SERVICES: SATURDAY 6PM | SUNDAY 9AM & 10:45AM. 

We Livestream at www.FaithFellowshipWeb.com/livestream, through the FFC App, and YouTube.

Four Words

Four Words
Words of Faith 3-22-17
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2017
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

John 19
[16] Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. [17] Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). [18] Here they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle.
[19] Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. [20] Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. [21] The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."
[22] Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

“Here they crucified him…” Four simple words that signal an event so familiar that we frequently pass it by without much thought. John gives us little description, but this was because the horrifying process was so well known among his readers. What happened here?
Crucifixion was clearly one of the cruelest forms of execution ever conceived by the heart of man. Invented by the Persians, it was eventually stopped by order of the Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. It was regarded as the most shameful way to die, as Paul described, saying that Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross (Philip. 2:8)!
From historical writings we know that Jesus would have been turned over to an execution squad of four legionnaires and a centurion. Roman crucifixion was very much an act of public humiliation with the thought of deterrence in mind. It was especially used on political prisoners and dissidents as a way of enforcing the Pax Romana, the “peace” of Rome.
Crucifixions took place on a main thoroughfare so that everyone might see the agony and fear the cruel power of Rome. The victim carried the 100 plus pound transverse beam of his own cross to the place of execution. In Jerusalem, this location had earned the name “The place of the Skull”. The condemned person would wear a placard giving his name and the nature of the crime that would then be fastened to the cross.
The victim was affixed to the cross by nails driven through the hands or wrists, and through the feet. If the hands were pierced, ropes under the arms would have supported the weight of the body. Soldiers would amuse themselves by nailing the feet in a variety of ways and awkward positions. Generally, a rope was tied around the chest, knotted between the shoulders, and then tied to the wooden stake behind the body to prevent its falling forward as fatigue weakened the muscles.
A peg was set in the upright stake to act as a supporting seat. The victim was stripped of his clothing and left shamefully naked. This was particularly offensive to Jewish people who adhered to strict rules of modesty concerning the body. The naked victim was exposed to the mocking of passersby, the heat of the sun by day, and the chill and dampness of night. Because of our own sense of modesty, the true naked misery of Jesus on the cross is something that is not accurately portrayed in art or film.
The unnatural position, growing thirst, exposure to the weather, loss of blood, and impaired breathing contributed to a lingering and painful death. Tension on the arms prevented normal breathing, which caused the lungs to slowly fill with moisture. The victim eventually drowned slowly by internal accumulation of fluid as the action of the heart was seriously affected. Frequently a crucified man might live as long as thirty-six hours. Some lived several days as exhaustion and dementia set in.
Almost any other form of execution would seem merciful by comparison.
Pilate created a placard, which many speculate was his own psychological revenge on the Jewish hierarchy for forcing his decision. The sign proclaimed that Rome had crucified the king of the Jews as a common criminal. Stung by the insult, the priests protested asking that Pilate clarify that it was Jesus' claim to be King of the Jews. But in his prideful way Pilate refused to change the wording.
“Here they crucified him…” Four simple words that have changed history. Four simple words that cause us to pause. Four simple words that make us realize all that was given for us. Four simple word that have the power to change your life. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Lord, God. Thank You. In Jesus’ name.