Christmas-The Greatest Gift of All

      Christmas is a wonderful time for spending quality time with family we haven't seen in a while and for unwrapping presents next to the tree but I'd like to take time and think about the Greatest Gift of all, Jesus, God's only beggoten son come to Earth. He didn't come as He deserved, but He came humbly to a lowly peasent girl named Mary and a carpenter named Joseph in a manger. The Christmas story may begin with Bethlehem but it certainly doesn't end there.

      God's gift in Bethlehem led to the greatest sacrifice this world will ever know, the cross. Before being nailed to the cross, Jesus wasn't just whipped, he was scourged. Scourging is done with

"a short whip with several single or braided leather thongs of variable lengths, in which small iron balls or sharp pieces of sheep bones were tied at intervals.  For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post.  The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or by one who alternated positions.  The severity of the scourging depended on the disposition of the lictors and was intended to weaken the victim to a state just short of collapse or death.  As the Roman soldiers repeatedly struck the victim’s back with full force, the iron balls would cause deep contusions, and the leather thongs and sheep bones would cut into the skin and subcutaneous tissues.  Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.  Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock." (Edwards et. al)

Crucifixion itself is very taxing on the body. Most likely the nail would be driven into the wrist in between the radius and carpals which would cause nerve damage due to the location. Not only that but

"The crucial effect of crucifixion, beyond the excruciating pain, was a marked interference with normal respiration, particularly exhalation.  The weight of the body, pulling down on the outstretched arms and shoulders, would tend to fix the chest muscles used for breathing in an inhalation state and thereby hinder passive exhalation.  Accordingly, exhalation would require using the abdominal muscles rather than the chest muscles, and breathing would be shallow.  It is likely that this form of respiration would not suffice and that a high level of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream would soon result.  The onset of muscle cramps or tetanic contractions, due to fatigue and the high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, would hinder respiration even further."(Edwards et. al)

Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. Someone had to die in order for sin to be forgiven. So why did Jesus come? Why would He WILLINGLY die this excruciating death?

John 3:16 says:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 The greatest gift of all, was Jesus.

 Edwards, William D, et al. “Scourging and Crucifixion In Roman Tradition.” Edited by Carol R Ritchie, Christian Biblical Church of God, www.cbcg.org/scourging-crucifixion.html.