Roman Crucifixion practice and Jesus

Roman Crucifixion practice and Jesus

The act of crucifixion has been adopted in various cultures, over a course of many decades. The most common piece of history most people think of is that of the Galilean Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the ubiquitous act of crucifixion has made its course through a large piece of history. Crucifixion is recorded in history as early as a Persian practice. Furthermore, the notes of Herodutus describe about “3000 inhabitants of Babylon crucified” as early as (512-485 B.C). Other historians and sources have documented other cultures utilizing crucifixion. These include: Assyrians, Scythians, Taurians, Thracians, Celts, Germans, Britons, Nimidians, Carthagians, and prior to the Roman occupation, Jews.

Once the Roman occupation occurred, various sources described not just the procedure but the fear and tactic involved in crucifixion. The Romans operated in maintaining The Pax Romana, the time of peace in Rome, through “militarism and violence”. The violence of focus for this paper is their form of execution for most slaves and criminals, death by crucifixion. This form of death could be observed as a psychological control. The Romans did not merely kill the criminals, but set them to be a spectacle in one of the busiest and most crowed roads, to be observed. A deterrent effect, which rarely affected the wealthy, yet, still occupied a spot in their minds. An example, is when a nobleman in 63 B.C, was threatened with crucifixion, Ciscero in his defense, disputed that “the very mention of the cross…was intolerable for a respectable Roman citizen.” Yet this deterrent inhibited open resistance to Roman occupation, thereby maintaining their Pax Romana intact.

The Roman executioners did not limit...

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...f “Christus Victor”. This theory says that by Jesus dying on the cross by the law, his resurrection is a defiance of the bondage of the Law and thereby invites people to be free through him. Yet another theory formulated by the early church was the theory of “penal substitution”. In this theory Christ takes the just punishment that all sinners were supposed to receive.

For the world, the cross stands for the “bond of unity”. It reconciles the relationship between the Jew and the Gentile and ultimately, between God and humanity, through the atonement of the cross. In my interpretation of the theology of the cross; the cross metaphorically builds a bridge for humanity to cross the river of the law to reach God. The river, the law, which once hydrated young humanity, now drowns it. Christ’s suffering on that cross builds a restorative bridge for all of humanity.