Excruciating

Excruciating...

...extremely painful
...causing intense suffering
...unbearably distressing
...torturing.

Excruciating...the word comes from Latin meaning, "out of the CROSS." Death on a cross was so painful and torturous, it warranted a pain word of its own. Good Friday may be good for us, but it was excruciating for Him.

0900 Jesus' wrists and feet were impaled. The cross beam was affixed to the upright. As the tenen settled into the mortice and those around settled down to watch, Jesus dying began.

Each breathe was purchased at the price of extreme, excruciating pain. Without the pain, Jesus could not exhale and was sufficating. To force air out and gasp fresh air, He had to pull His weight up by the nails in His wrists and feet. Searing, electric pain shot up and down the nerves from the wrist to the shoulder. His carpel bones ground around the square spike. Breathes were short and shallow.

1200 Three excruciating hours have passed. Jesus weakens from the lack of respiration, dehydration, exposure and shock. Darkness envelopes the land. It seems as if nature trys to shield the embarrassing shame of its Creator. To conceal the horror.

1500 Three more excruciating hours later, Jesus cries out in a loud voice and then exhales for the last time. Remember crucifixion restricts exhalations. It was an act of will to breath His last.

Proticol dictates the Roman execution squad verify death. This was accomplished by smashing the leg bones of the crucified with a malet. Without leg support the victim could not push up and breathe. They also would issue a death thrust with a sword or spear. Jesus they "verified" using the latter method.

When Joseph petitions Pilate for permission to remove and bury the body, an official inquest is ordered to certify His death. Crucifixion has been engineered to kill its victim, but not quickly. Some crucified persons lasted days before expiring. The Death Squad reports the death is "verified."


The Light of the World is extinguished...
The Maker of All is destroyed by His creation...
The Lord of Life is dead...