Seven Last Words of Christ: Began in Chennai India

By Gabriel Baptiste

The Cross of Christ was a rescue operation hatched from eternity past to save mankind from the tyranny of sin and Satan. Angels watched in somber silence and abject horror, as their beloved Creator and Commander-in-Chief was pummeled and thrashed from Pilate’s court all the way to Calvary, by the very creatures He designed, created, and came to redeem. His well-chosen words while in the throes of death by crucifixion give us an insight into his state of mind. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” But did God really forsake the one He twice affirmed, saying: “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”? Every word Jesus uttered from the cross was salvific, pregnant with meaning, filled with promise, and brimming with symbolism. Join me as we explore, analyze, dissect, and scrutinize the seven last words of the dying Messiah.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781796089783

Gabriel Baptiste

Gabriel Baptiste is a practicing Christian believer and serves as an ordained elder in his local church. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theology with a minor in history from Columbia Union College. He was born in the Commonwealth of Dominica and received his US citizenship in 1988. He is the son of Eden and Emelia Baptiste, the youngest of 11 children. He currently resides in Maryland with his wife, Daisy Baptiste. Early in life, he found his passion in reading, and history became his obsession. He’s also an avid sports fan who loves the New York Giants.

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Copyright © 2021 by Gabriel Baptiste.

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Rev. date: 05/26/2021

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CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: Death by Crucifixion!

What is Crucifixion?

Whom did the Romans Crucify?

From the Court Room’s Guilty Sentence to the Place of Execution

Why Crucifixion?

Chapter 2: My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me

Was God at the Crucifixion Scene?

The Split Veil

The Earthquake

The Private Resurrection

The Midday Darkness

The Explanation of These Events

Chapter 3: Father Forgive Them

God’s Forgiveness to Us

Forgiving Your Brothers and Sisters

Forgiving Your Enemies

Forgiving Your Abusers

Forgiving Your Absent Parent or Spouse

Forgiving Your Unfaithful Spouse

Forgiving Poor choices

Forgiving Yourself

Forgiveness, a Divine Attribute

Forgiveness by the Church

Chapter 4: Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise

Jesus Saved Even While Hanging on The Cross

God Rescues

God is Reasonable

God Forgives

Chapter 5: Father Into Your Hands

A Bittersweet Life

Shock, Sadness, and Anxiety in Heaven

Disappointment and Uncertainty on Earth

Isolated event? Far from it.

Failure of World Religions

Prophesy of Daniel and Other Biblical Prophets Fulfilled

From The Cradle to The Grave

Chapter 6: Woman, Behold Your Son

Jesus Addresses His Widowed Mom from The Cross

Strangers: Not Forgotten

Orphans: Not Forgotten

Securing a Home For His Mom

The Selection of John as Primary Caregiver to Mary

Son in War Zone Secures Welfare of Mom and Pops

Immigrant Girl Secures Welfare of Mother-in-law

Wealthy Son Invites Mom and Pops to Hometown

Oh! Oh! Queen-Mother Gets in Trouble Again

Queen Reveals True Identity of Mystery Dad

Chapter 7: I Thirst

How Humans Adapts to Thirst

What is Dehydration?

The Rain Maker is Thirsty

Chapter 8: It is Finished!

I Have Given it My All

I Have Paid the Ransom in Full

I Have Met the Full Requirement of Your Law

Salvation Free To All

Heaven and Earth Reconnected

Satan Confined to This Earth

No More Blood Sacrifices

All Humanity Have Direct Access to God

Satan’s Fate Sealed

God Will Root Out Every Vestige of Sin.

Affliction Shall Not Rise a Second Time

Biography

Bibliography

Glossary

PREFACE

Words of the dying are incredibly significant. Treasure hunters have had to lean close, within hearing range of the perishing, in order to hear the location of some hidden treasure. Valuable prisoners of war in their death throes, were nursed back to health in order to gain strategic information of the enemy movement. Royal aspirants in line for succession to the throne have had to hold their breath, hoping dad would slip away peacefully without changing the order of succession. Family members with inheritance aspirations crowd the bedroom of their dying parent, hoping and praying that the will would remain intact, without any last-minute drama. The dying know they are slipping away, therefore, they are brutally honest. With little time left, they are motivated to clear their conscience. Many kingdoms and families have been left in disarray in the absence of the last words from their king, leader, or patriarch.

