‘The reason God came from nowhere is because there wasn’t anywhere for Him to come from. And coming from nowhere He stood on nothing, for there was nowhere for Him to stand. And standing on nothing He reached out where there was nowhere to reach, and caught something when there was nothing to catch. Then He hung that something on nothing and told it to stay there, and nobody said a word, because there wasn’t anybody around to say anything. Then God said to Him-self, ‘That is good!’

Well the way He told that from memory caused me to smile, the words were enough. Hope you enjoyed them not sure who gets the credit for the original but I am posting on wordpress so one of you guys can let me know. All that He made was good.

Update : I found it check the video link below of S M Lockridge Preaching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CD0okdlmzvE&feature=related

Pirates in the pulpit

It is 9:30 July 1^st 2011 and I had a thought while doing a study on the “Golden Rule.” The thought was “Pirates in the pulpit.” I had never heard that before but it was ringing in my ears. I put the phrase in Google and pulled up 4 hits all were of a site that had an audio sermon by Sam Ketcher. I listened to it but it was in a different context of what I was thinking, so here we go on my little journey.

Golden Rule As attributed in the gospels.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Luke 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

When did these scriptures become known as the golden rule? They say in the 1670’s which may be true. I found a book titled the Golden rule published in 1688 so for sure by that time. Pictured below:

A curious thing has happened, something so openly spoken of by Jesus ends up being the biggest secret of the world’s richest men and the most secret societies. The one thing that unites the world’s religions. Below are some examples.

The so called golden rule is a spiritual principal not unlike the law of gravity. The problem becomes when corrupt or even evil people use it for selfish gain or good people use it as a means of salvation. Though a godly principal that works, now seems to give credence to them, not just the principal. I hope to shed some light on how taking this principal into the world who is run by the god of this world “lucifer” has now boomeranged back into the church with a lot of baggage.

The 1900’s had opened the door to the “the new Thought Movement” which in short is the belief that “Infinite Intelligence” or “God” can be tapped into and repeated not unlike science. When those thoughts, became mans thoughts, even miracles would happen. In that circle was a young man named Napoleon Hall. Nap as he was known by as a boy, had lost his real mother when he was about 9. He was a bit rebellious and admired the bigger than life Jesse James. His new mother eventually got Nap to trade his six shooter, for a typewriter. That set him on a journey that ended up in the office of Andrew Carnegie the richest man in the world at the time. Nap would interview him and many of the wealthiest men in the world over the next few years. He discovered several things these men had done in common, they attributed to getting them where they were.

The first I will mention was what they called the “law of attraction” defined as “your thoughts and your feelings create your life.” Remember this is connected to the belief of tapping into “Infinite Intelligence.” Nap explained it after talking to Andrew something like this. You come into this world with 2 envelopes one with riches and blessings that are a possibility. 2^nd is an envelope with the penalties for not achieving them. Then He goes on to explain the first 2 things that needed to be done. 1^st Make a clear description of your main desire, in the end you will call it success. 2^nd Make a clear description of what you are willing to give in return.

WOW , what will you give in return, where have I heard that before? Mark 8:36-37 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Interesting thing happened. Andrew gave the fortune away or at least a lot of it,  at the end some 350 million dollars. When you look at these guys they seem to have made a deal maybe with God, maybe the devil, but a deal none the less. Do a study of the health wealth preachers and you will see them using the same language as these men did 100 years ago. The thing that stands out as different is they are not giving it away in the end. The TV Pulpit empires have become Pirates, and have become islands unto themselves, and a tight circle of friends and family.

My thoughts are 100 years ago men bought a bill of goods that was not fulfilling on the death bed. But what we have today is beyond comprehension, and if they got their idea’s from Hall and Carnegie there will be a piper to pay and it way be sooner than they think, as the world economy spirals downward. Will they have a change of heart and open the treasure chest to the Poor, from where they got it. At least Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave some to the poor.

If you are a Pirate, justice awaits you BUT repent He who created the Gold made the Rules and that is what I call the Golden Rule.  Jesus Rules

5. Here we see a lovely exemplification of his own teaching.

In the Sermon on the Mount our Lord taught his disciples, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Above all others Christ practiced what he preached. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. He not only taught the truth but was himself the truth incarnate. Said he, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). So here on the cross he perfectly exemplified his teaching of the mount. In all things he has left us an example.

Notice Christ did not personally forgive his enemies. So in Matthew 5:44 he did not exhort his disciples to forgive their enemies, but he does exhort them to “pray” for them. But are we not to forgive those who wrong us? This leads us to a point concerning which there is much need for instruction today.

