So, what’s the big deal about getting saved and born again?
To find out, would you agree that we should first investigate what the word “salvation” means in the original Greek text?
KJV: Rom 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”.
AMP: Rom 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,”
Salvation in Greek is the word (G4982} sode'-zo
From a primary word σῶς sōs̄ (contraction for the obsolete σάος saos, “safe”); and it means to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (to make) whole.
So, just how much does He love you to go through the following? Think of that while you read what your Saviour went through for YOU.
Crucifixion of Jesus:
After the scourging (see teaching Healing and Salvation which is part 1 of this two part series) and the mocking, at about 9 AM, the Roman soldiers put Jesus' clothes back on him and then led him and two thieves to be crucified.1 Jesus apparently was so weakened by the severe flogging that he could not carry the patibulum from the Praetorium to the site of crucifixion one third of a mile (600 to 650 m) away.
Simon of Cyrene was summoned to carry Christ's cross, and the processional then made its way to Golgotha (or Calvary), an established crucifixion site.
Here, Jesus' clothes, except for a linen loincloth, again were removed, thereby probably reopening the scourging wounds. He then was offered a drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) but, after tasting it, refused the drink.
Finally, Jesus and the two thieves were crucified. Although scriptural references are made to nails in the hands, these are not at odds with the archaeological evidence of wrist wounds, since the ancients customarily considered the wrist to be a part of the hand. The titulus (Name board) was attached above Jesus' head. It is unclear whether Jesus was crucified on the Tau cross or the Latin cross. The fact that Jesus later was offered a drink of wine vinegar from a sponge placed on the stalk of the hyssop plant (approximately 20 in, or 50 em, long) strongly supports the belief that Jesus was crucified on the short cross.
The soldiers and the civilian crowd taunted Jesus throughout the crucifixion ordeal, and the soldiers cast lots for his clothing. Christ spoke seven times from the cross. Since speech occurs during exhalation, these short, terse utterances must have been particularly difficult and painful. At about 3 PM that Friday, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, bowed his head, and died. The Roman soldiers and onlookers recognized his moment of death.
Since the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the crosses after sunset, the beginning of the Sabbath, they asked Pontius Pilate to order soldiers to hasten the deaths of the three crucified men. The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Rather, one of the soldiers pierced his side, probably with an infantry spear, and produced a sudden flow of blood and water. Later that day, Jesus' body was taken down from the cross and placed in a brand new tomb no one has ever used before – FIT FOR A KING. To really understand what Jesus went through for our salvation on the cross, it is imperative that you understand the crucifixion practices and what happens to the human body:
What Jesus went through on the Cross during His actual crucifixion:
Crucifixion Practices:
Although the Romans did not invent crucifixions they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering. It was one of the most disgraceful and cruel methods of execution and usually was reserved only for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, and the vilest of criminals. Roman law usually protected Roman citizens from crucifixion, except perhaps in the ease of desertion by soldiers.
[See Cross Figure: Cross and titulus.
In its earliest form in Persia, the victim was either tied to a tree or was tied to or impaled on an upright post, usually to keep the guilty victim's feet from touching holy ground. Only later was a true cross used; it was characterized by an upright post (stipes) and a horizontal crossbar (patibulum), and it had several variations which we won’t go into here. Although archaeological and historical evidence strongly indicates that the low Tau cross was preferred by the Romans in Palestine at the time of Christ (See figure of Cross), crucifixion practices often varied in a given geographic region and in accordance with the imagination of the executioners.
It was customary for the condemned man to carry his own cross from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion outside the city walls. He was usually naked, unless this was prohibited by local customs. Since the weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 lb. (136 kg), only the crossbar was carried (See Cross Figure). The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb. (34 to 57 kg), and was placed across the nape of the victim's neck and balanced along both shoulders. Usually, the outstretched arms were tied to the crossbar.
The Procession:
The procession to the site of crucifixion was led by a complete Roman military guard, headed by a centurion. One of the soldiers carried a sign (titulus) on which the condemned man's name and crime were displayed (See picture). Later, the titulus would be attached to the top of the cross. The Roman guard would not leave the victim until they were sure of his death.
The heavy upright wooden stipes, were permanently located outside the city walls; on which the patibulum would be secured. In the case of the Tau cross, this was accomplished by means of a mortise and tenon joint, with or without reinforcement by ropes. To prolong the crucifixion process, a horizontal wooden block or plank, serving as a crude seat (sedile or sedulum), often was attached midway down the stipes. Only very rarely, and probably later than the time of Christ, was an additional block (suppedaneum) employed for transfixion of the feet (not shown in Nailing of the feet picture).
At the site of execution, by law, the victim was given a bitter drink of wine mixed
With myrrh (gall) as a mild analgesic. We know Jesus refused this from the
soldier.
Mar 15:23 And they [attempted to] give Him wine mingled with myrrh, but He would not take it.
To find out, would you agree that we should first investigate what the word “salvation” means in the original Greek text?
