Why Crucifxion?

[someonestruth]

I understand the Jesus had to die for our sins for us to have a chance (I guess otherwise we'd all be in Hell? Thanks tons, God) but why did he have to go so painfully? It seems a bit sadistic for that to be his ultimate fate. God could've just as easily given him a bad stomach flu or even a nice quick beheading at the hands of some evil Jew (I think I read that bit about them correctly right?).

Wouldn't a more peaceful bit of imagery like God taking away Jesus in a flowery field cause a much better spin on our ideas of what it means to sacrifice one's self? I mean the guy just got done committing every other moment of his life to God...and still no love. If I wrote the Bible I would've had a much nicer ending.

 

[davidoffinland]

From Finland.

Why crucifxion...that was one way Rome did away with crimmals who got the death sentence!! In fact, the Jews could not excute anyone that was subject to a death penalty according to their laws. If the Jewish court did pass a death sentence, then Rome reviewed the case and crucified the victim.

Shalom, David.

 

[someonestruth]

I didn't ask for a history lesson. God is omniscient and being so, would've known the pain Jesus would go through. God could've chosen Jesus to spiritually redeem the human race sure. But crucifxion seems like it was just written in there to feel as sorry for him as you could.

 

[Beasley]

It takes a lot to get through to people. Then and now.

Beasley

 

[onetenth]

I understand the Jesus had to die for our sins for us to have a chance (I guess otherwise we'd all be in Hell? Thanks tons, God) but why did he have to go so painfully? It seems a bit sadistic for that to be his ultimate fate. God could've just as easily given him a bad stomach flu or even a nice quick beheading at the hands of some evil Jew (I think I read that bit about them correctly right?).

Wouldn't a more peaceful bit of imagery like God taking away Jesus in a flowery field cause a much better spin on our ideas of what it means to sacrifice one's self? I mean the guy just got done committing every other moment of his life to God...and still no love. If I wrote the Bible I would've had a much nicer ending.

My take on it is this:

1. The brutality of the Crucifixion shows us how much God hates sin. We love Jesus more because of what He had to do. If it was easy, it wouldn’t mean as much.

2. The Crucifixion fulfilled specific prophesies from Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, among others. When these prophesies were written no one had ever heard of that kind of death. When it happened the way it did, it made it obvious that the prophesies had come to pass. If it was ordinary, it may have been missed or explained away.

God Bless

 

[davidoffinland]

From Finland.

Nothing wrong with looking at history unless we try to minimize "our" sin in the light of G-D´s holiness and righteousness.

Shalom, David.

 

[pimorton]

It had to be crucifixion so that Jesus could carry our pain as well as our sin, as prophesied in Isaiah. Roman crucifixion was designed to inflict the most pain possible. Our word "excruciating" actually means "out of the cross." By enduring that physical pain, he took our less significant pain. By enduring the emotional pain of rejection by His Father (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?) He took on Himself our emotional pain. And by exclaiming at the end "It is finished. Into Your Hands I commit my spirit," He made a way for all who trust in Him to come into the Hands of God as well.

 

[LamorakDesGalis]

I agree with onetenth, the manner of the crucifixion revealed how much God hates sin. God's justice and righteousness demanded that sin be punished and not overlooked. It is through Jesus that God's demands for sin's punishment was met. It is also through Jesus that God's mercy is given.

Lamorak Des Galis

 

[JTLauder]

davidoffinland is correct.
We can extrapolate all the meaning and significance of such a graphic and painful sacrifice, but crucifixion just happened to be the Roman Empire's form of capital punishment. It's like why is the death penalty in the US carried out with the electric chair, gas chamber, etc. in a particular state is because each state has its own form of capital punishment.

 

[pimorton]

davidoffinland is correct.
We can extrapolate all the meaning and significance of such a graphic and painful sacrifice, but crucifixion just happened to be the Roman Empire's form of capital punishment. It's like why is the death penalty in the US carried out with the electric chair, gas chamber, etc. in a particular state is because each state has its own form of capital punishment.