Does scripture teach that under all circumstances we must always forgive? I answer emphatically, it does not. The word of God says, “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying, 1 repeat, thou shalt forgive him” (Luke 17:3,4). Here we are plainly taught that a condition must be met by the offender before we may pronounce forgiveness. The one who has wronged us must first “repent”, that is, judge himself for his wrong and give evidence of his sorrow over it. But suppose the offender does not repent? Then 1 am not to forgive him.

But let there be no misunderstanding of our meaning here. Even though the one who has wronged me does not repent, nevertheless, I must not harbor ill-feelings against him. There must be no hatred or malice cherished in the heart. Yet, on the other hand, I must not treat the offender as if he had done no wrong. That would be to condone the offence, and therefore I should fail to uphold the requirements of righteousness, and this the believer is ever to do. Does God ever forgive where there is no repentance? No, for scripture declares, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). One thing more. If one has injured me and repented not, while I cannot forgive him and treat him as though he had not offended, nevertheless, not only must! hold no malice in my heart against him, but I must also pray for him. Here is the value of Christ’s perfect example. If we cannot forgive, we can pray for God to forgive him.

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I disagree with His deductions. I think we have a case of which one comes 1^st the chicken or the egg. For those in Christ it would be the egg. Did forgiveness begin in the heart of man or God. Is it offered or received first. As noted above Luke 17:3,4 links forgiveness to being asked to forgive. While this is true it has become a wall to hide behind and opens the door to arbor unforgiveness which is a whole different deal.

Unforgivness can lead to root of bitterness

Hebrews 12:14-17 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled ; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected : for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

The main point will be We are NOT God but we are to follow His instructions.

Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Corrie Ten Boom, a Wonderful Christian woman that lived through a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust, said, “Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you.”

I have been following Jesus for 29 years and my wife and I have counseled many people who in mid life are still walking in pain, because of childhood trauma either real or exaggerated. The door of freedom was walked through at their point of forgiving. In all cases the perpetrator had not asked for it. The forgiving in many cases seemed to be a seed that caused the fruit of love to grow, and genuine repentance soon followed.

As far as I know Jesus was not asked by man to die on the cross for our sin. It was offered to the whole world but only some receive it. Our position should be the same. Forgiving will benefit us. It will free us, and opens the door for those who have sinned against us to have the same freedom. The bottom line is forgive, I don’t think one day you will stand before the Lord and He would say “You are in big trouble you were to quick to forgive” Forgive and see what God will do.

I think we have all been in situations where the quiet guy finally has had enough and speaks up. The rooms becomes awkward, everyone is hanging on to every word. The bombshell of honesty settles in and the crowd goes away in deep thought. Thoughts like “wow I never thought of it like that” or “man he really let us have it”. In reality the quiet guys never gets a true invite into dialog.

I don’t think I have ever been accused of being to quiet, a big mouth yes, smart mouth yes, know it all, YIP. Quiet NO. I recently preached a couple of weeks at the Barn in Kansas City. I had done a series on the book of James and it’s impact on Church history through the dark ages and the protestant reformation. In Particular James 5:16-17

¹⁶Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.¹⁷Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

I was captivated how these verses impacted John Huss , Count Zinzendorf, John Wesley and their impact on prayer and  world  missions.  In the middle of it as I went back and studied out the prayer that Elijah had prayed that stoped the rain and released it 3 and 1/2 years later.

1 kings chapters 16-18 tells the whole story but I see declarations made, but not what we would normally call prayer. UNLESS prayer includes conversation yes even 2 way communication. Then what God had said back in Deut 28:12-13; 15-18; 22-24 about famine being a result of Israels rebellion. Then listening to the Lord with a questioning heart would be prayer. Lord this wicked King Ahab is going to cause you to do what you said, or am I missing something.

I just think Elijah did a lot of listening prayer which means He agreed with what God said.

Well I have challenged myself to spend a few weeks not asking for anything in prayer. But simply lifting up a name, then being quiet and meditating on the Lord Jesus himself, and how He, the great intercessor in heaven might be adressing the Father about that particular person or issue.

I have not had any great revelations or voices from heaven, but the most overwhelming feeling of seeing a long lost friend after many years of absence. As wisdom is released from heaven, while basking in the fear of the Lord, I hope one day I would be known in heaven as a quiet man. That my voice would be decreasing and His increasing that I would be still and know he alone is God.