Jesus’s last words on Calvary’s cross were clear, intentional, relevant, and concise. Though hanging helplessly on the cross, He remained aware, and perceptive as He reacted to the conversations and situations unfolding before him. He addressed His thirst which He had no control over. He also spoke about being forsaken by His Father, God. His grief-stricken mother, in total shock of the outcome of His trial, did not escape His sweeping gaze. She was not left in despair. He committed her care to the hospitable John the Beloved. The dying thief’s recognition of Him as Messiah did not escape His alert ear. Having completed the mission assigned to Him by the Godhead, Jesus exclaimed: It is finished! And with His last agonizing words: Father into Your hands I commit My Spirit, he culminated the plan of salvation.

The goal of this documentary is to analyze the last statements Jesus uttered while hanging on Calvary’s cross; and illustrate their significance to the plan of redemption. His last words on the cross were as insightful, applicable and relevant as the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount of Olives, the teaching by the sea of Tiberias, and the discourse in the temple of Jerusalem. And because last words of the dying depict their state of mind, and will echo and reecho in the annals of history, they are more precious than gold. Join me as we enter this adventure.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Glory, paise and honor to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for equipping me with a creative mind. Thank you Jesus for your affirmation that we can accomplish anything related to the building of your kingdom here on earth.

I am indebted to the works of many others in the production of this book, whether in the form of art, music or drama. The death, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ has been an intriguing event which has revolutionized history, society, and culture. I give tribute to the Green family, primarily the deceased David Green Sr. for producing much anticipated musical cantatas of The Seven Last Words of Christ year after year. I must admit, these events had a profound impression upon me to the extent that they forced me to take a closer look at the passion of the Christ, and the love which propelled Him to make such an awesome sacrifice for mankind.

Thanks to my faithful readers who verbally insisted after reading my first work, when is the next book due? Thanks to my darling wife for relinquishing to me my favorite writing corner, reclining on my back with pillows under my thighs and head. Thanks to my son Lyonel for his technical computer, and editorial skills. Thanks to his wife Latoya for her generous, and robust hospitality during the production of this work. Thanks to my tutor, the Holy Spirit for giving me both the will and the skill to tell a fascinating story of such crucial importance. Thanks to Mom and Pops (may they rest in peace) for their investment in our education.

CHAPTER 1

Death by Crucifixion!

In antiquity crucifixion was considered one of the most brutal and shameful modes of death. Probably originating with the Assyrians and Babylonians, it was used systematically by the Persians in the 6th century BC. Alexander the Great brought it from there to the eastern Mediterranean countries in the 4th century BC, and the Phoenicians introduced it to Rome in the 3rd century BC. It was virtually never used in pre-Hellenic Greece. The Romans perfected crucifixion for 500 years until it was abolished by Constantine I in the 4th century AD. Crucifixion in Roman times was applied mostly to slaves, disgraced soldiers, Christians and foreigners—only very rarely to Roman citizens. Death, usually after 6 hours—4 days, was due to multifactorial pathology: after-effects of compulsory scourging and maiming, haemorrhage [sic] and dehydration causing hypovolaemic [sic] shock and pain, but the most important factor was progressive asphyxia caused by impairment of respiratory movement. Resultant anoxaemia [sic] exaggerated hypovolaemic [sic] shock. Death was probably commonly precipitated by cardiac arrest, caused by vasovagal reflexes, initiated by the inter alia by severe anoxaemia [sic], severe pain, body blows, and breaking of the large bones. The attending Roman guards could only leave the site after the victim had died, and were known to precipitate death by means of deliberate fracturing of the tibia and/or fibula, spear stab wound into the heart, sharp blows to the front of the chest, or a smoking fire built at the foot of the cross to asphyxiate the victim (F P Retief 2003).

What is Crucifixion?