KJV: Rom 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek”.
AMP: Rom 1:16
“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,”
Salvation in Greek is the word (G4982} sode'-zo
From a primary word σῶς sōs̄ (contraction for the obsolete σάος saos, “safe”); and it means to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (to make) whole.
So, just how much does He love you to go through the following? Think of that while you read what your Saviour went through for YOU.
Crucifixion of Jesus:
After the scourging (see teaching Healing and Salvation which is part 1 of this two part series) and the mocking, at about 9 AM, the Roman soldiers put Jesus' clothes back on him and then led him and two thieves to be crucified.1 Jesus apparently was so weakened by the severe flogging that he could not carry the patibulum from the Praetorium to the site of crucifixion one third of a mile (600 to 650 m) away.
Simon of Cyrene was summoned to carry Christ's cross, and the processional then made its way to Golgotha (or Calvary), an established crucifixion site.
Here, Jesus' clothes, except for a linen loincloth, again were removed, thereby probably reopening the scourging wounds. He then was offered a drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) but, after tasting it, refused the drink.
Finally, Jesus and the two thieves were crucified. Although scriptural references are made to nails in the hands, these are not at odds with the archaeological evidence of wrist wounds, since the ancients customarily considered the wrist to be a part of the hand. The titulus (Name board) was attached above Jesus' head. It is unclear whether Jesus was crucified on the Tau cross or the Latin cross. The fact that Jesus later was offered a drink of wine vinegar from a sponge placed on the stalk of the hyssop plant (approximately 20 in, or 50 em, long) strongly supports the belief that Jesus was crucified on the short cross.
The soldiers and the civilian crowd taunted Jesus throughout the crucifixion ordeal, and the soldiers cast lots for his clothing. Christ spoke seven times from the cross. Since speech occurs during exhalation, these short, terse utterances must have been particularly difficult and painful. At about 3 PM that Friday, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, bowed his head, and died. The Roman soldiers and onlookers recognized his moment of death.
Since the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the crosses after sunset, the beginning of the Sabbath, they asked Pontius Pilate to order soldiers to hasten the deaths of the three crucified men. The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Rather, one of the soldiers pierced his side, probably with an infantry spear, and produced a sudden flow of blood and water. Later that day, Jesus' body was taken down from the cross and placed in a brand new tomb no one has ever used before – FIT FOR A KING. To really understand what Jesus went through for our salvation on the cross, it is imperative that you understand the crucifixion practices and what happens to the human body:
What Jesus went through on the Cross during His actual crucifixion:
Crucifixion Practices:
Although the Romans did not invent crucifixions they perfected it as a form of torture and capital punishment that was designed to produce a slow death with maximum pain and suffering. It was one of the most disgraceful and cruel methods of execution and usually was reserved only for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, and the vilest of criminals. Roman law usually protected Roman citizens from crucifixion, except perhaps in the ease of desertion by soldiers.
[See Cross Figure: Cross and titulus.
In its earliest form in Persia, the victim was either tied to a tree or was tied to or impaled on an upright post, usually to keep the guilty victim's feet from touching holy ground. Only later was a true cross used; it was characterized by an upright post (stipes) and a horizontal crossbar (patibulum), and it had several variations which we won’t go into here. Although archaeological and historical evidence strongly indicates that the low Tau cross was preferred by the Romans in Palestine at the time of Christ (See figure of Cross), crucifixion practices often varied in a given geographic region and in accordance with the imagination of the executioners.
It was customary for the condemned man to carry his own cross from the flogging post to the site of crucifixion outside the city walls. He was usually naked, unless this was prohibited by local customs. Since the weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 lb. (136 kg), only the crossbar was carried (See Cross Figure). The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb. (34 to 57 kg), and was placed across the nape of the victim's neck and balanced along both shoulders. Usually, the outstretched arms were tied to the crossbar.
The Procession:
The procession to the site of crucifixion was led by a complete Roman military guard, headed by a centurion. One of the soldiers carried a sign (titulus) on which the condemned man's name and crime were displayed (See picture). Later, the titulus would be attached to the top of the cross. The Roman guard would not leave the victim until they were sure of his death.
The heavy upright wooden stipes, were permanently located outside the city walls; on which the patibulum would be secured. In the case of the Tau cross, this was accomplished by means of a mortise and tenon joint, with or without reinforcement by ropes. To prolong the crucifixion process, a horizontal wooden block or plank, serving as a crude seat (sedile or sedulum), often was attached midway down the stipes. Only very rarely, and probably later than the time of Christ, was an additional block (suppedaneum) employed for transfixion of the feet (not shown in Nailing of the feet picture).
At the site of execution, by law, the victim was given a bitter drink of wine mixed
With myrrh (gall) as a mild analgesic. We know Jesus refused this from the
soldier.
Mar 15:23 And they [attempted to] give Him wine mingled with myrrh, but He would not take it.
