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 horribly 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 are 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 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 heart rate 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.
To the world, Christianity is as foolish as it can get. They believe it's for the weak. But when you are confronted by the reality of the cross, it's clearly not a pretty sight. It is brutal & horrific.
This is the weight Jesus carried. The weight of the sins of the world, all so that we can live. God's wrath is fully satisfied in Jesus. This is what it took. Repent & believe! Jesus is βGod among usβ in the flesh. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus loves you so much, He went through this spiritual and physical punishment for your sins and mine.
Jesus is the LORD, Almighty God, Everlasting Father.
THANK YOU JESUS!!!
Jesus saves.
He saves from sin.
He saves from guilt.
He saves from fear.
He saves from shame.
He saves from darkness.
He saves from hopelessness.
He saves from judgment.
He saves from eternal death.
Everyone who puts their faith in Him will be saved.
Jesus never spoke His harshest words to prostitutes, tax collectors, or thieves.
He saved His sharpest rebukes for the most religious people in the room.
There's a sin hiding in plain sight that we rarely name from the pulpit.
π§΅ A devotional on pride β the sin nobody talks about.
JESUS SAVES FROM DEATH
JESUS SAVES FROM HELL
JESUS SAVES FROM FEAR
JESUS SAVES FROM SHAME
JESUS SAVES FROM WORRY
JESUS SAVES FROM GUILT
JESUS SAVES FROM DARKNESS
JESUS SAVES FROM HOPELESSNESS
JESUS SAVES FROM IGNORANCE
JESUS SAVES FROM ANGER
JESUS SAVES FROM JUDGMENT
JESUS SAVES FROM SATAN
JESUS SAVES WHOSOEVER BELIEVES!
If you want to know what God is like, don't just study what Jesus taught.
Study how He prayed.
The way the Son talked to the Father reveals everything about who God is and how He wants to be known.
π§΅ A devotional on the prayers of Jesus.