Crucifixion may be defined as a method of execution by which a person is hanged, usually by his arms, from a cross or similar structure until he dies. This must be differentiated from an ancient Jewish custom whereby a condemned person was first executed, e.g. by stoning, and then hung from a post, tree or other structure (F P Retief 2003). The Assyrians are suspected to have invented this monstrous killing procedure, and it did not take very long before the Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, and Phoenicians expressed interest in this form of cruel execution. However, it was the Romans who perfected it into a weapon of mass destruction and terror. During the Punic Wars, the Romans learnt the technique and proceeded to become the principal utilizers of crucifixion for more than five centuries (F P Retief 2003). Asked whether this killing procedure was applicable to Roman citizens, and realizing the excruciating pain and humiliation associated with it, the venerable Cicero recoiled in horror and went on record in saying: It was inappropriate for a Roman even to be confronted with the word cross (F P Retief 2003). Because it was the most horrible, painful and shameful mode of death, the Romans gleefully, and enthusiastically embraced it, and it became their chief tool of terror in their empire building campaigns. Additionally, crucifixion was reserved for those whom Rome considered the vilest of the vile, but in many instances of miscarriage of justice, the innocent got sucked up into this monstrous killing machine. Crucifixion was more than just killing the person, it was designed to make a statement; it was about knocking the fight out of would be opponents at the sight of victims’ bodies rotting along the highways; it was about terrorizing a population into compliance; it was equivalent to flexing one’s muscle in a show of force; it was about suppressing insurrection; it was about winning over a population without ever going to war; it was about advertising the brute strength of Rome to enemies both far and near, it was about inflicting maximum pain upon the human anatomy until life itself was completely and totally obliterated. The sheer brutality of crucifixion sent a chilling message to non-conforming populations, anti-Roman agitators, critics of the Pax Romana (peace of Rome) and potential enemies: make peace with us, or this could be your fate.

Interestingly, Rome was not without competition in her crucifixion enterprise, her gutsy enemies took notice and often turned the tables on her to their advantage. In AD 9 the victorious Germanic leader, Arminius, crucified many of the Roman general Varus’s defeated soldiers, and in AD 28 Germanic tribesmen crucified Roman tax collectors. During Baodicea’s revolt in (AD 59-61) many legionnaires were crucified (F P Retief 2003). But this is hardly an example of a bully being forced to taste his own bitter medicine. Rome crucified hundreds of millions of prisoners of war, political prisoners, slaves, Christians, innocent civilians caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and those who they deem unfit to exist.

Whom did the Romans Crucify?

Crucifixion was generally seen as slave punishment. But other groups such as Christians, foreigners, and liberated slaves (liberti) were also numerous whether or not they had acquired Roman citizenship and had been promoted to equestrian rank … although a rare event, Roman citizens were crucified from time to time (F P Retief 2003). Wherever the Legions of Rome pillaged or plundered, crucifixion followed in quick secession, and it seemed to have been their favorite method of capital punishment. Those singled out for crucifixion (at the discretion of the commanding general) would include, leaders of the opposing army, Roman army deserters, defeated enemy soldiers, sympathizers of the enemy, slaves and those without rights. It was not an uncommon sight for some generals to celebrate their hard-fought victory over their vanquished foes by having a mass crucifixion orgy along a popular highway. Under Roman occupation crucifixion became commonplace in Palestine, Varus crucifying 2,000 Jews in 4 BC and Josephus reporting on mass crucifixions during the Jewish war (F P Retief 2003). Crucifixion was often used as a means of deterrence, particularly in Palestine where revolt was a common occurrence. It was more cost effective for the empire to crucify a few rowdy rebels than later fight them on the battlefield as an effective, well-organized army. Consider the cost in precious resources to the empire by ignoring a rabble rouser only to confront him as a brilliant, capable and effective military strategist on the battlefield. Rome would have none of that. All revolutions and revolutionaries must be obliterated from the inception.

During the early Republic, it was used for incest and treason. It was always used in slave revolts. There were three great slave revolts during the Republic: two in Sicily (135-132) and (104-101 BC) and one in Italy, led by the Thracian gladiator Spartacus in 73-71 BC. The consul Crassus who defeated the slave army of Spartacus had 6000 men crucified along 350 miles of the Appian Way approaching Rome from the south. It proved an effective deterrent. That was the last major slave revolt (Crime and Punishment 2019).

