“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.” ~ John 3:16 KJV

One cannot help but notice that Christmas is once again upon us; from the decorations outside people’s homes, to the frantic sales in the stores to boost year end sales. Yet, has Christmas become so commercialized that we have forgotten what we are celebrating? Putting aside the fact that Christ was probably born in April, not December, we are celebrating the birth of the most important human being who ever lived. I have always felt that Christmas was becoming too commercialized, but this year that sentiment is made more poignant by the fact that I have undergone a spiritual awakening, of sorts, over the past 12 months. Christmas, to me, is not about the decorating, the gift giving, or the big family meal; it is about remembering, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Most of the movies made about the live of our Savior fall short of telling the whole story; especially in regards to the suffering He underwent on our behalf; with The Passion of the Christ coming the closest to describing what He went through to provide us with the means of returning to the Father. Yet even that film does not tell half the story; which is why I am writing this particular essay, at this particular time of the year. I think it is important for people to know what Christ went through on your behalf…even if you do not believe in Him.

Are you aware that, although it was Pilate who ultimately sentenced Christ to death, it was the leaders of his own people who brought the charges against Him that led to him being crucified? Christ was rejected by his own people, and threatened with death no less than 8 times during His 3-year ministry.

– When Jesus called out His hometown for their unbelief (Luke 4:16–30)

– When Jesus challenged the Pharisee’s traditions about the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1–14; Mark 2:23–3:6; Luke 6:1–11)

– When Jesus placed Himself above the Pharisee’s level of authority (John 5:1–18)

– When Jesus called Himself by God’s name (John 8:48–59)

– When Jesus referred to Himself as being God (John 10:31–39)

– When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:45–57)

– When Jesus cleansed the temple the final time of corruption (Mark 11:15–18; Luke 19:45–48)

– When Jesus told the chief priests and Pharisees that the kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to another nation (Matthew 21:33–46; Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–19)

During His ministry, Christ told His apostles that they too would be hated for his sake. This is something people do know give much thought to; that to be a follower of Christ one must set themselves apart from the world; be not of it; which makes those who choose that path a great number of enemies. Whether this speaks to people’s own failings, or if they have fallen for the temptations of the evil one, I cannot say for certain; but those who speak the truth, and live an upright and moral life, seem to be despised by the masses.

In any case, Christ was rejected by his own people because His message was either not what they wanted to hear from their promised Messiah, or because it went against what they were being told by their ‘church’ leaders in the synagogues and the temple. I think the people were expecting a ruler to come unto them from God who would free them from Roman rule; not one who spoke of a Heavenly Kingdom; so He was rejected by all but a few who believed His message.

So, remember what He told His apostles if you want to follow Him, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.” (John 15:18–21) I think that is especially true in the world we live in today; one in which evil is seen in almost every aspect of society. Sadly, as time progresses, I fear that persecution will only intensify; further testing our loyalty to Him and the Father.

The next thing I wish to discuss is the suffering Jesus underwent in Gethsemane; just before he was betrayed by Judas. It was there that Christ took upon Himself the sins of the world. The book of Luke tells us that while Christ was praying, He was in a great deal of anguish, and, “…and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” There is a church on the site of where the Garden of Gethsemane supposedly sat that depicts Christ in robes that are red; as if He did, indeed, sweat blood for our sins.

I cannot even begin to comprehend what Christ must have been feeling then. Not only was He suffering for our sins, He was fully aware of what was yet to come. How many of us can say that we would have been able endure that kind of mental anguish; especially if we knew what kind of physical pain we were about to be subjected to?

There is a medical condition known as hematidrosis in which a body actually does sweat blood. One of the causes is listed as severe mental anxiety. So, it is actually possible that Christ did, in fact, sweat blood as He took upon Himself the sins of the world. One more thing before I move on; one of the side effects of hematidrosis is that it causes the skin to become tender and fragile. That ties in to the next thing that Christ endured on our behalf; a flogging at the hands of the Romans.

When Christ was brought to Pilate, the Procurator initially found no guilt in him; yet to satisfy the crowd, and the Sanhedrin, he had Christ flogged. These were not just whips of the kind you see Indiana Jones carry; they were braided leather thongs with metal balls and pieces of bone woven into them. You have to remember, Jesus had just suffered for our sins, and His skin may have been tender and fragile due to Him suffering from hematidrosis; which would have been more painful and more damaging to the body.

According to accounts I have read of this means of punishment, the goal was to bring a person as close to death as possible without actually killing them. The skin was torn loose from the body; exposing veins, muscles, and even bone. The maximum number of lashes was 39, but there is no account of how many Jesus was actually given. Regardless, His skin was probably shredded; causing massive blood loss. Christ was then covered with a robe to mock Him; while placing a crown of thorns upon His head.

The robe may have actually prolonged His life; as it acted as sort of a bandage to staunch the blood He was losing. Christ was then brought back to Pilate, and the part the movies do cover, occurred; Pilate allowed the crowd to choose between Jesus and Barabas. The crowd chose Barabas, leaving Pilate no choice but to send Jesus to His death.

Finally, we come to the crucifixion itself. Christ was made to carry His own cross; which must have been agonizing in His already weakened and battered state. I have yet to find any conclusive evidence either way regarding the cross Jesus was forced to carry to the site where He would be put to death. Some historian claim it was full cross, while others claim it was just the cross piece that was raised onto a scaffolding. In either case, it is a miracle He was even able to make it to Golgotha without perishing on the way.

Once He arrived, they stripped away His robe; causing his wounds, which may have begun to clot, to begin bleeding once again. He was then nailed to the cross; through His hands and His feet, then the custom was to leave them there to die; which often took days. However, in Christ’s already weakened state, He probably died must faster.

Most of the images, or portrayals, of Christ on the cross have His arms splayed out sideways; forming the shape of a cross with His body. From what I have read on the matter, that is not how the condemned looked at all. From what I have read, chords, or rope, were tied around the wrists to help support the bodies weight; as the nails in the hands would rip out if they alone carried the upper bodies weight.

Also, the feet were nailed far lower than depicted in Hollywood movies, and paintings. This caused the body to form more of a Y than a T or a cross. This position made it extremely difficult to breath. To inhale, the condemned would have to use their legs to lift the body up; which must have been agonizing with the nails driven through the feet. Furthermore, this position made it difficult to fully exhale; which led to a buildup of carbon dioxide in the body; which would cause the muscles to cramp up.

On top of all this, Christ had to make this sacrifice on His own; meaning the comforting presence of the Father was not with Him while he slowly died upon the cross. That brings into focus something Christ told His apostles, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

Christ took all these things upon Himself willingly… for you and I – IF we would only believe in Him. He told us that He is the light and the way. He told us that no one comes to the Father but through Him.

Therefore, if you want to be among His followers, you must recognize the sacrifice He made on your behalf; and you must be willing to take upon yourselves the condemnation of the world on His behalf.

So, as Christmas approaches, ask yourselves what you are truly celebrating. Are you celebrating the birth, message, and sacrifice of Jesus, or are you celebrating the commercialization of a holiday where the life and death of your savior does not even enter into the picture. Just know this, if it is the latter, do not be surprised when you stand before Him for your judgment, that He proclaims, “I know ye not.”

Have a blessed day…

December 19, 2023

~ The Author ~
Neal Ross, Student of history, politics, patriot and staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Send all comments to: NealHRoss@outlook.com.

Life continues to expand for this prolific writer and guardian of TRUE American history.