jesus' legs because He was already dead, fulfilling prophecy (Psalm 34:20).
God's Assurance
God assures you that every drop of suffering endured by Christ on the cross served to pay the penalty for your sin, securing a love that can never be broken.
"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." — Isaiah 53:5 (NIV)
You are assured that the crucifixion was God's ultimate demonstration of justice and mercy, paying the full price for your freedom.
Your Takeaway Thought
Do not look at the crucifixion as a moment of defeat. See it as the powerful, loving work of the Son of God, who fully emptied Himself to take the place you deserved. The cross is the reason your faith is valid, your forgiveness is complete, and your hope is secure. The depth of His suffering is the measure of His love for you.