The quest for ultimate power is a life-long dream of the human psyche, and though this brutal crucifixion measure seemed to have effectively suppressed some would-be-dictator for a time, others would revive their hopes in an attempt for the top spot on the world scene. Moreover, there was never a shortage of would-be aspirants who would emerge as potential threats to the Roman Empire; and the generals of Rome would have to defend the Empire, utilizing the brutality of crucifixion as a deterrent.

The Republic’s laws protected its citizen from this harsh form of capital punishment. The upper class, comprising senators, judges, magistrates, wealthy citizens, ex-soldiers and current serving soldier were spared this ignoble punishment. At the discretion of a judge, the following penalties could be inflicted on the guilty offender: exile, confiscation of property, beheading (as in the case of Paul), or forced labor for a fixed period on the many public work projects in the empire. Roman law forbade any citizen to be crucified or tortured, however, some despotic emperors did not always abide by the rule of law, nor by the laws of the land. Unfortunately, slaves, army deserters, revolutionaries, insurrectionists, Christians and foreigners became prime candidates of this form of harsh punishment. Having set its sight on global dominion and world conquest, there was never a short supply of candidates to crucify. With plenty of wood from enemy conquered forests, together with an abundant supply of iron nails furnished from the mines operated by forced labor, the Roman juggernaut went on to perfect the art of crucifixion for well over five hundred years, until Constantine l abolished it in AD 320.

From the Court Room’s Guilty Sentence to the Place of Execution

After a Roman judge examined the court evidence and pronounced the fatal words death by crucifixion, the following occurred: The hapless prisoner (usually a non-Roman citizen) was shackled and escorted to a room where a burley Roman soldier was waiting with a whip (flagellum), or a wooden rod in hand. Escorted to a wooden pole, usually in the center of the room, the prisoner (usually male), was stripped naked then tied face front to the pole with his bare torso exposed. Of course, the whipping was preliminary to what would follow; it aided the prisoner to confess the crimes he may, or may not have committed, it also commanded unquestioned obedience and absolute cooperation during the crucifixion procedure. The prisoner was administered as many lashes as the supervising commander saw fit. One can only speculate, if the prisoner cost the empire much headache in terms of blood, sweat and other expenditures, the torture would be fully maximized. Although under Jewish Rabbinical law, a prisoner could receive only forty lashes at a given time, but Rome was the master in charge of Palestine and not the Jews. Any part of the body became fair game to the flogging, including delicate and sensitive body parts, however the torso and buttock received the bulk of the punishment. The whip consisted of a leather throng to which small metal balls or sheep bone fragments were attached at the ends. The repeated whip lashes with the metal balls and sheep bone fragments lacerated the bare back, and in some instances ripped the flesh wide open, exposing tender nerves and muscle mass. Cramps, swelling, and bulging bumps in the skin were inevitable. Doctors and nurses were not present, nor was medical assistance applied. Compassion was non-existent in the torture room. When not administered on the battlefield, the flogging was supervised by a lictor, (a Roman civil servant assisting a judge). The flogging, part of the crucifixion ritual, was intended to significantly weaken the resistance of the victim and prepare him for the terrible crucifixion ordeal. The deep wounding and severe pain inflicted during flogging frequently resulted in fainting, swollen tissues, shock and trauma, loss of blood and even death itself. At this point, after the severe flogging, the prisoner is hoping that death might come quickly, but death is far from view. This is only the preliminary stage in the crucifixion process. The flogging was always accompanied with taunting, teasing, and jest, to further humiliate the victim.

Bloodied, bruised, dazed, hungry, thirsty, tired, and significantly weakened from the flogging, the prisoner emerges; tied to a wooden patibulum (beam) across his shoulders. If not tied to his shoulders, he must carry the heavy cross on his already bruised and swollen back. The cross which he carries to the place of execution weighs between two hundred to three hundred pounds. In his weakened condition, he usually stumbled under the heavy weight of the cross. And when he did (which was a common occurrence), there was no way to avoid the sharp or blunt objects ready to gouge out his eyes, or puncture his face. To add to his pain and misery from the flogging, he incurs additional injury to his upper body (usually the head, or face) from his constant falls to the ground. If in his weakened condition (resulting from the brutal flogging, constant falls, denial of food and water), he is unable to carry the cross, a bystander (certainly not a Roman) would be pressed into service. He will not be aided with his heavy burden by his executioners. In their reckoning, it is his cross to carry, not theirs. As he inches towards the execution site, he is often met with curses, jeers, insults and derision by unsympathetic bystanders. Debris may even be thrown at him.

