Torture and Crucifixion of Jesus

    There are many Christians that have seen "The Passion of Christ" but the true
torture that Christ had to go through will never adequately be depicted on a
film that could be stomached by the crowd, whether Christian or secular.
    The Old Testament give us a clue in the Messianic Prophecies. David writes
in Psalms 22, about the Messiahs bones being pulled out of joint and being able to
see His ribs. Spend time reading this Psalm, just like you do the 23rd, realize
the agony, that came with the cross.
    We live in a civilized world, where prisoners are fed and treated better than
our poor. We hear of be-headings, hangings, stonings, beatings, floggings and think
of them as cruel and unusual punishments carried out in third world countries.
These acts don't even touch the cruelty of the Greeks and Romans, even the
Jewish act of stoning was human to the torture Jesus had to endure.
    Jesus was arrested and hauled before the Sanhedrin Court, where He was falsely
accused by paid witnesses for the court. Then Jesus was sent before Caiaphas, the
High Priest. Here Jesus is blindfolded, then hit multiple times, and asked to
prophesy who hit Him. It is also at this trial that our Lord's beard is plucked out,
by the handfuls. Then Jesus is throne into Ciaiphas's dungeon to await His
Friday.
    About 6 am. Friday they drag Jesus before The Sanhedrin again, then take
Jesus to Pilate. Pilot questions Jesus for a short time, then sends Him to Herod.
Herod then sends Jesus back to Pilate. Close to 9 am. the Jews ask for Barabbas
and ask Pilate to crucify Jesus.
    Between this time and about 11 am. Jesus is crowned with thorns, pressed onto
His head, mocked, and scourged. The favorite weapon for scourging, by the
Roman army was a cat-o-nine tails as they called it. Nine strands of leather,
laced with bone, metal, pottery, and anything else that could tear flesh, braided
at the end for a handle. 39 lashes, half to the front and half to the back. The way
it was used, sling the cat-o-nine over the victims shoulder and pull on the
backstroke. Remember Psalm 22, that is why you could count our Lord's ribs
after 39 lashes. Most didn't survive the lashes.
    Then Jesus carried His cross up the hill to be crucified. Where they nailed
Him to that tree and dropped it in the hole. The time was about noon, and the
sky turned dark, and still the people mocked Jesus.
    The actual cause of death on a cross is suffocation. You have to raise your
body up to breath. Can you imagine the agony as your nailed feet and arms try
to lift your body for each and every breath? Can you imagine the open wounds
scraping up and down on that cross, to breath?
    Jesus carried our sin. Jesus carried our cross. Jesus shed His Blood for us.

        Think about how much Jesus loves you and I