The Tribune

By MONIQUE THOMPSON

ANOTHER Easter holiday has come and gone. Hopefully, many of us have taken the time to reflect on what Christ accomplished at Calvary on man’s behalf.

Like billions of people around the world, I too know the story. I know of the agony in Gethsemane as He bore the sins of the world, and the mockery of a trial He was subjected to while He was cursed at, spat on and falsely accused.

I have read of the savagery He endured as He was beaten and scourged within an inch of His precious life. I have heard songs that detail the “Via Dolorosa” or the “way of suffering” as He was sentenced to death like a vile offender and made to carry His cross through the streets to the “Place of the Skull.” Though I have heard and read about it, I cannot imagine the anguish and pain He suffered as He was stripped of all clothing, His hands and feet were barbarically nailed to a cross, and He was lifted up knowing that He was to die an unusually painful death to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Christ endured severe spiritual, psychological and emotional distress before anyone laid a hand on Him while in Gethsemane. As He took upon Him all the sins of the world, He spent the entire night in prayer without any source of nourishment.

Luke, a disciple and a doctor, was the only one of the Gospel writers to note: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44 (KJV)

The sweating of blood is a rare medical condition known as haematidrosis. Under intense stress, small blood vessels that surround sweat glands become very, very small and then open up or swell to a point where they rupture. With blood vessels rupturing, blood escapes, gets into the sweat glands and is excreted from the body along with sweat.

After He was arrested, Jesus was bound, beaten, and “tried” by the Jewish high priests before being carried before Pontius Pilate.

Even though both Pilate and Herod found no cause in Him, to appease an unruly crowd Pontius ultimately had Jesus flogged and gave permission for Him to be crucified.

As Christ willingly gave His life as a pardon for many, He objected not. Isaiah 50:6 says, “I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting.” (NKJV)

The physical beating that Jesus suffered was beyond severe. So severe in fact, that it was not uncommon for victims to be rendered unconscious and die. The Romans used whips called a “flagellum”, which had pieces of metal and bone at the end that were designed with one purpose – to tear flesh with every lash, inflicting intense pain.

Although the Romans did not have a set number of lashes for a punishment, Deuteronomy 25:3 outlined that in Jewish law, 40 lashes were due.

“Just as there were many who were appalled at Him – His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and His form marred beyond human likeness.” (Isaiah 52:14)

Jesus’ physical body was so ruined during this ordeal, people who saw Him were appalled, shocked. His body did not look human. As you can imagine, a lot of blood was lost.

Following this, a crown of thorns was placed on His head. Because it was a highly vascular area, a lot of blood would have been lost from this as well, contributing to a significant state of hypovolaemia and dehydration. He was stripped of His clothes, given a robe, and mocked before being made to carry His cross to Calvary.

The distance which Christ had to carry His cross is estimated at around one-third of a mile. Keeping in mind that He would not have slept the night before, walked at least two miles from Gethsemane to and from his six trials, and physically being very weak from being tortured and the resultant loss of blood, He could not do it alone. After Simon of Cyrene was enlisted to help Jesus get to Golgotha, the cross was prepared and Jesus was brought ever closer to death. To be continued…

• Dr Thompson is the founder of the Cornerstone Healing Institute and can be contacted at 356-0083 or info@chibahamas.com with any questions or comments.