It's very interesting that some of us think that Jesus was just simply hanged and then, after a while, died. Nah, that was not the case. I was speaking with one of my students the other day, and he was giving me a graphic description of how horrifying staying on the Cross was for Jesus. We all know about the lashes, the nailing, and the spitting on, but staying on the Cross was a whole different torture for Jesus.
The Struggle for Breath: Since His leg wasn't standing on anything, and His arms were wide apart, His chest couldn’t find ease for the breathing process. He could easily inhale, but exhaling was difficult because He was literally hanging on His shoulders. It's like doing a dead hang, but worse (many of us can't even do that for more than 60 seconds; Jesus stayed there for hours).
The Physical Cost: Because there was weight on His diaphragm and air couldn't come out easily, He had to drag His body up constantly, pulling on the nails in His legs and His wrists. This must have caused excruciating pain because the nails were close to His nerves. He went on with that until His muscles started giving way and cramping.
The Choice to Stay He had to go through all of that just to stay on the Cross when He actually had what it takes to get out and be freed from the pain, but He didn't. He stayed because He saw a greater glory ahead of Him and knew that leaving at that point would lead to an abortion of the crowning of all the works He had been doing before that point. That last suffering was necessary for all the sufferings He had been going through to count and matter.
Our Own Seasons on the Cross I believe the Cross was symbolic to typify how those of us who follow the Lord will have to stay on our cross at certain seasons of our lives. We have heard "carry your cross" and "bear your cross"—that's one thing I know we'll have to do all our lives; we'll carry our cross until we die. But staying on our cross in the pain and the hurt, and allowing the timing of the Cross to fulfill its course without deciding to leave in the midst of it, will bring us breakthroughs.
> Just as Jesus had the power to leave that Cross, sometimes we have what it takes to not stay on our cross and God will not be angry! But staying will bring us breakthroughs in the spirit that a thousand days of fasting and prayer wouldn't bring us.>
My Daily Prayer So, my prayer every day is that the Lord will teach me wisdom on how to: • • Stay on the Cross and bear the pain. • Learn the right heart posture to have while enduring the pain. • Bless in pain and not curse in pain, just like Jesus, who could still bless in that state and commit His life to God when His breath was giving way. • I want to trust God enough to stay on the Cross even when it seems like my physical body is giving way.
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It's very interesting that some of us think that Jesus was just simply hanged and then, after a while, died. Nah, that was not the case.
I was speaking with one of my students the other day, and he was giving me a graphic description of how horrifying staying on the Cross was for Jesus. We all know about the lashes, the nailing, and the spitting on, but staying on the Cross was a whole different torture for Jesus.
The Struggle for Breath:
Since His leg wasn't standing on anything, and His arms were wide apart, His chest couldn’t find ease for the breathing process. He could easily inhale, but exhaling was difficult because He was literally hanging on His shoulders. It's like doing a dead hang, but worse (many of us can't even do that for more than 60 seconds; Jesus stayed there for hours).
The Physical Cost:
Because there was weight on His diaphragm and air couldn't come out easily, He had to drag His body up constantly, pulling on the nails in His legs and His wrists. This must have caused excruciating pain because the nails were close to His nerves. He went on with that until His muscles started giving way and cramping.
The Choice to Stay
He had to go through all of that just to stay on the Cross when He actually had what it takes to get out and be freed from the pain, but He didn't.
He stayed because He saw a greater glory ahead of Him and knew that leaving at that point would lead to an abortion of the crowning of all the works He had been doing before that point. That last suffering was necessary for all the sufferings He had been going through to count and matter.
Our Own Seasons on the Cross
I believe the Cross was symbolic to typify how those of us who follow the Lord will have to stay on our cross at certain seasons of our lives.
We have heard "carry your cross" and "bear your cross"—that's one thing I know we'll have to do all our lives; we'll carry our cross until we die. But staying on our cross in the pain and the hurt, and allowing the timing of the Cross to fulfill its course without deciding to leave in the midst of it, will bring us breakthroughs.
> Just as Jesus had the power to leave that Cross, sometimes we have what it takes to not stay on our cross and God will not be angry! But staying will bring us breakthroughs in the spirit that a thousand days of fasting and prayer wouldn't bring us.>
My Daily Prayer
So, my prayer every day is that the Lord will teach me wisdom on how to:
•
• Stay on the Cross and bear the pain.
• Learn the right heart posture to have while enduring the pain.
• Bless in pain and not curse in pain, just like Jesus, who could still bless in that state and commit His life to God when His breath was giving way.
• I want to trust God enough to stay on the Cross even when it seems like my physical body is giving way.
Thanks for this anatomical breakdown of what that body went through.