The order of the events of the night/day

Garden Prayer and bloody sweatBetrayal by Judas / Garden arrest First Jewish phase before AnnasSecond Jewish phase before Caiaphas and SanhedrinPeter’s denialsThird Jewish phase before the SanhedrinRemorse and suicide of JudasFirst Roman phase before PilotSecond Roman phase before Herod AntipasThird Roman phase before PilotMockery of the Roman soldiersJourney to GolgothaThe crucifixion

WERE THE TRIALS LEGAL?

1. Two witnesses that agree

2. The witness must know the date and time of the crime

3. Self incrimination or confession is not allowed

4. A unanimous verdict is not allowed

5. A cooling off period of one day is required between the trial and the sentencing

6. To find new witnesses, the prisoner was to be paraded through town with a “herald” announcing the charges

7. A defense council was to be provided

8. The trial was to be public

9. A death sentence must wait 3 days to allow for fasting and prayer

10. Evidence was to be hung in public view of the court

11. A stupefying drink was to be given to dull the senses

12. Trials must be conducted in the daytime

1. Praetorium

2. Tomb

3. Golgatha

4. Way of the cross

5. Tower of Hippicus

6. Tower of Phasael

7. Tower of Mariamne

8. Herod’s Palace

9. Last Supper

10. Caiaphas

11. Herod Antipas

12. Court of women

13. Court of men

14. Inner Court

15. Altar

16. Temple

17. Main Temple Entrance

Mark 15:1 Early in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes and the whole Council, immediately held a consultation; and binding Jesus, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

Jesus, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and exhausted from a sleepless night and three encounters with the Jewish religious leaders is taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress of Antonia, the seat of government of the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilot

This is the conclusion of the third Jewish trial

From that trial, the council had decided on what trumped up charge they will create in order to get the Romans

to do their bidding which is executing Jesus

Modified excerpts from:

The Crucifixion of Christ from a Medical Point of View

By:

C. Truman Davis, M.D. , M.S.

The physical passion of the Christ begins in Gethsemane…

Though vary rare, the phenomenon of Hematidrosis, or bloody sweat is well documented.

Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing with sweat. This process could have

produced marked weakness and possible shock. (Luke 22:44)

Prior to the trial, Jesus was taken before the retired, former High Priest Annas, it was here that a guard hits Him, starting the

physical abuse

After the arrest in the middle of the night and the stop with Annas, Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin and Caiphas, the High Priest. It is here that additional physical trauma was inflicted, a

soldier struck Jesus then blindfolded Him and mockingly taunted Him to identify them as they passed by, spat on Him

and slapped Him in the face and beat Him with their fists.

After this humiliation and physical trauma, He is take to Pilate

(Luke 22:63-65)

15:2 Pilate questioned Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “It is as you say.”

Luke 23:2 tells us the trumped up charges the leaders came up with, one of which Pilate focuses on:

1. He is subverting our nation2. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar3. He claims to be Christ a king

15:3 The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. 4 Then Pilate questioned Him again, saying, “Do You

not answer? See how many charges they bring against You!”

5 But Jesus made no further answer; so Pilate was amazed.

Jesus does not dignify the charges with an answer?

accuse Him harshly: Ever notice that once most people reject Christ they become violent about it and become Christian haters?

It seems that once someone is confronted with his own sinfulness he will either repent or become violent against the one who

exposed their sins

15:6 Now at the feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested.

7 The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder

in the insurrection. 8 The crowd went up and began asking him to do as

he had been accustomed to do for them.

15:9 Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?”

10 For he was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

Many believe that Barabbas was actually named Jesus Barabbas. If this is so, it would explain why Pilate refers to Jesus of Nazareth as the King of the

Jews.

Pilate does not want to punish Jesus because he knows that He is innocent, this verse proves that Pilate knew the real motives of the leaders

15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask him to release Barabbas for them instead.

12 Answering again, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

Do you wonder if they had asked for Jesus to also be released if Pilate would have?

It seems that he tries everything he can to avoid killing Him

15:13 They shouted back, “Crucify Him!”

