Good Friday~

How does one say, "Happy Good Friday?" - Seems weird to me but it is a day to be happy about. Only because we know the ending of the story and what Jesus did for me, for you and for everyone. It wouldn't be happy if we didn't know the story. Jesus would have came and died for just you ... but He didn't. He came for all people. As you go about your day today ... visualize in your mind 2000+ years ago the pain and suffering that our Savior took for us. Here is what the death penalty looked like back then. Not only was it a way for the Romans to punish someone for their crimes, it was also a way for them to show their power and authority over people or groups of people. Do this and this will be done to you. Keep the people afraid and in their place...... Christianity is not a religion, for Religion is what got Jesus "Fixed to the cross", but it is a relationship ~ a relationship with Jesus. Do you have a relationship with Jesus? This is what He endured for you..... He loves you that much.

Definition: The word crucifixion comes from the Latin "crucifixio," or "crucifixus," meaning "fixed to a cross."
Crucifixion was an ancient method of execution in which the victim's hands and feet were bound and nailed to a cross. It was one of the most painful and disgraceful methods of capitol punishment. Victims were usually beaten and tortured and then forced to carry their own cross to the crucifixion site. The Roman cross was formed of wood, typically with a vertical stake and a horizontal cross beam near the top. Different types and shapes of crosses existed for different forms of crucifixion.
The Roman form of crucifixion was not employed in the Old Testament by the Jewish people, as they saw crucifixion as one of the most horrible, cursed forms of death (Deuteronomy 21:23). In New Testament Bible times, the Romans used this tortuous method of execution as a means of exerting authority and control over the population.
Before nailing the victim to the cross, a mixture of vinegar, gall and myrrh was usually offered to alleviate some of the victim's suffering. Wooden planks were usually fastened to the vertical stake as a footrest or seat, allowing the victim to rest his weight and lift himself for a breath, thus prolonging suffering and delaying death for up to three days. Unsupported, the victim would hang entirely from nail-pierced wrists, severely restricting breathing and circulation. This excruciating ordeal would lead to exhaustion, suffocation, brain death and heart failure. At times, mercy was shown by breaking the victim's legs, causing death to come quickly. As a deterrent to crime, crucifixions were carried out in highly public places with the criminal charges posted on the cross above the victim's head.