Section 52Crucifixion

As Jesus struggled along with a crossbeam on his torn-up shoulder, the soldiers seized a bystander and compelled him to carry the beam to the stake outside the city walls where the death sentence was to be carried out.

Christians later recollected that the bystander's name was Simon, who was the father of two Christians named Alexander and Rufus. Simon was from Cyrene, a Greek city in the Roman province of Cyrenaica in north Africa.

It is reported that Cyrene's Jewish community was established when large numbers of Palestinian Jews were forced to settle there during the reign of Ptolemy Soter (323–285 BC), who took over Egypt and Palestine upon Alexander the Great's death. Alexander had seized those regions during his tour of world conquest.

Cyrene was an early center of Christianity [C.1]

A big crowd followed.

Women mourned and wailed as he staggered along.

But he turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me. Weep for yourselves and for your children. The days are coming when people will say, better off are those who can't have children. In that time, people will plead with the mountains: fall on us! And to the hills: bury us! For if these things are done in the green tree, what will they do in the dry?"

We may interpret this last saying to mean that if terrible sins are done in the presence of and to the Savior, what might evil people do once grace has been withdrawn?

The soldiers brought him to a place known as the Skull. They offered him wine with myrrh in it, but he refused.

Roman soldiers used this combination as a painkiller, as it helped them endure the discomforts of military life such as cold, damp nights on the ground. Apparently it was also customary to give it to those about to be crucified.

They affixed him to the cross and then divided up his garments among them. But, the men cast lots to determine who would take the purple robe, a garment so luxurious that it had no seam. [See Psalm 22:18.]

It was the third hour (about 9 a.m.).

Some of the religious leaders stood by and jeered. "So he's the anointed savior! Then let him save himself!"

"Let the Messiah King come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!"

Others joined in.

"You who build the Temple in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross!"

"Aha! The great savior can't save himself!"

The soldiers laughed also.

As he hung in great pain from the instrument of torture, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing."

The soldiers then attached a notice to the cross above Jesus' head: "King of the Jews."

It was Roman practice to place a placard naming the crime for which the person was being crucified. Other placards typically said things like "Thief" or "Murderer."

Pilate knew that no real crime had been proved, but it was necessary to write something giving a reason for the execution.

The inscription confirms the injustice of the execution of Jesus.

Crucified along with Jesus were two bandits, one to his left and the other to his right.

Even one of these criminals reproached him. "I thought you were the Messiah! Why don't you save yourself and us, too?!"

But the other one said, "Have you no fear of God? We're all condemned to die, but you and I deserve what we're getting. He doesn't."

Then that criminal turned to Jesus and said, "Jesus, remember me when you receive your kingdom."

Jesus replied, "Today you will be with me in Paradise."

After Jesus had been hanging on the cross for three hours, the sky went pitch black, staying that way for another three hours (from about noon till about 3 p.m.).

Then, Jesus let out a shout: "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani!"

(This means, "My God! My God! Why have you abandoned me!?" and is the same plea uttered by David in Psalm 22:1.)

But, as Jesus spoke Aramaic with a Galilean accent, not all the bystanders could understand him. [C.h1] Some thought he was calling Elijah to come and help him.

One man ran to him with a sponge soaked in the soldiers' cheap, vinegary wine, using a stick to lift it to Jesus' lips.

Though the psalmist (Psalm 69:21) was speaking poetically about being made to eat gall and vinegar (a way of saying he was receiving harsh treatment from his enemies), we see that this poetry was here fulfilled literally in the sense that this drink was a bitter concoction used by soldiers that was considered disgusting by everyone else.

But others said, "Leave him alone. Let's see if Elijah comes to rescue him."

Jesus let out another loud shout and gave up his spirit.

Someone thought they heard him say, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

It was later reported that at about the time of death an earthquake struck and that one of the veils — probably the one veiling the Holy of Holies — inside the inner sanctum of the Temple suddenly was torn apart from top to bottom, indicating that God had left the Temple and abandoned the old Jewish system in favor of a new world order.

After Jesus was resurrected, other reports said that many tombs of saintly Jews were opened, with the corpses coming to life and the revived persons walking around in Jerusalem, where they were observed by many.

When Jesus died, the captain of the guard detail said, "This man was certainly an angel!"

Joseph, a wealthy member of the council from the nearby town of Arimathea, urged Pilate not to permit the impiety of leaving bodies on the crosses during the Passover Sabbath, which would begin at sundown.

So Pilate ordered that the victims' legs be broken. The soldiers then broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus, but when they came to Jesus they saw that he was dead already. So they did not break his legs, thus fulfilling the Scripture that says no bone of his will be broken (Psalm 34:20).

Once the legs are broken, the victim is unable to push up in order to breathe and death by suffocation follows quickly.

But a soldier did thrust a spear into Jesus' side, causing blood and water to spurt out, fulfilling another Scripture that says they will look upon him whom they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10).

During crucifixion, blood and water gather in the pericardial sack around the heart.

The women who had followed Jesus from his Galilee days were watching from a distance.  Among  this fairly large group were Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James (the short one) and Joseph, and Salome.

Surprised to hear that Jesus had been found dead even before he ordered legs broken, Pilate summoned the captain of the guard detail to verify that the prisoner was dead. On learning that death had been assured by the spear thrust, Pilate authorized Joseph to take the body.

Joseph had the body of Jesus wrapped in a linen cloth and taken to Joseph's own tomb, which had been hewn out of a large rock [C.h2]. Once the corpse was inside, Joseph sealed off the chamber by having a large stone rolled across the opening.

Christians later recalled that Joseph had been seeking the kingdom that Jesus had preached about.

Nicodemus, the elder who had spoken with Jesus under cover of darkness, joined Joseph, bringing about 75 pounds of myhrr and aloes for use as burial balms.

The two Marys saw where the body was taken.

---

Next Page: Section 53
https://secretpath108.blogspot.com/2021/01/surprise-following-is-composite-account.html