"Tell Me the Story of Jesus" - The Pain He Endured
Spiritual Questions with Scriptural Answers.
The darkest moment in history is also one of the most significant.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, willingly gave up His life for the sin of the world (John 1:29; 10:17-18). Jesus was the “Lamb slain before the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8) as it was predetermined by the "foreknowledge of God” that His Son would be crucified to make atonement for man’s sins (Acts 2:22-23; 1 Pet. 1:18-20).
Jesus, as the sinless, spotless, and perfect sacrifice became the sin offering for us that we might be reconciled unto God (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26). He gave His life so we might live eternally (Gal. 1:4; 2 Cor. 8:9).
While words could never truly do justice to the impact and importance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins, it is my goal to take us to the foot of the cross and further appreciate the suffering of the Savior.
Knowing the pain He endured for me and the fact that He paid a debt I could never pay myself ought to motivate me to die to sin and live for righteousness (Gal. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:21-24).
The Emotional Pain.
First, consider the emotional trauma He experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus knew what was coming and His human nature was evident for He did not want to go through the agony of the cross. He prayed three times for His Father to “remove the cup” and open up the possibility of another option.
Luke, as a physician, records the trauma Jesus experienced in view of the cross (Luke 22:39-46). Have you ever experienced such anxiety that you sweat blood? This is known as a condition called “hematidrosis” in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood. This action occurs under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress.
Jesus experienced and endured this agony for you and me. He yielded and submitted to His father’s will saying, “Not My will, but Yours, be done.”
The Physical Pain.
Second, consider the physical torture He endured.
Jesus, after being humiliated throughout unlawful “court hearings,” was sentenced to scourging. According to William D. Edwards, MD, the scourging or flogging of Jesus was extremely brutal:
“The scourging produced deep stripe-like lacerations and appreciable blood loss, and it probably set the stage for hypovolemic shock, as evidenced by the fact that Jesus was too weakened to carry the crossbar to Golgotha” (Edwards).
Imagine whips with pieces of bone and metal interwoven on the ends and two, large Roman soldiers hitting the back of Jesus with hatred behind every strike. This form of torture was inhumane:
"Scourging was not normally a form of execution, but it certainly was brutal enough to be fatal in many cases. A person certainly could be beaten to death by the scourge if that was desired. Its purpose was not only to cause great pain, but to humiliate as well. To scourge a man was to beat him worse than one would beat a stupid animal. It was belittling, debasing, and demeaning. It was considered such a degrading form of punishment that, according to the Porcian (248 B.C.) and Sempronian (123 B.C.) laws, Roman citizens were exempt from it. It was, therefore, the punishment appropriate only for slaves and non-Romans, those who were viewed as the lesser elements in Roman society. To make it as humiliating as possible, scourging was carried out in public…The victim of a scourging was bound to a post or frame, stripped of his clothing, and beaten with the flagellum from the shoulders to the loins. The beating left the victim bloody and weak, in unimaginable pain, and near the point of death” (McClister).
Dear friends, to put this in perspective, all of this took place BEFORE Jesus was nailed to the cross!
Railroad-like spikes were driven into His hands and feet while a crown of thorns was embedded in His head. After six, gruesome hours, He suffocated to death (Psa. 22; John 19).
Jesus suffered so much as He endured extreme emotional trauma as well as terrible physical torture.
His death, while extremely painful for us to read about, was necessary to pay the price for our sins (John 1:29; Rom. 6:23a; Heb. 9:22). Thanks to be to God that His Son was willing to endure the cross for us (Heb. 12:1-2)!
Next week, we will continue our study by examining the seven last sayings of Jesus as He suffered on the cross for us.
References
Edwards, William D, MD. “The Physical Death of Jesus Christ.” JAMA Network Journals (jamanetwork.com). March 21st, 1986. Accessed February 21st, 2024.
McClister, David. The Scourging of Jesus. Truth Magazine Vol. XLIV: 1 p 11,12 January 2000. Guardian of Truth Foundation. Bradenton, Florida. Accessed February 21sr, 2024.
Drew Suttles is a minister for the Quitman church of Christ in Quitman, Georgia, and one of my best friends in this world. They live-stream all their Bible classes and sermons on their YouTube channel.
Drew also hosts the “Weathering the Storm” podcast on the Scattered Abroad Network. Drew talks about facing life’s challenges as a child of God. His podcast will be a blessing to your life.
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