Studying Good Friday Scripture at #WaveRucker

Conditions
49

YHC saw a post in F3Nation Slack about this idea – a Good Friday Cross Ruck event.  I posted it in our rucking channel as an idea for Friday.  Boom, ruckers out of town like crazy!!!  Well, how about Wednesday some men asked?  Sure…why not!  And High Interest wanted to do it Friday so YHC and HI coordinated, and I shared the “pre-blast/script” with him and 2 events were set up.  And so the records is straight – I saw the original post from HAHA from F3Alpha.  I DM’d him for any further info.  He graciously shared the information he had that he got from Quisenberry from Lexington, who wrote this.  So this AMAZING information is from those guys.  All I did was tweak the exercises and print it!  Tremendous work from those guys and all credit to them!!!  This is POWERFUL stuff.

Valvano was also very helpful in mapping out our route to make a cross as YHC requested of him.  He is good with that route-planning stuff.  We also made a cross to carry last night – along with Bling.  That was a very fun spur of the moment event to do this and have some fellowship discussing this #WaveRucker.  We had some coffee and made A LOT of sawdust constructing the 110 lb Cross that we would carry this morning!

THE THANG
0430 – Assemble / Disclaimer / Prayer by Lombardi

• Health of Jesus: The rigors of Jesus’ ministry (that is, traveling by foot throughout Palestine) would have precluded any major physical illness or a weak general constitution.  Accordingly, it is reasonable to assume that Jesus was in good physical condition before his walk to Gethsemane.  However, during the 12 hours between 9 PM Thursday and 9 AM Friday, he had suffered:
  • Great emotional stress (as evidenced by hematidrosis – also called blood sweat – a very rare condition in which a human sweats blood);
  • Abandonment by his closest friends (the disciples);
  • A physical beating (after the first Jewish trial).
  • Also, in the setting of a traumatic and sleepless night, he had been forced to walk more than 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to and from the sites of the various trials.

These physical and emotional factors may have rendered Jesus particularly vulnerable to the adverse hemodynamic effects of the scourging.

We walked to start point at Barnes and Nobles

• Crucifixion Facts
  • Execution Device, Similar to the Electric Chair
    • Similarities
      • Lowest Class of Criminals w/o Connections, Cross was never used for people who held office or Roman Citizens
      • Both draw a crowd, applauded by some, and then are forgotten
    • Differences:
      • Chair – Quick and Humane // Cross – Prolonged Agony
      • Chair – Masked or hood, Indoors, Private
      • Cross – out in Public:
        • More people to watch the better for Debasement/Dehumanizing
        • “Scum of the Earth”, a Specimen Eliminated from the human race, Not the same species as the common person
        • Theatrical Example and deterrent
        • (JESUS VOLUNTARILY TOOK THIS INTO HIMSELF)
      • Cicero Called it the Supreme Penalty, worse than Burning or Decapitation

Plank and read

Matthew 26:36-42

³⁶ Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.³⁸ Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

³⁹ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

⁴⁰ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. ⁴¹ “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

Start Walking – and trace the cross back to start – see photo below
We also picked up the cross to bear for the mileage – and swapped out 2 man carries the entire time
Reading while walking; when we got back to the start (B&N) we did:

4/19 is Good Friday
19 SSH’s
19 Merkins
19 BBSU
19 Squats

Luke 22:42

⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” ⁴³ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. ⁴⁴ And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground

• At nearby Gethsemane, Jesus, apparently knowing that the time of his death was near, suffered great mental anguish, and, as described by the physician Luke, his sweat became like blood. Although this is a very rare phenomenon, bloody sweat (hematidrosis or hemohidrosis) may occur in highly emotional states or in persons with bleeding disorders.18-20 As a result of hemorrhage into the sweat glands, the skin becomes fragile and tender.2,11 Luke’s description supports the diagnosis of hematidrosis rather than eccrine chromidrosis (brown or yellow-green sweat) or stigmatization (blood oozing from the palms or elsewhere). 18-21 Although some authors have suggested that hematidrosis produced hypovolemia, we agree with Bucklin that Jesus’ actual blood loss probably was minimal. However, in the cold night air, it may have produced chills.

John 18:2-8

2Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. 3So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.

4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

5“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.

“I am he,”Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6When Jesus said, “I am he,”they drew back and fell to the ground.

7Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

8Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”

——

 Another cross with reading along the way and a round of the exercises at B&N

19 SSH’s
19 Merkins
19 BBSU
19 Squats

Matthew 26:57-67

⁵⁷ Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward ⁶¹ and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

⁶² Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”⁶³ But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

⁶⁴ “You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. ⁶⁶ What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”

• SCOURGING
  • Scourging Practices Flogging was a legal preliminary to every Roman execution,28 and only women and Roman senators or soldiers (except in cases of desertion) were exempt.11 The usual instrument was a short whip (flagellum or flagellum) 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.5,7,11 Occasionally, staves also were used.8,12 For scourging, the man was stripped of his clothing, and his hands were tied to an upright post.11 The back, buttocks, and legs were flogged either by two soldiers (lictors) or by one who alternated positions.5,7,11,28 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.8 After the scourging, the soldiers often taunted their victim. 11
  • Medical Aspects of Scourging 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.7 Then, as the flogging continued, the lacerations would tear into the underlying skeletal muscles and produce quivering ribbons of bleeding flesh.2,7,25 Pain and blood loss generally set the stage for circulatory shock.12 The extent of blood loss may well have determined how long the victim would survive on the cross. 8
  • Scourging of Jesus At the Praetorium, Jesus was severely whipped. (Although the severity of the scourging is not discussed in the four gospel accounts, it is implied in one of the epistles [1 Peter 2:24]. A detailed word study of the ancient Greek text for this verse indicates that the scourging of Jesus was particularly harsh.33) It is not known whether the number of lashes was limited to 39, in accordance with Jewish law.5 The Roman soldiers, amused that this weakened man had claimed to be a king, began to mock him by placing a robe on his shoulders, a crown of thorns on his head, and a wooden staff as a scepter in his right hand.1 Next, they spat on Jesus and struck him on the head with the wooden staff.1 Moreover, when the soldiers tore the robe from Jesus’ back, they probably reopened the scourging wounds.7 The severe scourging, with its intense pain and appreciable blood loss, most probably left Jesus in a preshock state. Moreover, hematidrosis had rendered his skin particularly tender. The physical and mental abuse meted out by the Jews and the Romans, as well as the lack of food, water, and sleep, also contributed to his generally weakened state. Therefore, even before the actual crucifixion, Jesus’ physical condition was at least serious and possibly critical.
  • Since the weight of the entire cross was probably well over 300 lb (136 kg), only the crossbar was carried.11 The patibulum, weighing 75 to 125 lb. (34 to 57 kg),11,30 was placed across the nape of the victim’s neck and balanced along both shoulders. Usually, the outstretched arms then were tied to the crossbar

