Do not be misled by the popular pictures and statues of Jesus hanging on the cross. It was a horribly gruesome picture to behold him in real life. Because Jesus was a relatively young and strong man, his body was able to sustain him through much of the initial abuse that he experienced. However, at one point he was unable to carry the cross himself. The appearance of his body and the pain that he experienced is beyond description. To see him would not be to recognize him.
Jesus was arrested Thursday evening which means he had no rest since Wednesday. He was dragged before six different appearances of court procedures which were all illegal according to Jewish and Roman law. In the process, he was abused by both Gentiles and Hebrews.
By the time Jesus was hung on the cross, he had no rest, no water, no food, and even rejected the ancient aesthetic offered to him. He experienced the full weight of pain as he hung on the cross. The only way he could breathe was to push down on his nailed feet to raise himself up so that his lungs could inhale air. While he did that, Jesus scratched his beaten back against the splitters of the cross. The beating that he experienced was so severe that at times for other men their entrails would be exposed.
In the process since his arrest in the garden, Jesus had his hands tied, was dragged from place to place, and in the process was shoved, pushed, struck in the face and other parts of his body, while being mocked. Looking back to prophecy of his experience, his beard was pulled out by its roots. His bones were out of joint. (Isaih 50:6; Psalm 22) No doubt his eyes were swollen from the beatings. Blood gushed over his head from the wounds made by the thorns in the crown pressed into his forehead and skull. He was so mutilated that his identity was difficult to detect.
The nails placed in his body activated nerves which sent shockwaves throughout his limbs. At one point his parched lips and tongue were so dry that he was unable to talk. It was then that he accepted moisture so that he might continue crying out in behalf of those who were murdering him. His muscles cramped from the upright position that his attachment to the cross required. His heart was beating at an exceptionally high rate. It may sound trite to say that the headache he experienced was excruciating.
The vision of him on the cross was horrifying. It can truthfully be said that he was maimed. For his mother and others nearby, they must have suffered trauma while watching him suffer from the murder that was being inflicted on him at a slow pace. It is important to realize that both Jews and Gentiles were directly or indirectly responsible for his murder. All humanity stood before the cross mocking him, teasing him, and spitting toward him. That includes me and you who were represented by those people many years ago! Yet he never ushered a vile word against anyone.
The three hours of darkness from 9 AM to noon, the earthquake, the tearing of the temple veil from top to bottom that was several inches thick, the reawakening of the dead saints, the splitting of rocks, and the sound of the accompanying happenings of these likely was overwhelming. He did all of this because he was innocent, and we are not!
Christian Writer 