Dianna under Her endocrinologist absolute warning, has never been across the big pond with me. BUT this year because Her health is so improved She received Her Dr’s blessing to go. It would end up being a short term mission trip with me to the Dominican Republic, yes the other side of the island from Haiti.

So what does that have to do with teaching old dogs new tricks. Well at almost 50 years old you get in a rut, in fact so deep in a rut you have a hard time seeing out. I am that old dog. I am a  bit, no extremely adventurous. I am used to curbing my crazy zeal, only when I have students with me, and act more parental. I can not tell you how  my emotions were rocking trying to balance being safe for Dianna, yet wanting Her to actually experience adventure.

Getting married so young “17 and 16″ ” you fill in the blanks” we did not have the opportunity to have a Honeymoon. We would tie in a couple of days at the end of our Mission adventure, to Marital Bliss in Susua, on the North side of the Island. We had a great time, I was nervous. The life most normal people live meaning, Husbands and Wives just doing what they want, when they want, has never been an option for us. We have always had the restraint of the disease dictating how we live. For the 1st time I felt we, and mostly Dianna was free from its grip. I will share a few pictures with you, of both our mission and Honeymoon. Unless you have lived under the restraints of extreme sickness, you might find this post odd. But for me, I learned a few tricks, and we enjoyed each other in a world we had never shared before.

I am so proud of Dianna for taking a risk and thankful to the Lord for opening a door of Liberty. enjoy the pictures.

jarabacoa falls Dominican Republic

Dianna Gross rides a horse in Jarabacoa

John and Dianna in La Vega

John and Dianna Gross

Susua Bay , Dominican Republic

Here it goes

#1 09/09/09  is 06/06/06 upside down “yeah thats a stretch”

#2 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/08/AR2009090803664.html   

#3 beatles number 9, number 9, number 9 The release date is awfully cute, considering the Beatles’ formally self-titled “White Album” contains that song called “Revolution 9″, which consists largely of a repetition of the phrase “number nine, number nine, number nine”. Conspiracy theorists say that if you play it backwards it sounds like “turn me on, dead man” and is hence one of the clues that adds up to reveal that Paul McCartney died and was replaced by a look-alike early in the band’s career. from http://www.applesource.com.au/news/soa/The-Beatles-Rock-Band-coming-09-09-09/0,2000068500,339295320,00.htm

For those of you who are not old enough to remember what this was about here is a youtube link to the song forward “it’s crazy”

Here it is backward, we all did yes we wired our record players backwards and off it went and it was scary I remember it well. 

By the way that was off the white record that inspired charles manson . Manson saw the song as paralleling the message of the Bible’s Revelation 9.  He saw the song as a prophecy of the upcoming black versus white revolution. From  http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/manson/mansonbeatles.html

#4  9 the Movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcKD7Wh14Xs

9 the movie poster

#5 09/09/09  falls on a Wednesday and both Wednesday & September have 9 letters

#6 Believers had high hopes for 09/09/09, particularly in the UK where 999 is the emergency phone number. from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1212107/World-end-today—Well-9-9-09–doom-mongers-predicting-disaster.html#ixzz0QaQathJQ

 Ha HaSure here in the US 09/09/09 will come and go but out of boredom I have written and now I watch.

Continue on

#7 Google adds Date to Search Logo

Google adds date 09/09/09

#8 Interesting History on sept 9 th

September 9th 1776 Continental Congress renames “United Colonies,” to “United States”

September 9th 1850 California becomes 31st state

September 9th 1942 Japanese planes drop incendiary bombs on Oregon ,  1st bombing on continental US soil, Mount Emily Oregon (WW II)

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I did not watch in vain it happened a crazy used the date :  Mexico Hijacker

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,548540,00.html

Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna says Jose Mar Flores, 44, used a fake bomb to hijack the plane, then ordered the pilot to circle over Mexico City seven times. He told Mexican officials that he wanted to warn Mexican President Felipe C alderon of an impending earthquake.

09/10/09More details from yesterday: the guy who took the spot light way from President Obama and the health care debate . It was for only a couple of hours but Jose Marc Flores Pereira aka Josmar Flores. He actually has his own web page.

www.josmarflores.net/

09/09/09 started off with the apple debut of the Beatles Revolution #9 and ended with Bolivia Revelation #9

So what would motivate a man who has recorded Cd’s, has music on UTUBE all in spanish to hijack a plane. There is a video where he’s singing before thousands in a stadium.

His message he so desperatly wanted to get out was “Christ is coming soon” and ” Mexico is about suffer a terrible earthquake.”

What was he thinking? The good thing no one was hurt. I am just curious await to hear the rest of the story.

