Physical Suffering of Christ

Easter is often a time when Christians remember the cross and the resurrection and what that means for us.  The first time, we hear about the amazing sacrifice it can grip us and change our lives.  However, year after year, it can get dim if we let it.  This year my pastor took us down the road of the physical sufferings of Christ - what He REALLY went through.  It is so easy to read the black and white words, without realizing the true impact.  For this reason, I went home to research more on the physical suffering and have decided to post for two reasons.  One so that I can come back and read it and be reminded - esp when I get down over my miniscule suffering in comparison and so that others who have not thought about the depth of physical suffering Jesus endured, it may bring it home more.


First I would like to add that a verse Isaiah 52:14a, "Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men."  What was true back then is true today. I once saw this picture of a very disfigured man and I wish I could find it now but I can't.  However, just looking at pictures of people who have been severely burned or are starving, gives a pretty good idea of what this could mean.


I think it is safe to assume that Jesus was in great health.  He ate a Mediterranean diet - one of the healthiest in the world.  He was constantly walking, carrying the Word and performing miracles.  Exercise and diet are the two main keys to great health.  The first place we start to see the physical suffering of Christ is in the garden of Gethsemane, when he had "sweat that appeared like blood".


Hematidrosis -  "Around the sweat glands, there are multiple blood vessels in a net-like form. Under the pressure of great stress the vessels constrict. Then as the anxiety passes the blood vessels dilate to the point of rupture. The blood goes into the sweat glands. As the sweat glands are producing a lot of sweat, it pushes the blood to the surface - coming out as droplets of blood mixed with sweat." Dr. Frederick Zugibe.  This is often caused by great stress, especially emotional stress.


After praying in the garden and sweating blood, Jesus is forced to walk approx. 2 1/2 miles between His different "hearings".  The first physical pain inflicted on Christ was the scourging - ordered by Pilate before Jesus was handed over to be crucified.  It's only a brief sentence in the Gospels but it has a lot of physical suffering behind it.


"Then Pilate had Him flogged".


What exactly does this mean?


The Roman legionnaire steps forward with the flagrum in his hand.  This is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each.  The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs.  At first the thongs cut through the skin only.  Then, as the blows continue, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.  Finally the skin of the back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area is an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue.  When it is determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner is near death, the beating is finally stopped.


At this point it is good to remember Jesus' words - "This is my body, which is broken for you."  Said to His disciple at the time of the passover.


Suffering physically now from the blood loss in the Garden.  The exertion from walking to and fro and the beating, the physical suffering is really only just beginning.  It is at this point that the soldiers make a crown of thorns.  The crown was made from flexible branches covered with long thorns and are plaited into the shape of a crown.  This is then pressed into His scalp.  This would have caused not only a whole lot more pain but a lot more blood loss too.  The scalp is one of the most vascular areas of the body.  The soldiers had also placed a robe on Jesus bare, torn apart, bleeding body.  When they took the robe off, they would have ripped it off - pulling off more skin and any blood that had dried to the cloth.


Only now do we see Christ taking the journey down the Via Dolorosa.  Weak from the loss of blood, in great physical pain from the beating, Jesus is forced to carry the top bar of His cross - weighing approx. 75 - 125lbs.  Understandably, this is too much and despite every effort to walk upright, Christ stumbles and falls repeatedly.  Simon of Cyrene is then forced to carry the cross.


We finally make it to Golgotha - the place we mostly associate with the physical suffering of Christ.  Once on the hillside, Jesus is thrown backward, onto the wood of the cross.  This puts pressure and more unbearable pain against the wounds on his back and flaking skin.  Rubbing back and forth.  Most likely causing more bleeding.


Next, Christ is nailed to the cross.  Iron spikes measuring 25 - 35 cm are driven through Jesus' hands.  The hand is full of sensory nerves.  Think about the sense of touch and the  "sensitive feelings" you get through touching something with your hands.  This spike would have caused agonizing pain through the nerves.  After the first nail is driven into the hand, the action is quickly repeated on the other side.  They are careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement - to prolong the agony.  Once the hands are nailed - the feet are next.


  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 transection of median nerve and impalement of flexor pollicis longus, but without injury to major arterial trunks and without fractures of bones.

 Left, Position of feet atop one another and against stipes. Upper right, Location of nail in second inter metatarsal space. Lower right, Cross section of foot, at plane indicated at left, showing path of nail.


Dr. Davis writes very impressed: "As He slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms - the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves.As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again, there is the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet."


