Medical Veiw /The Passion

[Christina]

Here is an excerpt on the Medical View of what Jesus went through for us:******************************************************************************The Crucifixion of Christ from "The Passion of Christ from a Medical Point of View"by C. Truman Davis, M.D., M.S.Mesa, ArizonaEarly in the morning Jesus, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and exhausted from a sleepless night, is taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. You are, of course, familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to pass responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the cries of the mob, that Pilate ordered Bar-Abbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion.There is much disagreement among authorities about scourging as a prelude tocrucifixion. Most Roman writers from this period do not associate the two.Many scholars believe that Pilate originally ordered Jesus scourged as hisfull punishment and that the death sentence by crucifixion came only inresponse to the taunt by the mob that the Procurator was not properly defending Caesar against the pretender who claimed to be the King Of The Jews.Preparations for the scourging are carried out. The prisoner is stripped ofHis clothing, and His hands are tied to a post above His head. It is doubtfulwhether the Romans made any attempt to follow the Jewish law in this matter ofscourging. The Jews had an ancient law prohibiting more than forty lashes. ThePharisees, always making sure that the law was strictly kept, insisted that only thirty-nine lashes be given. (In case of a miscount, they were sure of remaining within the law.)The Roman legionnaire steps forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in hishand. This is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs withtwo small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip isbrought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back,and legs. At first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continue, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. The small balls of lead first produce large, deep bruises which are broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area is an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it is determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner is near death, the beating is finally stopped.The half-fainting Jesus is then untied and allowed to slump to the stonepavement, wet with His own blood. The Roman soldiers see a great joke in theprovincial Jew claiming to be a King. They throw a robe across His shouldersand place a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still need a crown to maketheir travesty complete. A small bundle of flexible branches covered withlong thorns, (commonly used for firewood) are plaited into the shape of acrown and this pressed into His scalp. Again there is copious bleeding (thescalp being one of the most vascular areas of the body). After mocking Him andstriking Him across the face, the soldiers take the stick from His hand andstrike Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tire of their sadistic sport and the robe is torn from His back. This had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, causes excruciating pain, almost as though He were again being whipped and the wounds again begin to bleed.In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans return His garments. The heavypatibulum of the cross is tied across His shoulders, and the procession of thecondemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers,headed by a centurion begins its slow journey along the Via Dolorosa. In spiteof His efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious blood loss, is too much. He stumbles and falls. The rough wood of the beam gouges into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tries to rise, but human muscles have been pushed beyond endurance. The centurion, anxious to get on with the crucifixion, selects a stalwartNorth African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus follows, still bleedingand sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650 yard journey from theFortress Antonia to Golgotha is finally completed. The Prisoner is againstripped of His clothes--except for a lion cloth which is allowed the Jews.The crucifixion begins. Jesus is offered wine mixed with Myrrh, a mildanalgesic mixture. He refuses to drink. Simon is ordered to place thepatibulum on the ground, and Jesus is quickly thrown backward with Hisshoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at thefront of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nailthrough the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but toallow some flexion and movement. The patibulum is then lifted into place atthe top of the stipes and the titulus reading, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of TheJews" is nailed in place.The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feetextended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving theknees moderately flexed. The Victim is now crucified. As He slowly sags downwith more weight on the nails in the wrist, excruciating, fiery pain shootsalong the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain--the nails in thewrist are putting pressure on the median nerves. As He pushes Himself upwardto avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again, there is the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet.At this point, another phenomenon occurs. As the arms fatigue, great waves ofcramps sweep over the muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbingpain. With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging byHis arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the intercostal muscles areunable to act. Air can be drawn into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled. Jesusfights to raise Himself in order to get one short breath. Finally, carbondioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream and cramps partiallysubside. Spasmodically, He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bringin the life-giving oxygen. It was, undoubtedly during these periods that Heuttered the seven short sentences which are recorded.The first, looking down at the Roman soldiers casting lots for His garments,"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." The second, to thepenitent thief, "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise."The third, looking down at the terrified, grief-stricken, John, (the belovedApostle), He said, "Behold thy mother," and looking to Mary, His mother,"Woman, behold thy son."The fourth cry is from the beginning of the 22nd Psalm, "My God, My God, whyhast Thou forsaken me?"Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps,intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from Hislacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber; then anotheragony begins. A deep crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowlyfills with serum and begins to compress the heart.Let us remember again the 22nd Psalm (the 14th verse). "I am poured out likewater, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is meltedin the midst of my bowels."It is now almost over, the loss of tissue fluids has reached a criticallevel, the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick sluggish bloodinto the tissues, the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp insmall gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues send their flood ofstimuli to the brain.Jesus gasps His fifth cry, "I thirst," Let us remember another verse from theprophetic 22nd Psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tonguecleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death."A sponge soaked in Posca, the cheap, sour wine which is the staple drink ofthe Roman Legionnaires, is lifted to His lips. He apparently doesn't take anyof the liquid. The body of Jesus is now in extremis, and He can feel the chillof death creeping through His tissues. This realization brings out His sixthwords, possibly little more than a tortured whisper. "It is finished."His mission of atonement has been completed. Finally, He can allow His body to die.With one last surge of strength, He once again presses His torn feet againstthe nail, straightens His legs, takes a deeper breath, and utters His seventhand last cry, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit."The rest you know. In order that the Sabbath be not profaned, the Jews askedthat the condemned men be dispatched and removed from the crosses. The commonmethod of ending a crucifixion was by crurufracture, thebreaking of the bones of the legs. This prevented the victim from pushinghimself upward, the tension could not be relieved from the muscle of thechestdispatched and removed from the crosses.Apparently to make sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance through thefifth interspace between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into theheart. The 34th verse of the 19th chapter of the Gospel of John; "andimmediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape ofwatery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and blood from the interior ofthe heart. We, therefore, have rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that ourLord died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in thepericardium.Thus we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil which man can exhibittoward man and toward God. This is not a pretty sight and is apt to leave us despondent and depressed. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel, a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man, the miracle of the atonement and the expectation of eternal life.All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.Romans 3:23For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoeverbelieves in Him shouls not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come torepentance. 2 Peter 3:9Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.Acts 16:31The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through ChristJesus our Lord. Romans 6:23To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the rightot become the children of God.John 1:12