• Crucified Person was forced to be their own executioner, Controlling their desire to breathe, Alone and Killed by the weight of their own body
  • No dignity of another person as executioner
• Medical Aspects of Crucifixion: With knowledge of both anatomy and ancient crucifixion practices, one may reconstruct the probable medical aspects of this form of slow execution. Each wound apparently was intended to produce intense agony, and the contributing causes of death were numerous. The scourging prior to crucifixion served to weaken the condemned man and, if blood loss was considerable, to produce orthostatic hypotension and even hypovolemic shock.8,12 When the victim was thrown to the ground on his back, in preparation for transfixion of the hands, his scourging wounds most likely would become torn open again and contaminated with dirt.2,16 Furthermore, with each respiration, the painful scourging wounds would be scraped against the rough wood of the stipes. 7 As a result, blood loss from the back probably would continue throughout the crucifixion ordeal. With arms outstretched but not taut, the wrists were nailed to the patibulum.7,11 It has been shown that the ligaments and bones of the wrist can support the weight of a body hanging from them, but the palms cannot.11 Accordingly, the iron spikes probably were driven between the radius and the carpals or between the two rows of carpal bones,2,10,11,30 either proximal to or through the strong bandlike flexor retinaculum and the various intercarpal ligaments. Although a nail in either location in the wrist might pass between the bony elements and thereby produce no fractures, the likelihood of painful periosteal injury would seem great. Furthermore, the driven nail would crush or sever the rather large sensorimotor median nerve.2,7,11 The stimulated nerve would produce excruciating bolts of fiery pain in both arms. 7,9 Although the severed median nerve would result in paralysis of a portion of the hand, ischemic contractures and impalement of various ligaments by the iron spike might produce a clawlike grasp. Most commonly, the feet were fixed to the front of the stipes by means of an iron spike driven through the first or second intermetatarsal space, just distal to the tarsommedial and lateral plantar nerves would have been injured by the nails. Although scourging may have resulted in considerable blood loss, crucifixion per se was a relatively bloodless procedure, since no major arteries, other than perhaps the deep plantar arch, pass through the favored anatomic sites of transfixion.2,10,11 The major pathophysiologic 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 intercostal muscles in an inhalation state and thereby hinder passive exhalation. 2,10,11 Accordingly, exhalation was primarily diaphragmatic, and breathing was shallow. It is likely that this form of respiration would not suffice and that hypercarbia would soon result. The onset of muscle cramps or tetanic contractions, due to fatigue and hypercarbia, would hinder respiration even further.11 Adequate exhalation required lifting the body by pushing up on the feet and by flexing the elbows and adducting the shoulders.2 However, this maneuver would place the entire weight of the body on the tarsals and would produce searing pain.7 Furthermore, flexion of the elbows would cause rotation of the wrists about the iron nails and cause fiery pain along the damaged median nerves.7 Lifting of the body would also painfully scrape the scourged back against the rough wooden stipes. 2,7 Muscle cramps and paresthesias of the outstretched and uplifted arms would add to the discomfort.7 As a result, each respiratory effort would become agonizing and tiring and lead eventually to asphyxia.2,3,7,10 The actual cause of death by crucifixion was multifactorial and varied somewhat with each case, but the two most prominent causes probably were hypovolemic shock and exhaustion asphyxia. 2,3,7,10 Other possible contributing factors included dehydration,7,16 stress-induced arrhythmias,3 and congestive heart failure with the rapid accumulation of pericardial and perhaps pleural effusions.2,7,11 Crucifracture (breaking the legs below the knees), if performed, led to an asphyxic death within minutes. 11 Death by crucifixion was, in every sense of the word, excruciating (Latin, excruciatus, or “out of the cross”)metatarsal joint.2,5,8,11,30
• Crucifixion of Jesus: After the scourging and the mocking, at about 9 AM, the Roman soldiers put Jesus’ clothes back on him and then led him and two thieves to be crucified.1 Jesus apparently was so weakened by the severe flogging that he could not carry the patibulum from the Praetorium to the site of crucifixion one third of a mile (600 to650 m) away.1,3,5,7 Simon of Cyrene was summoned to carry Christ’s cross, and the processional then made its way to Golgotha (or Calvary), an established crucifixion site. Here, Jesus’ clothes, except for a linen loincloth, again were removed, thereby probably reopening the scourging wounds. He then was offered a drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall) but, after tasting it, refused the drink.1 Finally, Jesus and the two thieves were crucified. Although scriptural references are made to nails in the hands,1 these are not at odds with the archaeological evidence of wrist wounds, since the ancients customarily considered the wrist to be a part of the hand.7,11 The titulus was attached above Jesus’ head. It is unclear whether Jesus was crucified on the Tau cross or the Latin cross; archaeological findings favor the former11 and early tradition the latter. 38 The fact that Jesus later was offered a drink of wine vinegar from a sponge placed on the stalk of the hyssop plant (approximately 20 in, or 50 cm, long) strongly supports the belief that Jesus was crucified on the short cross.6 The soldiers and the civilian crowd taunted Jesus throughout the crucifixion ordeal, and the soldiers cast lots for his clothing. 1 Christ spoke seven times from the cross.1 Since speech occurs during exhalation, these short, terse utterances must have been particularly difficult and painful. At about 3 PM that Friday, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, bowed his head, and died.1 The Roman soldiers and onlookers recognized his moment of death.1 Since the Jews did not want the bodies to remain on the crosses after sunset, the beginning of the Sabbath, they asked Pontius Pilate to order crucifracture to hasten the deaths of the three crucified men.1 The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 1 Rather, one of the soldiers pierced his side, probably with an infantry spear, and produced a sudden flow of blood and water.1 Later that day, Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb.1
• Jesus of Nazareth underwent Jewish and Roman trials, was flogged, and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. The scourging produced deep stripe like lacerations and appreciable blood loss, and it probably set the stage for hypovolemic shock, as evidenced by the fact that Jesus was too weakened to carry the crossbar (patibulum) to Golgotha. At the site of crucifixion, his wrists were nailed to the patibulum and, after the patibulum was lifted onto the upright post (stipes), his feet were nailed to the stipes. The major pathophysiologic effect of crucifixion was an interference with normal respirations. Accordingly, death resulted primarily from hypovolemic shock and exhaustion asphyxia. Jesus’ death was ensured by the thrust of a soldier’s spear into his side. Modern medical interpretation of the historical evidence indicates that Jesus was dead when taken down from the cross.
• Elements during Crucifixion:
  • Uncontrolled Bodily Functions
  • Insects Feasting on wounds
  • Thirst and Muscle Cramps
  • Bolts of Pain from the Wrist Nerves being severed
  • Back scraping on the post

• THE TOMB WAS EMPTY
  • Without it, our faith is in Vain/Useless (1Cor 15:14)
  • How do we know?
    • Romans wanted to show the body
    • Change in the disciples.
  • John 20:3-7
  • 3So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen
  • Master is Done = Napkin Thrown on Table
  • Master is Coming Back = Napkin folded

During the 3rd cross path, a modification was made to get us back to the cars to end on time and have time to nail 3 huge stakes into the cross.  We had 3 2.0’s, so each got to nail 1 stake in.  A 1 minute period of silence while we all surrounded the cross.

Count-O-Rama – 12 with the 3 2.0’s
Name-O-Rama
Prayer requests all around
Lombardi led COT prayer

Announcements
– 2ndF lunch today at Burger Fi in MB

Moleskin
– Strong stuff.  Honored to be out there with y’all.

OneCall