Now that Christ is nailed to the cross and hanging there to die, difficulty in taking a normal breath is added to the pain.  The body pulls down on the outstretched arms and shoulders, causing exhalation to become shallow and labored.  The upper body starts to cramp up also making it difficult to breathe.  Jesus tries to breathe more freely and ease the cramping on his upper body by pushing himself up by the feet - causing more pain.

"At this point, as the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by his arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the intercostal muscles are unable to act. Air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the life-giving oxygen."  Dr. Davis.


Three hours into the crucifixion, is when it is likely Jesus said his final words.  With agony just to take a breath and to talk you need to be able to breathe - it is impossible to really comprehend the pain/agony that Christ added to talk.  
Firstly - watching the soldiers, who have caused Him pain and mocked Him, He said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."  If we had lived at the time and were there, we would have been right along side mocking! 
Second - to the repentant thief, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise."
Third - despite His physical agony and emotional agony, Jesus does not forget His mother.  He looked at His mother standing by the cross and John - the disciple who He loved and said, "Woman, behold your son." and "Behold your mother".  Jesus made sure that His mother was cared for!!  Fourth - "My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?"  On top of the physical pain, the emotional pain, Jesus is separated for the first time from God and left utterly alone in His suffering.  Whatever happens as believers, we are never utterly alone - for Christ is always with us.  We may feel alone sometimes but the complete abandonment from everyone, including God, is more than we can really comprehend.  
Fifth - "I thirst" 
Sixth - "It is finished"!  Nothing more needs to be added.  There is nothing we can do or anyone to take the wrath of God - for Christ took it all.  We just need to accept His grace and mercy.
Lastly - "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit".  These final words of Christ on the cross, show that Jesus GAVE His life - it was not taken from Him.  


To insure that Christ is dead, the soldiers thrust a spear into His side.  John 19:34 says: "And immediately there came out blood and water."  This may seem insignificant but this shows that Christ died of heart failure (a broken heart) due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium, rather than the usual death of suffocation.  At this point we are reminded of the other words, Christ spoke at the passover celebration with His disciples - "This is my blood, that is poured out for you."

Some more pictures and verses that show and describe the physical suffering of Christ.

Fig 6. Respirations during crucifixion. Left, Inhalation. With elbows extended and shoulders abducted, respiratory muscles of inhalation are passively stretched and thorax is expanded. Right, Exhalation. With elbows flexed and shoulders adducted and with weight of body on nailed feet, exhalation is accomplished as active, rather than passive, process. Breaking legs below knees would place burden of exhalation on shoulder and arm muscles alone and soon would result in exhaustion asphyxia.

Fig 7.Spear wound to chest. Left, Probable path of spear. Right, Cross section of thorax, at level of plane indicated at left, showing structures perforated by spear. LA indicates left atrium; LV, left ventricle; RA, right atrium; RV, right ventricle.

THE SEVERITY OF THE BEATING

Isaiah 50:6: "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting."
Isaiah 52:14: "..... Just as there were many who were appalled at him -- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness--"

SUFFERING ON THE CROSS

Psalm 22:16-17: Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me."

In John 3, Jesus talks about His fulfillment of that prophecy when He says, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life." He refers to the events recorded in Numbers 21:6-9.

PHYSICAL SUFFERING ON THE CROSS

Psalm 22:14-15: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death."

ABANDONED BY GOD -- SPIRITUAL DEATH

Matthew 27:46: "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?'--which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
With the sin of the world upon Him, Jesus suffered spiritual death (separation from the Father ). Isaiah 59:2 says that sins cause a separation from God, and that He hides His face from you so that He does not hear. The Father must turn away from His Beloved Son on the cross. For the first time, Jesus does not address God as His Father.

JESUS LAID DOWN HIS LIFE

John 10:17-18 "The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
Luke 23:46 "Jesus called out with a loud voice, 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit'." When he had said this, he breathed his last. The average time of suffering before death by crucifixion is stated to be about 2-4 days.

DEATH BY CRUCIFIXION:

HASTENED by the breaking of the legs, so that the victim could not push up to take a good breath.
John 19:32-33: The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
CONFIRMED by a spear thrust into the right side of the heart.
John 19:34: Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.Death in crucifixion was hastened by the breaking of the legs of the victim. This procedure, called crurifracture, prevented the ability of the victim to take in a good breath. Death would quickly occur from suffocation. In Jesus' case, He died quickly and did not have His legs broken. Jesus fulfills one of the prophetic requirements of the Passover Lamb, that not a bone shall be broken.(Exodus 12:46, John 19:36)

A lot of references were taken from an article by Dr. C. Truman Davis, titled:

"A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died," published in Arizona Medicine by Arizona Medical Association.

Isn't it wonderful that the story doesn't end with this awful death, pain and suffering but with an empty tomb!!!  He is Risen!