03/29/2024
Happy Good Friday! ✝️ In 1986, The American Medical Association published an article titled "The Physical Death of Jesus Christ.” It details the entire process of Jesus' trial to His death on the cross. In Luke 22, before Jesus is arrested, it is written that He was in great distress & sweating blood. Although rare, it is recognized as Hematidrosis, caused by high amounts of stress.
At the time, the crucifixion was considered the worst death for the worst of criminals. But this is not all Jesus faced. He endured whipping so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. He was beaten so horrific that His face was torn & His beard ripped. A crown of thorns, 2-3 inches long cut deeply into His scalp. The leather whip used to flog Him had tiny iron balls & sharp bones. The balls caused internal injuries while the sharp bones ripped open His flesh. His skeletal muscles, veins, & bowels we're exposed, causing major blood loss. Most men do not survive this kind of torture. After Jesus was severely flogged, He was forced to carry His own cross while people mocked & spat on Him.
Crucifixion was a process meant to instill excruciating pain, creating a slow & agonizing death. Nails as long as 8 inches were driven into Jesus' wrists & feet. The Roman soldiers knew the tendon in the wrists would tear & break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support Himself to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the courage..Jesus endured this reality for 3 hours!
The Gospel of John writes that after Jesus' death, a Roman soldier pierced His side with a spear & blood & water came out. Scientists explain that from hypovolemic shock, the rapid heartrate causes fluid to gather in the sack around the lungs & heart. The gathering of fluid in the membrane around the heart is called Pericardial effusion & the lungs, Pleural effusion.
Not only that, but he experienced the pain of watching his best friends run and hide, and even betray him. His own Father turned his face away at one point. The thing that kept Jesus on that cross was not the nails in his hands, but his desire for you to be in Heaven with him someday. Jesus took the sins of the whole world on him, and when he died and rose again, he conquered sin, death and hell forever. He made a way for us to go to Heaven. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Invite Jesus into your life, it’s the best decision you’ll ever make!
If you’ve never invited Jesus into your life, pray with me... Dear Jesus, come into my life. Forgive me of my sins. Thank you for dying for me and rising again. I believe someday you will raise me as well and take me with you to Heaven. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you for making me a part of your family. In Jesus’ name I pray...
🙏🏼🙏🏼 Amen 🙏🏼🙏🏼
