This Blog entry is focused on the single line below since I believe it is part of a powerful foundation for the rest of the song.
For when He was on the cross
We can see pictures of people on crosses, with many of these pictures based on crucifixions that took place during Roman times. In our society today, we seldom see people subjected to this type of torture and prolonged agony.
Crucifixion was designed to be gruesome, humiliating, painful, torturous, and filled with excruciating pain. The Romans seemed to have perfected the process over a 400-500 year period until Constantine stopped the practice in the 4th century. Crucifixion was mostly used on slaves, disgraced soldiers, Christians, and foreigners; but rarely on Roman citizens.
Those on the cross might live a few hours or a few days depending on their strength and how the crucifixion was conducted. It was common for the people to be stripped completely naked before the process began, which added to the humiliation. Sometimes the person may have been whipped or beaten, sometimes they had to carry the horizontal piece they would be nailed upon, perhaps there was a small seat on the upright beam, or perhaps a small footrest; any/all of these helped to determine how long a person would survive. Note that the horizontal piece of the cross may have weighed as much as 100 pounds and a complete cross could have weighed as much as 300 pounds.
Imagine the blood that was flowing from the beatings and due to the nails driven into the hands/wrists and feet. The nails were not like the nails we use to build houses, they were more like spikes. They were typically made of iron and were 4’” – 6” long. Larger 5”-7” spikes were probably used to nail the feet to the cross. All of these nails were square and approximately 3/8” in diameter, which is over twice the diameter of the nails used in residential construction today. The nails said to have been driven into the hands, were typically driven between the two bones in the forearm just above the wrist. Nails placed in the hands would probably come out quickly due to pressure and the hand would have split through the fingers. The Greek word used for hand, actually indicates and area below the elbow to the hand.
In addition to the extreme loss of blood, the victim was enduring the extreme pain caused by trying to support their bodies as they tried to breathe. Think about the gasping breaths as the victims struggled. The Roman soldiers would often get tired of waiting on the individual to die and would frequently break the legs so the person could not use their legs to support their weight. Once the arms and legs gave way, the person would die of asphyxiation if they have not already died of other causes such as heart failure, blood loss, or dehydration. Sometimes, the soldiers want to extend the time on the cross just to cause more torture and humiliation and therefore did not take any actions to hasten death.
Once the crucified was dead, they were often left on the cross as an example and a reminder to all to obey the laws of Rome. Many corpses stayed on the cross until they simply decayed or were eaten by wild animals.
As we picture Jesus on the cross, take a minute to think about what he was experiencing mentally, emotionally, and physically. He was the Son of God, yet he had to endure this to fulfill the mission given to him by the Father and to take the next step in offering us the gift of eternal life. I am not sure I can even begin to comprehend what He and the victims had to endure. In the case of Jesus, who had committed no crime, He was crucified an innocent man and was only on the cross to follow God’s plan for him.
I know I have shared some gory details of crucifixion, but it is important to understand the suffering Christ endured just to show his love for each of us. It was really the love he had for each of us that held Him to the cross; no power on earth could have held him against His will.