What has he done for you? CoRyAnN   Author:  30051  Category:(Discussion) Created:(7/11/2003 4:23:00 PM) This post has been Viewed (615 times) This may be a long post. I am currently reading a book called The Case for Christ. I ran across a chapter in this book I feel I need to share. Do you know what Jesus suffered for us? All my life I have heard of Jesus dying on the cross. I never really thought about what the entailed until NOW. This may be disturbibg to some. First comes the "flogging". A flogging consists of about 39 lashes but could be more. Depending on the mood of the soldier. They would use a whip of braided leather thongs with metal balls woven into them. When the whip would strike the flesh, these balls would cause deep bruises or contusions, which would break open with further blows. And the whip had pieces of sharp bone,which would cut the flesh severley. The back would be so shredded that part of the spine would be exposed. The whipping would have gone all way from the shoulders down to the back,the butt,and the back of the legs. As the flogging continued,the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles. We know many people would die from this kind of beating even before they were crucified. At the very least the victim would experience tremendous pain and go into hypovolemic shock. Jesus was most likley in hypuvolemic shock as he staggered up the road to the execution site at Calvary,carring the horizontal beam of the cross. It has been said Jesus collapsed and the Roman soldiers ordered Simon to carry the cross for him. Because of the serious beatings there's NO question,Jesus was already in serious to critcal condition. Then he was laid down. His hands would have been nailed in the outstretched position to the horizontal beam. The cross bar with is called the patibulum is permently stuck in the ground. The Romans used spikes that were five to seven inches long and tapered to a sharp point. They were actually driven into the wrists contrary to popular belief. His wieght would have caused the skin to tear and he would have fallen of the cross. But back in those days the wrist was considered part of the hand. It's important to understand that the nail would go thrugh the place where the median nerve runs. This is the largest nerve going out to the hand,and it would be crushd by the nail that was being pounded in. The sort of pain this would produce would be simaler to hitting your funny bone really hard. Except picture taking a pair of pliers and squeezing and crushing that nerve. That effect would be similar to what Jesus experienced. The pain was absolutely unbearable. In fact it was literally beyond words. They had to invent a new word. Excruciating. Means "Out of the cross". Think of that. They needed to create a new word,because there was nothing in the language that could describe the intense anguish caused during the crucifixion. At this point Jesus was hoisted as the crossbar was attached to the vertical stake.and then nails were driven through his feet. Again the nerves in his feet would have been crushed,and there would have been similar type of pain. His arms would have been streched,probably about six inches in lenghth,and both shoulders would have been dislocated. Once a person is hanging in the vertical position,crucifixion is an agonizingly slow death by asphyxiatin. The stresses on the muscles and diaphram put the chest into the inhaled position. Basically in order to exhale Jesus had to push up on his feet so the tention on the muscles would ease for a moment. In doing so the nail would tear through through the foot eventually locking up against the bones.. After managing to exhale he would then be able to relax down and take another breath in. Again he'd have to push himself up to exhale. Scraping his bloodied back aginst the coarse wood of the cross. This would go on and on until complete exhaustion would take over,and then he wouldn't be able to push up and breathe anymore. So if you ask yourself what has God ever done for me. I'll tell you what he has done. He has suffered and died for YOU! As I read this I felt so sick and sad! How many times I take Jesus for granted. I never new the full extent of his sufferings. Now I do and I will be forever greatful. You can join Unsolved Mysteries and post your own mysteries or interesting stories for the world to read and respond to Click here Scroll all the way down to read replies. Show all stories by   Author:  30051 ( Click here ) Spring is coming