We continue our meditation on the drama of Christ's crucifixion and the words Jesus spoke while on the cross. To prolong the torture and pain, the Romans put a piece of wood called a Sedile under Christ's feet so that the crucified person could put some weight on the wood and draw another breath. His back had been flayed and had many open wounds, so every time He pushed down on the Sedile to draw another breath, His back must have endured terrible pain as He moved against the cross. From every side of the cross, one could see blood dripping from His hands, feet, head, and back. His face was barely recognizable due to the beatings about the face and head. Isaiah prophesied, “Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness” (Isaiah 52:14 Emphasis mine). Here’s how the New Living Translation translates it: "Many were amazed when they saw him beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person" (Isaiah 52:14 NLT). Luke wrote about the sneering of the religious elite:
34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." 36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." 38There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23:34-41).
If anything shows the depravity of the human heart without God's presence, this scene is it. How can anyone look up at the bloodied, beaten, disfigured Lord Jesus and say such mocking insults with a sneer, “Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” They did not understand that His mission was to be the Atonement, the One who would come to take away all sin. Jesus came to bear the judgment of sin in His body so that those who trust Him can be free from sin and born-again spiritually. At its worst, humanity was allowed to express its enmity and hatred. Can you imagine the thoughts and pain of His mother, Mary, as she watched the scene while her Son bore our sins? On every side of Christ she looked at, His blood was dripping down. Yet, still, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." God, forgive us for how humanity has scorned and beaten You, the One who created us. Forgive us our sins, for Jesus' sake. Keith Thomas
The YouTube video of this talk with closed captions (subtitles) in 65 languages is found at the following link: https://youtu.be/98EY8UNmpmk
The written notes are at this following link, study 63. The Crucifixion of Christ