Where do you think the Barabbas supporters and those curious on-lookers got this idea?

15:14 But Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they shouted all the more,

“Crucify Him!”

Does Pilate believe that Jesus has committed a crime worthy of death? No

Do the people answer his question? No

15:15 Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus

scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified

Preparations for the scourging are carried out. The prisoner is

stripped of his clothing and his hands are tied to a post above his

head (actually about 4’ high).

The Roman Lector steps forward with the flagrum (or flagellum) in his

hand.

This is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two-six small balls of leather attached near the ends of each.

The leather balls were filled with bits of bone, glass or metal

Scourging produced such a heavy blood loss that the area

around the 4’ pole was trenched so the blood would

be directed away from the area

The whip is designed to rip and tear the flesh.

The Lector stands a bit to the side so that the ribs and part of the chest and stomach are also affected.

The heavy whip is brought down with full force again and again across Jesus’ shoulders, back and legs.

The Lectors are sure to apply full strength to every blow.

If the Centurion believes they aren’t using full strength, the Lector must take the prisoners place!

This was normally only administered to murderers and traitors

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.

Roman scourging was known among the people as the “half-death.”

For Jews 39 lashes were administered because the Jewish leadership believed that

40 equaled death…

For non-Jews, the Romans didn’t count.

Dr. Davis continues:

The half-fainting Jesus is then united and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with His own blood. The Roman

soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They throw a robe across His shoulders and place a stick

in His hand for a scepter.

15:16 The soldiers took Him away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and they called together the

whole Roman cohort.

17 They dressed Him up in purple, and after twisting a crown of thorns, they put it on Him;

The half-fainting Jesus is then untied and allowed to

slump to the stone pavement, wet with His own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They throw a robe across His shoulders and place a stick in His

hand for a scepter.

15:18 and they began to acclaim Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

19 They kept beating His head with a reed, and spitting on Him, and kneeling and bowing before Him.

A small bundle of flexible branches covered with long thorns is formed into the shape of a crown and this

is pressed into His scalp. Again there is copious bleeding (the scalp being one of the most vascular

areas of the body)

After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers take the stick from His hand and

strike Him across the head driving the thorns deeper into his scalp

20 After they had mocked Him, they took the purple robe off Him and put His own garments on Him. And

they led Him out to crucify Him.

Finally, they tire of there sadistic sport and the robe is torn from His back. It 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… and the wounds again

begin to bleed.

The upright portion of the cross (the stripes) could have the crossbar (patibulum) attached two or

three feet below its top…

However the common form used in our Lord’s day was the Tau cross (shaped like the Greek letter

Tau or like a ‘T’)

In this cross the patibulum was placed in a notch at the top of the stripes. There is fairly overwhelming archeological evidence that it was on this type of

cross that Jesus was crucified.

15:21 They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to

bear His cross.

15:22 Then they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull

In spite of this efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, along 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… Simon is given the task of carrying the beam to Golgotha

Jesus follows, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of

shock. The prisoner is stripped of His clothes except for a loin cloth which is

allowed the Jews

Doctor Chris Vance:A medical explanation of the method of

crucifixion as it relates to the nails in the wrist and feet

Doctor Sam Kojoglanian:An medical explanation of the effects of

crucifixion on the human heart

15:23 They tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh;but He did not take it

15:24 And they crucified Him, and divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots for them

to decide what each man should take. 15:25 It was the third hour when they crucified Him.

15:26 The inscription of the charge against Him read, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Simon is ordered to place the patibulum in the ground and Jesus is quickly thrown backward with His shoulders against the wood.

The Legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square, wrought-iron nail through 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, in order to allow some flexation and movement. The patabulum is then lifted into place at the top of the stripes and the titulus reading “Jesus of Nazareth,

King of the Jews” is nailed into place.

The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a

nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed.

JESUS THE MESSIAH IS CRUCIFIED

As He sags down with more weight on the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shoots along the fingers

and up the arms to explode in the brain The nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the

median nerves

As He pushes Himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He places His full weight on

the nail that was driven through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet as Dr.

Vance described.

