Have you ever felt excruciating pain?
The word òòò½ÊÓƵœexcruciatingòòò½ÊÓƵ is an interesting word. Coming from Latin, it literally means òòò½ÊÓƵœfrom the cross.òòò½ÊÓƵ Excruciating pain is literally what Jesus suffered from the cross.
A number of years ago, a doctor researched crucifixion to explain medically what Jesus felt and experienced from the cross. The following is an excerpt from what he wrote about Jesusòòò½ÊÓƵ™ final hours:
òòò½ÊÓƵœAs the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them in deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself to get even one small breath. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and bloodstream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he can push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-wrenching cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a crushing pain deep in his chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart. Itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level òòò½ÊÓƵ” the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues, and the tortured lungs are making frantic efforts to gasp in small gulps of air.òòò½ÊÓƵ
As Jesus slowly choked to death under the weight of his own body, he suffered excruciating pain that few people in the history of the world could ever comprehend.
The physical pain, however, was nothing compared to what Jesusòòò½ÊÓƵ™ was suffering at the hand of God the Father. As Jesus hung on that cross, God the Father rained down on him the punishment for every sin that would ever be committed. What Jesus suffered from the cross was so excruciating that he cried out, òòò½ÊÓƵœMy God, my God, why have you forsaken me?òòò½ÊÓƵ
In the end, that is the punishment of sin òòò½ÊÓƵ” complete and total separation from Godòòò½ÊÓƵ™s love. That is the punishment of hell. From the cross, Jesus suffered Godòòò½ÊÓƵ™s righteous anger for every lie youòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve ever told, for your anger, for your lust, and for drunkenness. He suffered the punishment for every sin we call severe and for every sin we consider insignificant.
Every sin we commit òòò½ÊÓƵ” big and small òòò½ÊÓƵ” deserves the excruciating horror of hell.
Yet, because Jesus suffered that excruciating pain in our place, we will never have to know how it feels. Those who ask God for forgiveness and trust in Jesus will never have to know true excruciating pain.
May we never cease to be amazed at Jesusòòò½ÊÓƵ™ great love that he suffered such excruciating pain so that we never would. As the hymnwriter wrote, òòò½ÊÓƵœLove so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.òòò½ÊÓƵ
Commented