Nobody Survived
Theme of the Week: Dead and Alive
Lee Strobel
Tuesday, April 6, 2004
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Key Bible Verse: Jesus said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30). Bonus Reading:John 19:16-37
At Golgotha, Jesus was laid on the cross on the ground, and five- to seven-inch spikes were driven through his wrists and feet. Then the cross was hoisted up, and Jesus hung there, slowly asphyxiating to death. He could inhale, but couldn't exhale unless He pushed up with his feet against incredible pain to diminish the tremendous pressure on his chest muscles.
To hasten death, the executioners would shatter the victim's shin bones with a mallet so he could no longer push up. That's what they did to the criminals flanking Jesus. They didn't do it to Him because He clearly was already dead. To confirm that, the soldiers plunged a spear between his ribs. Eyewitnesses noted that clear fluid and blood poured out.
A 1986 Journal of the American Medical Society article concluded: "The historical and medical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead before the wound to his side was inflicted and … that the spear perforated not only the right lung but also the paracardium and heart, and thereby, insured his death. Accordingly, interpretations based on the assumption that Jesus didn't die on the cross conflict with modern medical knowledge."
—Lee Strobel in Preaching Today
My Response: I'll thank Jesus for accepting the sentence I deserved.
Thought to Apply: The cross is real wood, the nails are real iron, the vinegar truly tastes bitter, and the cry of desolation is live, not recorded.
—Malcolm Muggeridge (British journalist, tv host)
Adapted from Preaching Today (tape 187) by permission.
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Lord, grant me unshakeable confidence at the heart of what I believe—that Your Son died and was restored to life.
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