At this point another phenomenon occurs. As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles knotting them in deep, relentless,

throbbing pain.

With these cramps comes the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by His arms, the pectoral muscles are paralyzed and the intercestal muscles are unable to act Air can be drawn into the lungs

but cannot be exhaled

Jesus must fight to raise Himself in order the get even one short breath

Finally carbon dioxide builds up in the blood stream and in the lungs and the cramps subside.

Spasmodically, He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the life-giving oxygen

It was undoubtedly during this period that he uttered the seven short sentences recorded in the gospels

27 They crucified two robbers with Him, one on His right and one on His left.

28 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with transgressors.”

29 Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,

30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

31 In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes, were mocking Him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself.

32 “Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him

15:33 When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour

It got as dark as night at 12:00 noon and remained dark until 3:00.

15:34 At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why

have You forsaken Me?”

15:35 When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling for

Elijah.”

36 Someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink, saying, “Let us see whether Elijah will come

to take Him down.”

At this point the sins of the world are upon Jesus and Paul says: “God made Him who had not

sin to become sin for us” (2Cor 5:21)

Jesus literally became sin and because of this He was separated from the Father

therefore justifying His cry (From Psalm 22)

Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint–rendering cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn

from His lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber

Then another agony begins

A crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and

begins to compress the heart

From the 22nd Psalm: “I am poured out like water, and

my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in

the midst of my bowels.”

It is almost over The compressed heart is

struggling to pump heavy, thick sluggish blood into the

tissues

The tortured lungs are making a

frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air

The markedly dehydrated tissues send their flood of

stimuli to the brainJesus gasps His fifth cry,

“I thirst”

Let us remember another verse from the prophetic 22nd Psalm:

“My strength is dried up like potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to

my jaws;

and thou has brought me unto the dust of

death.”

15:37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed

His last.

Loud cry?

Where did He get the strength, energy and breath to utter a loud cry??

Why would He shout in the first place?...

Because of His victory over sin!!!!

His beloved creation is now reconciled with God

He was there on the cross for 6 hours

It is 3:00 April 3, 33AD

Apparently to make doubly sure of death the Legionnaire drove his lance through the fifth

interspace between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart

John 19:34:

“And immediately there came out blood and water.”

Thus, there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and blood from the

interior of the heart.

We therefore, have conclusive, post-mortem evidence that our Lord died, not the usual

crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the

heart by fluid in the pericardium

Putting it another way …

Christ died of a crushed heart

15:38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Why is it torn?

Because access to God in now available through His sacrifice!!!

Why top to bottom?

From God to man, not man to God

15:39 When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he

said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

This commander had probably seen the entire affair from the trials and beating to the scourging, the

crucifixion and His death.

In all of this, he was able to see who Jesus really is

15:40 There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the

mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. 41 When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who

came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Jesus had a strong impact on the women of the day because He treated them well and raised their level of importance in society while setting the standard for the

proper treatment of women within Christianity.

They show their appreciation and loyalty by following Him to the cross.

15:42 When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and

asked for the body of Jesus.

Since it was the day before Sabbath, all work must be accomplished by sundown – the beginning of the

Sabbath

Therefore, the body must be buried quickly

Joseph, a man described as pious by Luke and a member of the Sanhedrin offers to claim the body

15:44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether

He was already dead.

15:45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

Jesus was only on the cross 6 hours which was a short time for a normal crucifixion. He questions

the centurion and based on his testimony is convinced that Jesus is dead

He would have been buried in a common grave except for Joseph

Couple of points of proof of His death:

Pilate released the body of a criminal of the state to a non-relative showing he never believed the

charges anyway

And, that a centurion testifies directly to Pilate that He was surely dead

A Rolling Stone Tomb

15:46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been

hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid.

Joseph is the one who actually took Jesus from the cross and wrapped His body for temporary burial

What an act of love, compassion and kindness

Wouldn’t you like to be the one who had this honor?

Matt. 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

We still can serve Jesus in a similar way today:

Always remember:it’s Friday but Sunday is coming!!!!!!!

What do we take home?

This time I will leave it up to you.

What did God put on your heart today?