But in Psalm 22, David prophesied its use 500 years before Rome was founded. In the Jewish mind when David wrote, the normal mode of execution was stoning. There had to be a deeper meaning than "That's the way we do it 'round here."

 

[IKTCA]

Thank you for the excellent question. It made me study and pray a while. Here is what I learned.

1) The primary goal of the Bible is to let men and women know Jesus was the Messiah. Coming of Messiah was prophesied many times in the Old Testament. In order to help man believe Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah, Jesus had to die in the way prophesied in OT.

2) First, he had to be lifted high on a pole, just like a bronze snake on a pole. All must be able to look up to him.

3) He had to be rejected and ridiculed by all. On the cross he was ridiculed by both the Jews and the Gentiles. No compassion was given to Jesus.

4) His bones must have not been broken. Romans had criminals killed by wild animals in a theater for public amusement. I don't know if it was in effect in Jesus' time. But Jesus could not be killed by wild animals.

Please share what you learned with me. Thanks.

Rupert

 

[JTLauder]

But in Psalm 22, David prophesied its use 500 years before Rome was founded. In the Jewish mind when David wrote, the normal mode of execution was stoning. There had to be a deeper meaning than "That's the way we do it 'round here."

Psalm 22 is often used as a prophecy alluding to Christ's persecution and death (notice the deliberate omission of the word "crucifixion"). I never said there was no meaning--there is huge significance in what the the crucifixion represents.

I'm saying that crucifixion was the common form of capital punishment. The Romans did not do something unusual by using crucifixion to put Jesus to death. It's not like they normally did something different and then say, 'Oh, we'll use crucifixion on Jesus instead.'

The question in the original post did not ask for what crucifixion meant, but why was crucifixion used (instead of another form of putting someone to death).

 

[JTLauder]

OK. If we want to continue this discussion further and talk about the significant why and not just the pragmatic why of crucifixion and answer why just such graphic and bloody death for the atonement of our sins...

For this, we need to go back to the Old Testament and see what was God's requirement for the forgiveness of sins. In Leviticus 4, God instructed Moses on how to make different types of sacrifices for atonement when different people sin. For the common people, an unblemished goat or lamb must be sacrificed at the altar. There are specific instructions on how to make this sacrifice. It's not just killing the animal, it's very graphic and bloody.

Sin is a very serious offense. God commands death. But but the grace of God, he offers to spare us from our deserved death penalty by sacrificing an unblemished (without defeat, or perfect) goat or lamb in our place instead. Death and blood serves as a graphic reprentation for the seriousness of this with blood from the sacrifice representing saving us from our deserved punishment, ie, covering/washing away our sins in forgiveness because the price of death has been paid.

In this way, Jesus is the Lamb of God--the ultimate sacrifice--unblemished (without sin) taking our place for our deserved punishment of death. And as with the sacrificial lamb of the OT, blood must be shed to wash away our sins so that we may be spared and be reunited with God.

The animal sacrifices of the OT forgave only past sins. People had to repeatedly make sacrifices for the sins throughout there lives. Jesus served as the one ultimate and final sacrifice for all people and all sins.

 

[pimorton]

The question in the original post did not ask for what crucifixion meant, but why was crucifixion used (instead of another form of putting someone to death).

The original post asked about the imagery in crucifixion. I know the Romans used crucifixion routinely, executing thousands that way. But Jesus' crucifixion was not a typical crucifixion, from the mockery of the soldiers with the purple robe to compelling Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross, to the crown of thorns, to the casting of lots for his garments, to the spear thrust and the failure to break His legs. And for David to prophecy it would be used 500 years before Rome was founded shows me God orchestrated the rise of Rome and its perfection of crucifixion over the impalement used by other ancient peoples to be in place at that time in that place. And if God did that kind of maneuvering of men and nations to kill His Son in that way, don't you think He had a purpose behind it? to show us a deeper meaning than a state execution.