“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do’.” — Luke 23:34 KJV
Good Friday is past. The day of infamy. The day when pain was inflicted on Jesus. Let’s look at two of the important elements that were part of the day. The crown of thorns and the spikes themselves.
The crown of thorns was made from a bush that was prevalent in that region. The branches were soft and pliable, thus making them easy to weave into a circular crown-like item. The thorns on this bush were numerous, roughly 1.2 inches long and very, very sharp. When the Roman soldiers placed it on the head of Jesus it was not intended to be an instrument of pain, even though it says in scripture that He was hit on the head with a reed stick multitude times (Mark 15:19). The crown was meant to mock Jesus as the King of the Jews, for Pilate had asked Him if He were in fact their King (Matthew 27:11). Jesus’ reply (“You have said it.”) apparently led Pilate to accept that as an affirmation. The sharp thorns were bound to draw a certain amount of blood upon Jesus’ forehead, whether intended or not.
Once at the place where the crucifixion would actually take place, they laid Jesus’ shoulders down on the crossbeam and stretched out both His arms. The spikes they used to attach His body to the crossbeam were roughly 9 inches long and square, coming to a point on one end. A wooden disc was placed over the body part to be spiked in insure it didn’t come off the spike due to the person’s bod weight. The spikes were driven through the flesh where the Ulna and Radius bones meet. This would make sure the spike didn’t rip thru the flesh on the hand which would have happened if the spike was nailed thru the palm of the hand as is shown in cinematic versions of the crucifixion.
The act of crucifixion was a horrible way to die. In Jesus’ case, in His weakened state, it would have been nearly impossible for Him to push Himself up with His spiked feet to catch His breath. Normally, the soldiers would hasten a victim’s death by asphyxiation breaking their legs so they would die quicker. In Jesus case, when they came to Him, He had already passed away so there was no need to break his legs.
It is said that crucifixion was the most ghastly, horrific form of torture used to kill someone. Jesus volunteered to endure this most egregious form of death so we wouldn’t have to suffer the tortures of hell for all eternity. Never forget what was done for you to free you from your sin. If you haven’t yet sought forgiveness from your sinful life, now is the best time to pray to God for the gift of forgiveness. Let God change your life forever so you can live with Him for all eternity.
Always remember the truth of the Gospel. "The amazing news of the Gospel is not that we can receive Jesus into our lives but that He's already received us into His." *
In His name & for His glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
* Taken from song THE GOSPEL by Ryan Stevenson.
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