I have a small update as I have been reading translated pages from spanish to english I have found a few things.

#1 He was well loved in the spanish speaking world.

#2 He had the plane circle mexico city 7 times ” bible story of Jericho”

#3 He tried to speak to the President for 3 months and become desperate.

#4 In spanish blogs reference to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon being there at the time of hijack

Update at 3:59 p.m. ET 09/09/09 : Security forces have stormed the plane from the rear and captured seven hijackers, according to TV reports. They are being taken to a detention center. No passengers have been reported injured.TV Azteca translators, via CNN, say there’s some confusion about whether the hijackers are Bolivian or possibly Colombian. Mexican President Felipe Calderon was at the airport when the hijacking occurred. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon also was there, preparing to fly out around 4 p.m. ET.

above from USAtoday post :http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/09/jet-hijacked-in-cancun-lands-in-mexico-city.html

Why would spanish blogs make that refernce well :

#1 Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon was in Mexico for NGO conference with 70 nations represented. and the topic was weapons of destruction from 9/09 – 09/11. His idea might be the world will be watching BUT not for long health care took the spotlight again within about 2 hours. Today it has not even been mentioned on TV news.

  http://www.isria.com/pages/10_September_2009_55.php 

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I found this bog is spanish and used a translate program and found a few things they said here is the site  http://trinityeyes.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/pastor-boliviano-josmar

 #1 He choose mexico because He said their shield was prophetic

#2 The massive Earthquake will happen between Sept before sept 20th

#3 Star of David or occult star is seen in pictures at arrest around the neck .

osmar-Flores-Pereira

Preparing the Jacob generation for the time of Jacob’s trouble. I tried to shake it off but I kept hearing it in my head. It was my second night back in my own bed after surgery. I had been dreaming the same dream, as the night before. I was a photographer, along with two of my friends Kevin Minor and Dan Zacharias. We had been given the task by the Lord to travel around the world and document it’s condition. We were investigating places of dark demonic delusions as well as places where the Kingdom of God was shining brightly.

We had traveled by bikes, canoe, and on foot to the most remote area’s, and had found ourselves at the end of a trail as I woke up. It was a moment frozen in time, with those words “Preparing the Jacob generation for the time of Jacob’s trouble” sounding inside me. It was just like the night before except the night before I woke with words “pray your flight does not take place in winter.” I was shaken but the next chapter was unfolding. I had fallen asleep with the TV on listening to christian music. But now with my eyes wide open I watched the preacher as He said Psalms 24:7 was the key for preparing the Jacob generation for the time of Jacob’s trouble. Now I had not taken my pain killer for 24 hours so I was thinking this must be real this can’t be a hallucination, get your pen and paper and write this down. So holding my stomach I slowly pushed through the pain and got out of bed and found my journal and began to write. when I finished I drifted right back to sleep.

The next night the same thing happened. I woke early on August 24 th 2009 I had finished the same photographer dream, but it ended with “you have 30 days to study Jeremiah 30″ that would be Sept 23rd 2009. and “Study american history through the eyes of the indigenous.” I have an idea that it is the Lord, and time will tell for sure. I am off from work recovering from the surgery, and I am on a liquid diet. I am dealing with some pain due to the fact I can’t stand the way I feel on pain killer. I have the time to study and the Lord has a captive audience, meaning I’m not going anywhere.

I have already noticed something in Jeremiah 30 that I have never seen. I am not sure why, I was not aware that Jeremiah 30 was about  Jacob’s trouble. I read it I remembered many end time messages, taken out of those verses. One thing I had never heard or seen was verse 11. WOW, is all I can say right now, here it is.

For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet I will not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

I will close for now check back in see what I find along the trail. I hope it is not a bunny trail, even so studying the Bible is a win win.

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It is early 09/09/09 I am posting a link for a message on Jacob’s trouble by Art Katz. It is not what we have been spoon feed but I think it will challenge us all. http://artkatzministries.org/the-time-of-jacobs-trouble/

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It is now 05/20/11 since writing this article I had more dreams about Jacobs trouble, about an underground railroad. I have seen many things to which I will keep to myself. I will say this I recently visited an area that was in the underground and I was told I was the 3rd person who came there with that dream. I believe the time is near the middle east is in chaos there is new determination within politics to to divide Israel. Jews will be persecuted again like no other time including nazi Germany and those who have heard the Lord will be a safe-haven for them as they travel HOME. Bank on it

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9/9/11  , It has been 2 years since my dream, earthquakes, war, world wide economic disaster, need I say more. Just a couple a days away from the 911 Ten year anniversary and our Nation has turned every which way but to God. Most every group of friends I have are doing major adjustments to their lives in preparation for increasing hard times. My thoughts are we have not seen anything yet, HOLD ON TO GOD like never before.