A herald, part of the execution squad, walks ahead of the condemned carrying a titulus (written instruction) in hand, shouting at regular intervals the particulars of the prisoner, including his name, place of origin, crime, and other necessary information about him. This well-publicized announcement was directed at both the victim as well as the populace at large. To the victim, it was another grim reminder of the events of his life which brought him at this juncture. To the populace it had multiple code messages – legal news, execution of law and order, information, deterrence, and complete cooperation with Rome. The written instruction in the possession of the herald would be later affixed to the top of the cross, identifying the condemned as an enemy of the local population as well as of the empire. Every detail of the crucifixion ordeal was intended to humiliate the victim, inflict physical pain and mental torture. Even the continuous repetition of the victim’s crime was designed to embarrass him.

Eventually, the long trail of bystanders leads him to a clearing ahead where the dirt has been freshly disturbed. Several long straight poles have been prepared for the cross piece he carries on his shoulders. Additionally, there is abundant discovered evidence from various historians pointing to multiple forms of crucifixions, and different designs of crosses upon which prisoners were crucified. Evidence has been unearthed where victims were crucified on X shaped structures. Other specimens have been discovered depicting executions low to the ground, thus allowing wild beasts to devour the victim while still alive.

The discovery of the bones of a crucified man, now in a museum in Israel, points to the fact that the feet were likely not stacked on the front of the cross. In the remains, the nail goes through the heel, leading to the conclusion that the crucified were more likely nailed with ankles on either side of the cross’s mast … It seems that they’re [being done] at all angles. They could be upside down, tied up, nailed up. It was almost up to the people doing it; there didn’t appear to be a standard form (Rizzo 2019).

Does it really matter which method would be used on the victim? One thing is certain, and it does not take the prisoner long to figure out his journey has come to an end. He has little time to catch his breath as he is delivered to an efficient, professional killing crew which has been observing his slow progress to the execution site. They have been waiting impatiently with fingers twitching, and spades, nails, ropes, hammers, and hatchets are all ready to go into action. Supervising the crucifixion procedure closely (usually from a mounted horse), the centurion ensures that every detail of the crucifixion procedure is carried out fully, until the victim draws his last agonizing breath.

Mindful of his terrible fate, the traumatized offender, bloodied, and still in a state of shock offers little or no resistance; whatever little energy he has left, he uses it in compliance to his executioner’s commands. Anyone having survived the brutal flogging to the crucifixion site must have been an excellent specimen of good health. Is it any wonder that ordinary Romans chose the indignity of suicide rather than undergo the horror, pain, and shame of a public crucifixion? Upon arrival at the killing site, the condemned desperately wants the process to be over very quickly, but Rome is in no hurry; she must make an example of him. Cruel hands reach out for him and strip him of his clothing. He will not need them anymore. With the cross nailed together and completed, he is forcefully held down on his back with his arms extended on the horizontal beam. His arms can be either tied or nailed to the cross beam. Bear in mind that a nail puncture in the palm of the hand cannot support the full weight of the victim. This would cause a tear of the flesh in the palm of the hand when the victim was hoisted up the pole, or when the cross was thrusted down into the hole prepared for it. It is a common accepted theory among historians that the puncture by nail and hammer was made in the wrist, either where the ulna and radius meet or through the carpal bones. Having thus secured the prisoner’s hands to the horizontal beam, the foot was nailed together or separately, or affixed together with a six-inch nail, thus securing the legs. After the victim was securely fastened to the cross, and was slowly elevated to the standard crucifixion position, a macabre process came into play. The soldiers divided the victim’s last earthly possession among themselves (usually his clothes) as they wait for the cruel process to culminate in his death. Bear in mind that clothes were not mass produced, nor were paper towels; therefore, every available piece of clothing was important.

