No Greater Love

I. The Trial

There are many aspects of the trial that preceded the crucifixion that were in direct violation of Jewish and Roman law. These arrests were not to be made at night. This arrest took place on the eve of a Sabbath, which was also forbidden. The court did not meet in their regular meeting place, as the law stated.

The Sanhedrin also had no authority to bring charges against an individual. It was to investigate charges brought before it, but not to formulate charges. In this case the court brought the charges itself, and changed the charges when they eventually brought the case to Pilate, the Roman governor of the area. The charges when Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin were charges of blasphemy, because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, and that he would be able to destroy and rebuild the temple in three days. When He was brought before Pilate, the charges changed, and they then claimed that Jesus said that he was a King, and did not advocate paying taxes to the Romans.

The Sanhedrin also pronounced the death sentence, which they were not supposed to do. Only the Romans could institute the death penalty, which they knew very well. But the sentence of death was declared before they ever brought him to Pilate.

The Witnesses

The following selections are from the Jewish law, and deal with the witnesses that were required to bring forth charges in order to put someone to death.

One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. Deuteronomy 19:15

At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; [but] at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. Deuteronomy 17:6

In Jesus' trial, the requirement for two witnesses was not met, and the witnesses that were brought before the court had conflicting statements.
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Pilate's Judgment

Pontius Pilate was the governor of the region, and as it was not legal for the Jewish Sanhedrin to put anyone to death, they brought Jesus to Pilate. Pilate questioned Jesus, and could find nothing wrong with him. He had Jesus scourged, or beaten almost to the point of death, thinking that this would appease the Jews, but their determination to have him put to death would not be satisfied by a beating.

During this beating, the flesh was systematically stripped from the back of the victims by a cat of nine tails. The Romans embedded pieces of metal or shards of glass or pottery on the ends of this instrument of torture, and as the whip was applied, it dug in and ripped the flesh down to the bone. Forty stripes were supposed to kill a man, so they limited it to thirty nine.

The Roman Soldiers were not satisfied with the beating of Jesus. They carried it further, and mocked him, and pulled out His beard, and struck him in the face. Then they took some of the thorny vines, wove them into a cap or a type of a crown, and shoved the long, thorny two inch spikes into his scalp. They took a purple cape upon him and called out "Hail, King of the Jews!"

Jesus was brought back to Pilate, and Pilate brought Him out to the people. Pilate was desperate to release Jesus. He knew that the charges against him were unfounded. He thought that when they saw Jesus in this state, it would be enough. He offered to release Jesus, because once a year he let one prisoner go free, but they cried out for him to release Barabbas, and to crucify Jesus. Pilate sat down in view of the people and ceremonially washed his hands of the matter, and delivered Jesus up to be crucified.
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II. Crucifixion

What is the cross? Some of us wear the cross around our necks as jewelry, and they are very beautiful and ornate in silver and gold and jewels. But the cross was and instrument of slow torture and certain death.

The Romans wanted to make the crucifixion victims a public example, so they had the crucifixions performed along public highways or thoroughfares, and such is the case with Golgotha where Jesus was put to death on the cross. There was a constant traffic of people coming and going. The pictures that you see of Jesus on the cross are highly inaccurate, and are of course, an artists rendition. During the actual crucifixion of Jesus, he was stripped totally naked, and being beaten beyond recognition, it describes him in the book of Isaiah 52:14 "[for many the Servant of God became an object of horror; many were astonished at Him.] His face and His whole appearance were marred more than any man's, and His form beyond that of the sons of men--but just as many were astonished at Him." (Amplified Bible)

His hands and feet were nailed to the cross itself with huge spikes. The nails were driven through the wrists, because the bones in the hands would not support the weight of the body. The left foot was pressed backward upon the right one, and with both feet extended, toes down, a spike was driven through the arch of each foot. The knees were left moderately flexed, and the cross bar was placed into position.

The searing pain was only the beginning of the agony. The knees left bent slightly allowed Jesus to be able to push himself up to try to relieve the pain, and to breathe. With the arms extended, the pectoral muscles become paralyzed, and the intercostal muscles no longer are able to function. Great cramps wrack the body, as Jesus tried to breath. During crucifixion, air can go into the lungs, but you can't exhale. Spasmodically, as carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs, the crucifixion victim can push himself up enough to exhale and get one more breath of air.

After hours of excruciating pain, another agony begins. The pericardium fills with fluid, and begins to compress the heart. The heart is frantically trying to pump blood into the tissues, while the lungs are making one last attempt to gasp in small amounts of air. But weariness and pain and asphyxiation and dehydration take their toll.

"It is finished" He cried. And then... "Into Thy hands I commit my spirit!"
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Jesus died for you and for me. He took our place on that cross, and covered our own shortcomings and failures, our sins. He paid the price for it all with His own blood, so that we can have eternal life in heaven. And all we need to do is to receive it as a gift, paid for by another.

It is ours when we take it. Just like when someone give you a gift on your birthday or Christmas, they have a gift for you, and it is ready, and paid for, and wrapped up in special paper, but it will not be yours if you refuse to take it. Even so it is with God's gift of salvation. He has paid for the package, and it is yours when you take it for your own. Won't you do that today? Please pray this prayer with me.

"God in heaven, I know that I am a sinner, but I want to change that. Please forgive me of my sins, and make me clean again. I believe that Jesus is Your Son, that He paid the price for my sins when He died on the Cross, and You raised Him from the dead. Jesus, I invite you to come into my heart and my life. Please, be my Lord, and be my Savior. I thank You Jesus for saving me. I am born again, I am a child of God. I am gong to heaven someday, and Jesus is my Lord. amen"

Golgotha Today
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