[See Cross Figure: Cross and titulus. Left: victim carrying crossbar (patibulum) to site of upright post (stipes). Center: Low Tau cross (crux commissa), commonly used by Romans at time of Christ. Upper right: Rendition of Jesus' titulus with the person’s name and crime: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews; written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. Lower right: Possible methods for attaching titulus to Tau cross (left) and Latin cross (right).]
Act of Nailing hands:
The criminal was then thrown to the ground on his back, with his arms outstretched along the patibulum. The hands could be nailed or tied to the crossbar, but nailing apparently was preferred by the Romans.
Mar 15:24 And they crucified Him; and they divided His garments and distributed them among themselves, throwing lots for them to decide who should take what. [Ps. 22:18.]
Nailing of hands/wrists.
The archaeological remains of a crucified body, found in an ossuary near Jerusalem and dating from the time of Christ, indicate that the nails were tapered iron spikes approximately 5 to 7 in (13 to 18 cm) long with a square shaft 3/8 in (1 cm) across. THAT’S A HUGE NAIL!
From Scripture we know that Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced by nails:
Ps. 22:16 For [like a pack of] dogs they have encompassed me; a company of evildoers has encircled me, they pierced my hands and my feet. [Ref. Isa. 53:7; John 19:37.]
After both arms were fixed to the crossbar, the patibulum and the victim, together, were lifted onto the stipes. On the low cross, four soldiers could accomplish this relatively easily. However, on the tall cross, the soldiers used either wooden forks or ladders.
Nailing of hands/wrists. Left, Size of iron nail. Center, Location of nail in wrist, between carpals and radius. Right, Cross section of wrist, at level of plane indicated at left, showing path of nail, with probable trans-section of median nerve and impalement of flexor pollicis longus, but without injury to major arterial trunks and without fractures of bones.
Next, Jesus’ feet were nailed to the cross which was the preferred Roman practice. Although the feet could be fixed to the sides of the stipes or to a wooden footrest (suppedaneum), they usually were nailed directly to the front of the stipes (See figure of feet nailed). To accomplish this, flexion of the knees may have been quite prominent, and the bent legs may have been rotated laterally (See figure of Rotation of legs and Respiration).
Most commonly, the feet were fixed to the front of the stipes by means of an iron spike driven through the first or second inter metatarsal space, just distal to the tarsometatarsal joint. It is likely that the deep peroneal nerve and branches of the medial and lateral plantar nerves would have been injured by the nails (See figure of feet). Although scourging may have resulted in considerable blood loss, crucifixion per se was a relatively bloodless procedure, since no major arteries, other than perhaps the deep plantar arch, pass through the favored anatomic sites of transfixion
Breathing while crucified:
Inhaling:
Beyond the excruciating pain, was a marked interference with normal respiration, particularly exhaling. The weight of the body, pulling down on the outstretched arms and shoulders, would tend to fix the muscles between the ribs in an inhalation state, and thereby hamper passive exhaling. Accordingly, breathing was shallow. It is likely that this form of respiration would be inadequate and that hyper-carbia (the presence of an abnormally high level of carbon dioxide in the circulating blood) would soon result. The onset of muscle cramps, due to fatigue and the presence of an abnormally high level of carbon dioxide in the blood, would inhibit respiration even further.
Exhaling:
Adequate exhalation required lifting the body by pushing up on the feet and by flexing the elbows and adducting the shoulders (See Rotation of legs and Respiration Figure). However, this action would place the entire weight of the body on the foot bones and would produce searing pain.
Flexing of the elbows:
Furthermore, flexion of the elbows would cause rotation of the wrists around the iron nails and cause fiery pain along the damaged median nerves. Lifting of the body would also painfully scrape the scourged back against the rough wooden stipes. Muscle cramps and an abnormal sensation, such as burning / prickling, of the outstretched and uplifted arms would add to the discomfort. As a result, each respiratory effort would become agonizing and tiring and lead eventually to slow strangulation.
Beyond the excruciating pain, was a marked interference with normal respiration, particularly exhaling. The weight of the body, pulling down on the outstretched arms and shoulders, would tend to fix the muscles between the ribs in an inhalation state, and thereby hamper passive exhaling. Accordingly, breathing was shallow.
The actual cause of death:
Crucifixion was multi-factorial and varied somewhat with each ease, but the two most prominent causes probably were hypovolemic shock due to extreme blood loss (during the FLOGGING), and exhaustion asphyxia (is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body due to extreme fatigue).
Other possible contributing factors included dehydration, stress-induced irregular heartbeat and congestive heart failure with the rapid accumulation of fluid around the heart and lungs, making it impossible to sustain life.
Death by crucifixion was, in every sense of the word, excruciating (Latin, excruciatus, or "out of the cross").
So what is it that every mature Christian must do?
Mar 16:15 – 18: (Amplified says it so awe-strikingly beautiful)
15 And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].
16 He who believes [who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death]; but he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned.
17 And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages;
18 They will pick up serpents; and [even] if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well.
Stay Blessed,
Gina Horné.
The Bridge Ministries International.