If the presiding centurion chooses (depending on his mood), he can either accelerate the death of the prisoner or lengthen his agony. The breaking of the legs by a blunt club will render the legs ineffective in supporting the weight of the body. From his hanging position on the cross, the prisoner’s only method of breathing consists in pushing himself upwards by his legs to gulp a breath of air. This rhythmic up and down motion enables him to breathe if he can sustain this ordeal. But with the breaking of his legs, particularly below the knee, puts the prisoner in a more difficult position. With his legs broken, he is unable to propel himself upwards to sustain his breathing on a consistent basis, and asphyxiation quickly follows. The presiding centurion has many options in his toolbox; he can deliver a fatal blow with a club to the sternum, or simply use his spear to puncture the heart or lungs. On rare occasions a fire is lit at the foot of the cross to induce asphyxiation. If he chooses, he can prolong suffering by doing neither of the above; the victim is left to suffer as long he can sustain his laborious vigil. Neither the Roman centurion, nor the soldiers under his command can exit the crucifixion scene until he ensures that the victim is dead. And this is not difficult to ascertain. The drooped head, or limp body was a dead giveaway. But to confirm death, he punctures a vital organ with his spear.

Under Roman law, death by crucifixion, as all other forms of capital punishment were a public spectacle in the empire, open to the public for entertainment. Crucifixion could last from a few hours, or to about six days. Capital punishment in the empire came in various forms, from strangulation, burning at the stake, induced suicide, drowning, death by wild beasts, beheading, or frying one in a cauldron of hot oil; but Rome’s favorite mode of execution was death by crucifixion. Unlike the other forms of capital punishment, crucifixion could be skillfully managed by the executioners, inflicting excruciating suffering on the anatomy of the victim until the body succumbs and sinks into silence. As time unfolds, the victim is at the mercy of the elements. The blazing sun, torrential rain, and chilling cold take their toll on him. He is often plagued by swarms of stinging insects, hounded by blood thirsty pecking birds, ravaged by roving wild beasts and hoovering vultures who periodically nibble at his battered body.

When in mercy, death’s gruesome tentacles wrap the victim in its gristly embrace, he rattles an agonizing sound, droops his head and sinks into tranquility. He is no more. His bruised and battered body slumps in disgrace, embarrassment and shame; thankfully, his misery is over. His heartless tormentors, hardened by multiple crucifixions under their belt, are relieved also; they are free from their duty of ensuring his demise. Their command by the Roman Senate, judge, general or court to carry out the execution has been fulfilled. They can now rejoin the civilized human family again, and turn their attention to more pleasant duties, now that the sentence of crucifixion has been fully carried out.

Interestingly, Roman law allowed for the family of the deceased to claim its loved one, but permission from a judge must be secured first. On many occasions the body remained unclaimed, as in the case of the multiple millions of prisoners of war. When Rome wanted to make a statement to opponents, she crucified a few thousand prisoners along busy highways. Their bodies became a feast to vultures and other predatory animals. A warning to all—Rome will tolerate absolutely no dissent.

Why Crucifixion?

In the absence of established civil rights laws, and the non-existence of international organizations and watch dog agencies, tyrants took matters into their own hands to dispose of their enemies and those without rights with barbaric brutality. Enemies of Rome, including slaves, social agitators, (whether religious or political) met the same fate — crucifixion. And history is replete with brutal dictators who eagerly sought every opportunity to outdo their predecessor in both terror and brutality. Under the dictatorial rule of some of the worst Roman emperors who expressed little esteem for human life, or respect for rules pertaining to the dignity and treatment of fellow humans, crucifixion became their weapon of choice. Although crucifixion was proven to be an effective weapon of deterrence, it did little or nothing to deter power hungry warlords, maddened in their quest for world dominion.

The Roman military utilized crucifixion to liquidate those whom they deemed unfit to exist any longer. Being the most brutal form of capital punishment, Rome utilized it to brutalize, punish, intimidate, terrorize, and subjugate conquered peoples. Following the death of Herod the Great in 4 B.C.E, there were periods of political and military revolts directed against Roman occupation in Judea. Having lost all patience with the fanatical Jewish rabble rousers, the ever- vigilant Roman legions suppressed the troublemakers with lethal efficiency. "Varus sent a part