Crucifixion

Crucifixion is a cruel method of execution used by the Roman authorities to make a particular example of criminals to deter others from committing the same offence. It was used, for example, to punish slave revolts. It is, of course, the manner of Jesus Christ’s death, described in each of the four Gospel accounts (Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49, John 19:17-37). It was a slow, painful, public and shaming death; the victim was stripped naked and nailed through the wrists and feet to a wooden cross. This was then set in the ground so that the victim hung on their arms until they died hours, or even days, later. It was common practice to break the legs of the victim to hasten their death: in John 19:31-37 the Roman soldiers went to break Jesus’ legs but had no need to as He was already dead. John cites this as the fulfilment of a prophecy made about Jesus in the Old Testament. To the Jews, crucifixion also had overtones of cursing and eternal judgement (possibly why they were so keen to have Jesus crucified). As the apostle Paul writes, this is exactly the point: Jesus was cursed; He bore the wrath of God on Himself and took separation from His Father, so that we would not have to be separated from God for eternity (Galatians 3:13-14, 1 Peter 2:24).