Paper 187 Overview: The Crucifixion

Jesus was taken to be crucified by Roman soldiers led by a centurion. Four soldiers were assigned to each person being crucified, and the two thieves were whipped before being taken to die. Jesus chose to die on the cross of his own free will, saying that nobody took his life from him.

The crucifixion began at about nine o'clock in the morning at Golgotha. Jesus died after about five and a half hours on the cross, displaying remarkable dignity, forgiveness, and control throughout his suffering. Many important events happened during this time, including his conversations with one of the thieves and his concern for his mother's care.

After preparing the two thieves for crucifixion, soldiers led by a centurion began the journey to Golgotha. The same captain who had arrested Jesus in Gethsemane was in charge of the twelve soldiers. The Romans usually assigned four soldiers to each person being crucified, and while the thieves were whipped, Jesus was not given any more physical punishment.

Jesus went to the cross by his own choice, as he had told his followers earlier. He said, "The Father loves and sustains me because I am willing to lay down my life. But I will take it up again. No one takes my life away from me—I lay it down of myself." The procession left for Golgotha just before nine o'clock, followed by about two hundred people, some who were enemies and others who secretly supported Jesus.

Before leaving the courtyard, soldiers placed a crossbeam on Jesus' shoulders as was the custom for condemned prisoners. The upright parts of the crosses were already at Golgotha, placed firmly in the ground. The captain carried signs written in Latin, Greek, and Aramaic that stated each criminal's name and crime.

As they traveled through Jerusalem, many women who had heard Jesus teach and knew of his good works wept when they saw him. Some even followed beside him, which took great courage because showing sympathy for someone being crucified was against the law. Jesus told them not to weep for him but for themselves and their children, predicting hard times ahead for Jerusalem. When they reached Golgotha just after nine o'clock, the soldiers began their work of nailing the three men to their crosses.

The soldiers tied Jesus' arms to the crossbeam with cords and then nailed his hands to it. After lifting this beam and securing it to the upright post, they nailed his feet to the wood. The cross was not tall - Jesus' feet were only about three feet from the ground, allowing him to hear and see those around him.

Following Jewish customs about public nakedness, Jesus was given a loin cloth to wear. When offered drugged wine that would have eased his pain, Jesus refused it. He wanted to stay fully aware until the end. His first words on the cross were, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Meanwhile, the Roman soldiers divided his clothes among themselves, casting lots for his seamless tunic just as the crowds began to mock and taunt him.

By half past nine that Friday morning, Jesus hung on the cross. Before eleven o'clock, about one thousand people had gathered to witness the crucifixion. Throughout this terrible time, countless unseen heavenly beings watched in silence as their Creator suffered the death of a condemned criminal.

Standing near the cross during the crucifixion were Jesus' mother Mary, his sister Ruth, his brother Jude, John, and several women followers. They watched quietly while many in the crowd mocked Jesus, saying things like, "If you are the Son of God, why do you not come down from your cross?" By lunchtime, most of the jeering crowd had left, and fewer than fifty people remained. When Jesus said, "I thirst," the captain gave him some sour wine from a sponge on the end of a spear.

One of the criminals being crucified with Jesus mocked him, saying, "If you are the Son of God, why do you not save yourself and us?" But the other thief scolded him, saying they deserved their punishment while Jesus was innocent. He then asked Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus turned to this believing thief and promised, "Verily, verily, I say to you today, you shall sometime be with me in Paradise." John wasn't present for this conversation, as he had gone to bring Jesus' mother and other women to the crucifixion. When John returned with the women, Jesus told his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" and told John, "My son, behold your mother!" Then he asked them to leave, and John took Mary to his home in Jerusalem.

Around noon, a sandstorm darkened the sky. By the time Jesus died shortly after one o'clock, fewer than thirty people remained at the cross - the thirteen Roman soldiers and about fifteen believers. Most of these believers were women, except for Jude (Jesus' brother) and John, who had returned just before Jesus died.

As death approached, Jesus' human mind repeated passages from the Hebrew scriptures, especially the Psalms. His last words, spoken just before three o'clock, were: "It is finished! Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." The Roman centurion who saw how Jesus died said, "This was indeed a righteous man; truly he must have been a Son of God." Jesus died after less than six hours on the cross, much faster than most crucifixion victims who often lived for several days. The depth of his emotional and spiritual suffering hastened his physical death.

Around half past three in the afternoon, during the sandstorm, David Zebedee sent out his last messengers to spread the news of Jesus' death. The final runner was sent to Jesus' family in Bethany, where he thought Jesus' mother might be staying.

After Jesus died, John sent the women to Elijah Mark's home, where they stayed over the Sabbath. John himself remained at Golgotha until Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus arrived with Pilate's permission to take Jesus' body. This day of tragedy sent shock waves through the vast universe as countless beings witnessed the crucifixion of their beloved Sovereign in human form.