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FEBRUARY 15
THIS IS JESUS THE KING
OF THE JEWS.
27:31 to be crucified. Crucifixion was a form of 38 Then two robbers were crucified with Him,
punishment that had been passed down to the one on the right and another on the left.
Romans from the Persians, Phoenicians, and 39 And those who passed by blasphemed
Carthaginians. Roman crucifixion was a linger- Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You
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ing doom—by design. Roman executioners who destroy the temple and build it in three
had perfected the art of slow torture while days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God,
keeping the victim alive.Some victims even lin- come down from the cross.”
gered until they were eaten alive by birds of 41 Likewise the chief priests also, mocking
prey or wild beasts.Most hung on the cross for with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved
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days before dying of exhaustion, dehydration,
traumatic fever, or—most likely—suffocation. others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the
When the legs would no longer support the King of Israel, let Him now come down from
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weight of the body, the diaphragm was con- the cross, and we will believe Him. He trust-
stricted in a way that made breathing impossi- ed in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will
ble.That is why breaking the legs would hasten have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
44 Even the robbers who were crucified with
death (John 19:31–33), but this was unneces-
sary in Jesus’ case. The hands were usually Him reviled Him with the same thing.
nailed through the wrists,and the feet through 45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth
the instep or the Achilles tendon (sometimes hour there was darkness over all the land. And
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using one nail for both feet). None of these about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud
wounds would be fatal, but their pain would voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is,
become unbearable as the hours dragged on. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
The most notable feature of crucifixion was the
stigma of disgrace that was attached to it (Gal.
3:13; 5:11; Heb. 12:2). One indignity was the
humiliation of carrying one’s own cross, which
might weigh as much as 200 pounds.Normally 27:46 Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? “Eli” is
a quaternion, 4 soldiers, would escort the pris- Hebrew; the rest Aramaic. (Mark 15:34 gives
oner through the crowds to the place of cruci- the entire wail in Aramaic.) This cry is a fulfill-
fixion. A placard bearing the indictment would ment of Psalm 22:1,one of many striking paral-
be hung around the person’s neck. lels between that psalm and the specific
events of the Crucifixion.Christ at that moment
was experiencing the abandonment and
hand. And they bowed the knee before Him despair that resulted from the outpouring of
and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the divine wrath on Him as sin-bearer.
Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the
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reed and struck Him on the head. And when
they had mocked Him, they took the robe off 47 Some of those who stood there, when they
Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!”
away to be crucified. 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a
32 Now as they came out, they found a man of sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a
Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled reed, and offered it to Him to drink.
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to bear His cross. And when they had come 49 The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if
to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, Place Elijah will come to save Him.”
of a Skull, they gave Him sour wine mingled 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud
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with gall to drink. But when He had tasted it, voice, and yielded up His spirit.
He would not drink. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn
35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked,
garments, casting lots, that it might be ful- and the rocks were split, and the graves were
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filled which was spoken by the prophet: opened; and many bodies of the saints who
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had fallen asleep were raised; and coming
“They divided My garments among out of the graves after His resurrection, they
them, went into the holy city and appeared to many.
And for My clothing they cast lots.” 54 So when the centurion and those with him,
36 Sitting down, they kept watch over Him there. who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake
37 And they put up over His head the accusation and the things that had happened, they feared
written against Him: greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

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