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Crucifixion

by W. Frank Walton

"By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 Jn 4:9-10).

It was unanimously considered the most horrible form of death. Among the Romans, the degradation was also a part of the infliction. The punishment, if applied to freemen, was only used in the case of the vilest criminals.

F. W. Farrar wrote, "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 crossbeams, and at the center 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 center 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." (Life of Christ, pp. 497-499).

So, why would God stand by and watch His Son be abused, spit upon, tortured and killed by calloused pagans and religious hypocrites? John says it is the supreme example of the Father's love for sinners like us. How could Jesus take the humiliation, excruciating pain and shameful spiritual stigmatization as our sin bearer? He loves us everyone, as if we are the only one (Eph 5:2). The saying is: love, not nails, held Jesus to the cross.

At the cross, God's hatred of sin and His amazing grace to the sinner is forever demonstrated. In the gospel plan of salvation, God's sacrificial part allowed him to punish sin and satisfy justice, while allowing His love to give fallen man a second chance to live by submissive faith (Rom 3:23-27).

No one has ever or will ever love me like that. The sacrificial love of every man by Christ, shown at the cross, is the positive drawing power of the gospel (Jn 12:32). Paul could never quite get over such unfathomable love: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal 2:20).

When we suffer or are sad or discouraged, look back to the cross and receive renewed motivation to live in obedience to the Savior. He gave His all for the likes of me. It is a joy and privilege to give my all for Him. 

 Other Articles by W. Frank Walton
Change for the Better
The Christian is a Spiritual Optimist
Getting Older