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A Paddler's Perspective 		(Picture)

There's Only Been One More Painful Easter...

Ever considered that first Easter?

In the Times at Easter 1997, famous DW survivor, ex-leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP Paddy Ashdown remarked that he could only think of one figure in history who'd suffered a more painful Easter than himself. I do not know where this comment originated; whether it was with Paddy or not. But it is much repeated today! But have you ever taken time to consider what that first Easter was like? It must have been quite something to be worse than DW...

What is crucifixion? A doctor of medicine has supplied the following description (thank you to Martha Few of the Isle of Wight for forwarding this to me!):

"The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexand movement.

The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backwards against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed.

The victim is now crucified. As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain- the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet.

Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet. As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, throbbing pain.

With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.

Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subside. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting,joint wrenching cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber.

Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

It is now almost over-the loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level-the compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues-the tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues...Finally, he can allow his body to die...All this the Bible records with the simple words, 'and they crucified Him' (Mark 15:24)."

But a most incredible thing about that crucifixion is this - the physical pain was not the worst part. For the Bible teaches that as Jesus was on the cross, upon him was laid the punishment that men and women like you and me deserve for the way we've lived our lives. Many hundreds of years before the Lord Jesus lived on this Earth, the prophet Isaiah wrote:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; (Isaiah 53:5)

Peter, in his first letter, wrote "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24). On the cross, Jesus was made to suffer not only the physical torment, but the full measure of the anger of God in his judgment against sin. "Sin" is rebellion against God - and we are all guilty, having lived in God's world in ways that have displeased him, by not living according to the perfect ways that he has revealed to us. We all deserve to be punished by God, and cut off from him forever, and endure everlasting punishment. But God has done an amazing thing: Jesus Christ, God the Son, has left heaven, become a man, lived a perfect life and then gone to the cross. He went there to be mankind's substitute and representative, in paying the price for sin by shedding his precious blood; he himself was sinless, but he became sin for us. He did this so that sinners might turn back to God and have their sins forgiven, and enter into a restored relationship now and ultimately with him in heaven forever. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." (1 Peter 3:18). God himself has provided a wonderful way back to him, through the Lord Jesus (and through no other, for Jesus himself is the only one sinless sacrifice) - and now he commands all people everywhere to repent, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17:30).

I could go on, but I have said enough! If you are still reading and realise that you need to make further enquiries, then maybe I can recommend one of the following:

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