Crucifixion: A common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It
is not certain whether it was known among the ancient Jews; probably
it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the Mosaic
law were, by the sword
(Exodus 21:1)ff strangling, fire
(Leviticus 20:1)ff and
stoning
(Deuteronomy 21:1)ff This was regarded as the most horrible form of
death, and to a Jew it would acquire greater horror from the curse in
(Deuteronomy 21:23) This punishment began by subjecting the sufferer to
scourging. In the case of our Lord, however, his scourging was rather
before the sentence was passed upon him, and was inflicted by Pilate
for the purpose, probably, of exciting pity and procuring his escape
from further punishment
(Luke 23:22; John 19:1) The condemned one carried
his own cross to the place of execution, which was outside the city,
in some conspicuous place set apart for the purpose. Before the
nailing to the cross took place, a medicated cup of vinegar mixed
with gall and myrrh (the sopor) was given, for the purpose of
deadening the pangs of the sufferer. Our Lord refused this cup, that
his senses might be clear
(Matthew 27:34) The spongeful of vinegar, sour
wine, posca, the common drink of the Roman soldiers, which was put on
a hyssop stalk and offered to our Lord in contemptuous pity
(Matthew 27:48)
(Luke 23:36) he tasted to allay the agonies of his thirst
(John 19:29) The
accounts given of the crucifixion of our Lord are in entire agreement
with the customs and practices of the Roman in such cases. He was
crucified between two "malefactors"
(Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:32) and was
watched by a party of four soldiers
(John 19:23; Matthew 27:36,54) with their
centurion. The "breaking of the legs" of the malefactors was intended
to hasten death, and put them out of misery
(John 19:31) but the
unusual rapidity of our Lord's death
(John 19:33) was due to his
previous sufferings and his great mental anguish. The omission of the
breaking of his legs was the fulfilment of a type
(Exodus 12:46) He
literally died of a broken heart, a ruptured heart, and hence the
flowing of blood and water from the wound made by the soldier's spear
(John 19:34) Our Lord uttered seven memorable words from the cross,
namely,
