A. EXTERNAL OBSERVATION OF THE BODY
The body is that of an adult male marred beyond recognition (Isaiah 52: 14) with injuries as follows:
HEAD – deep multiple puncture scalp wounds in a circumferential fashion around the scalp.
WRIST – deep through and through puncture wound through the wrist severing the median nerve (MN) (one of the three big nerves innervation the upper limb) and going through but not fracturing any carpal bone (John 19:36). Severance of the MN would result in excruciating pain radiating up the limb. The same pain worsened with each movement as he hung the cross.
LATERAL CHEST WALL – deep stellate puncture wound on the lateral chest wall (as was pierced by a soldier with a sword)
POSTERIOR TORSO – multiple ragged lacerations, transverse, across the entire back with muscles and vertebral column exposed.
FEET – perforating wounds through and through (dorsum to plantar) between first and second metatarsals rupturing the Dorsalis Pedis Artery but no bony involvement.
Remember three prophecies in the old testament that specifically states that the Messiah will have none of his bones broken fulfilled: Exodus 12:43,46 // Numbers 9:12 // Psalm 34:20
B. ANALYSIS OF EVENTS LEADING TO HIS DEATH
- The result of being pinned to the cross resulted in victims being stuck in an impossible position with knees flexed at 45 degrees. One had to bear his whole weight with the muscles of the thigh, but this will be an impossible task. (Try to stand with knees flexed at 45 degrees for 5 minutes)
- In this position, hanging on the cross, the legs could no longer support the weight of the individual and his entire weight would be placed on his arms. Within minutes the shoulders become dislocated. As a result of these dislocations of shoulders and the elbows, besides the excruciating pains, the arms would have lengthened by 6-9 inches.
- The tension that pulled up on the arms, the shoulders, and the chest made it almost impossible to breathe. The victim hangs in a position that forced inhalation. The victim needs to both inhale and exhale to breathe, which meant he would have to take the weight off the shoulders in order to exhale and breathe. The only way to do that was to push down with his feet. This meant the man on the cross had to repeatedly push down on the nail embedded between his 1st and 2nd metatarsals in his feet, lift himself up and relieve the weight off his shoulders, then sink back down. In short, every breath was a struggle…..the process was a cruel cycle in which the person took smaller and smaller breaths as he slowly suffocated to death.
- A series of catastrophic physiological effects resulted
1. Victim couldn’t maintain adequate ventilation of his lungs and so his blood oxygen levels begin to diminish, and cells begin to be oxygen starved = HYPOXIA. Carbon dioxide, a blood poison, begins to build up and the body needs to get rid of it by increased exhalation but because of the difficulty doing so in that position CO2 builds up ( HYPERCARBIA )
2. The end result is that the heart begins to beat faster (TARCHYCARDIA) in order to pump more oxygen to the starving cells. Yet the victim could not supply the heart with oxygen it needed, couldn’t get adequate breaths in and out and the rising heart rate only increases the oxygen demand. It becomes a vicious cycle. HEART FAILURE ensues.
3. Next Lungs begin to collapse= PNEUMOTHORAX. It takes place when there is a build-up of air in the pleural space between the lungs and chest. Remember the piercing chest wound introduced air into this space as well. The collapsed lungs would no longer function correctly and oxygen delivery would become even worse. The heart beats ever faster. The rapid heart rate would increase the pressure in the pulmonary arteries (PULMONARY HYPERTENSION) – arteries that go to the lungs.
4. These things would have caused a build-up of fluid in the cavity around the lungs ( CARDIOGENIC PLEURAL EFFUSION ) as a result of back pressure causing filtration from the bloodstream.
5. A resultant PERICARDIAL EFFUSION or CARDIAC TAMPONADE occurs when fluid in the sac around the heart fills up. No wonder when he was pierced to confirm his death or otherwise water mixed with blood came out.
6. The body of the crucified man became increasingly dehydrated because that fluid ( THIRD SPACE LOSSES ) became no longer usable. This results in severe THIRST….. no wonder on the cross he said “ I THIRST”(John 19:28).
C. CONCLUSION
The combination of collapsing lungs, failing heart, dehydration, and inability to get adequate oxygen supply to all tissues (ASPHYXIA) spiraled until they eventually caused death through hypoxic brain injury.
D. APPLICATION
1. His body was broken so that ours might be preserved; Healing comes from the broken body. He declared in the upper room “This is my body broken for you“. He suffered all these grievous medical conditions and pain so we will not have to.
Isaiah 53:4
Surely he hath borne our griefs ( Original translation = sicknesses and diseases) and carried our sorrows ( original translation = pain )
2. He shared his blood 7 times from his sweat, head, hands, feet, face, back, and chest; prophetic of the seven times sprinkling of the leper during his cleansing process- Leviticus 14. The blood was shared from these areas to secure our mental well-being (head), emotional well-being ( sweat ), Hands ( our work ), Feet ( our walk ), back ( our health), and side ( for the birth of the church)
Happy Easter 2022!
Footnote-Inspiration and some reference from Dr. Chuck Missler’s Agony of Love
