The Pen Project Volume 2 | Issue 1 | Page 87

After dinner, He took His friends out to a garden to pray. When they got there, He asked them to hang out while He prayed. Jesus took three of them with Him to pray and told them that He was exceedingly sorrowful. He asked them to keep watch and then fell on the ground praying. He came back and found His close friends sleeping. He went back-and-forth like that three times, praying and coming back and seeing them sleeping. He even got to the point of sweating blood, a condition known as Hematidrosis. Wikipedia says, "Hematidrosis is a condition in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood, occurring under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress." Jesus knew what was coming. The third time He came and woke them up because His betrayer, a disciple named Judas, was there with a mob of people with swords and clubs to arrest Him. His friends very briefly tried to protect Him before they all ran away. The soldier would commonly start hitting you somewhat softly and progressively whip you harder in hopes that you would give up your accomplice in your crime. Sometimes the soldier would accidentally get you in the face and often pieces of muscle, flesh, and sometimes even parts of organs would literally be ripped out of you. They brought Him to a hasty trial. They found Him guilty of breaking the religious law because He said that He was the Son of God. They proceeded to spit on Him and beat Him. They blindfolded Him and then hit Him saying, “Tell us which one of us hit you?” and mocked Him. Peter had followed along at a distance and all the time that this was going on he watched. Three times he was asked if he was one of Jesus’ friends and three times he denied it until finally he ran away and wept bitterly. Judas (the one who betrayed Him) realized that he made a mistake and tried to give the money back that he received for giving Jesus up to the authorities, but the religious leaders wouldn't take it back. Judas was sorrowful too, but he ended it in a much different way then Peter. Judas apparently thought life wasn't worth living anymore, so he hung himself. After this, the soldiers even made fun of Him by putting a scarlet robe on His wounded and blood covered flesh and then shoving a crown made of thorns deep down on His head. After the blood had a chance to congeal they ripped the robe off Him. They ripped His beard off his face and beat Him beyond recognition. Pilate then brought Him out and hoped that this beating would be enough. The religious leaders stirred up the crowd and demanded that Jesus be executed by crucifixion. Rome would routinely crucify people to show their domination over an area, and it was a punishment reserved for the worst of the worst of all offenders. Pilate still did not believe that Jesus warranted that severe of a punishment. Pilate had a custom of releasing one prisoner during religious feasts, he tried to still let Jesus go by offering the people a choice of prisoners, either Barabbas or Jesus. The people chose Barabbas, a murderer, and still called for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate didn't want anything more to do with this, and because the people were nearly rioting, he gave in. The beating that Jesus took would sadly continue. Because Israel was under Roman rule, at the time, the religious leaders could not lawfully administer the death penalty. So, they went and brought Him to a man named Pilate. Pilate was a Roman official who presided over the territory. Pilate found nothing wrong with Jesus and wanted to set Him free, but the religious leaders refused. They instead asked for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate thought that if he had Jesus beaten severely that it would appease the religious leaders. So, he commanded his soldiers to whip Him with something called a “cat of nine tails.” This was an instrument that consisted of a handle around 12 inches long and nine strands of leather that had pottery, glass, and sharp stones imbedded in them. The Roman soldier would stand close to your side and swing it at you from around your back so that it would sink those sharp points into your side, stomach, and back. Then he would rip them backwards out of your flesh. This is what Jesus went through. The Bible says: He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. Isaiah 53:7 Jesus was silent because he was covering for you! If He did say something, He would have had to snitch on you. Just imagine how brutally He was ripped apart! The condemned prisoner was made to carry his cross to the site of the execution and this was no different for Jesus. Because of all the blood loss and beatings that he endured the soldiers made someone help Him. The procession made it to a place called Golgotha (which means place of the skull). The soldiers then nailed His hands and feet to the cross with large spikes. They would bend the points that came out the other side and usually tie your arms and legs to the cross to make sure you did not get off. You did not die from blood loss, you typically died from liquid filling your lungs. Because of the way you were nailed you would have to push up at the nail through your feet to breathe. Every. Single. Time. (continued on next page) 87