The truth is the 1 man is the fully God and fully man, He is Jesus Christ and is not cloaked in change.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Jesus came the first time as  the prince of peace, but He will be coming back with a sword. He is coming back for War.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Revelation 19:11-16 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

It is still about love, and we better get ready !

Revelation 3:19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Check out the song by Misty Edwards from IHOP KC

Ray and Lisa Stribling

Ray and Lisa, have many years of experience in jail ministry, housing for the addicted, prayer ministry and street ministries involving feeding the poor.  The Striblings have a high level of commitment to the task at hand, as well as have the courage and heart to stand in the gap and to see others given an opportunity to succeed.

The ministry HOPE CITY ” inner city ministry located in Kansas City Missouri ” through my eyes, which are the eyes of a world missions guy. I bring that up because, through the years I have taken a lot of flak for doing ministry around the world while their is such need right here at home. The truth is, I have found such a similarity with 3rd world nations and the inner city and I love to be involved in both. Let me list a few.

#1 Needs are beyond complete human intervention !

#2 No facades, what you see is what you get !

#3 They are ready to receive !

Those 3 my friends are the ingredients that draw the heart of God. That my friends gives us Hope

HOPE CITY

Hope City KC

I do have a point here about my eyes of world missions, it is this thing called indigenous. The meaning is this :: having originated in and being produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment.

My point is that ministry is usually from the outside, coming in with all the answers, not understanding the culture or the needs. Indigenous ministry, are those from the outside coming in and serving what the Lord is doing in the local area. It means less control and Americans don’t like doing that, but the advantage is huge.

In Africa where I helped start an orphanage, we came in first and built relationships, and served the vision of local Christians. This form of missions work has been transforming Africa. it is effective because they understand the culture, and the needs, from a heart level, not a head level. It will transform the inner city as well.

INNER CITY : DO you really think white suburbanitescan can relate to what it feels like to live under a bridge in winter. You get my point, and it is that point that Ray and Lisa get. I have worked with them for several years and have watched them respond to zealous gifted people who are jumping at the bits to preach in the inner city. Their response ,”OK”  but first come serve in the Kitchen for a YEAR and we will see when you are ready.

WOW , I tell you serving, lays the foundation to a life-long ministry, that is actually effective. Ray and Lisa have life experience not unlike those they minister to, but from a place of serving the local leaders of the inner city. It is powerful, to watch what God had been doing through the ministry of Hope City among all colors and backgrounds. Whether it’s free haircuts in the park or flipping hamburgers for 1000 people , those that have gathered around Ray and Lisa  to serve the HEART of Kansas City are Family and the Family is growing.

3 ways you can get involved:

#1 Pray for them/us “prayer meeting every Monday night on forest just north of 27th at the Prayer Dome.

#2 Come Serve : many opportunities with related shelter’s and group homes.

#3 Your giving :

http://hckc.us.churchinsight.com/PaymentGroup/Registration.aspx?payment_group_id=1000000257

 

Their Story : http://www.melodygreen.com/Articles/1000053722/Last_Days_Ministries/LDM/Discipleship_Teachings/The_Devil_The.aspx?page=1

contact information

Lisa Stribling
816.729.2848
lisastribling@ihop.org

The biblical account of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ found in John 19:1-42

 1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. 3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. 4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.” 5 Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” 6 Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.” 7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” 8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” 12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” 15 But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” 16 Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away. 17 And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, 18 where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center. 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ‘ ” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to each soldier a part, and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top in one piece. 24 They said therefore among themselves, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.” Therefore the soldiers did these things. 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” 27 Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. 28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. 30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. 31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. 35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe. 36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” 38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. 39 And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. 40 Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.

Reflecting on the reality of the cross

 

Below you can read an article “Crucifixion — The Archaeological Evidence” an archaeologist working for the Israel Department of Antiquities, Tzaferis brings the evidence found in a tomb near Jerusalem that had been accidentally found by a construction crew. Bones of two generations of a Jewish family that lived in Jerusalem about the first century AD. A large nail piercing the heel bones of one skeleton led to the conclusion that this man had been crucified.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Many people erroneously assume that crucifixion was a Roman invention.
In fact, Assyrians, Phoenicians and Persians all practiced crucifixion
during the first millennium BC. Crucifixion was introduced in the west
from these eastern cultures; it was used only rarely on the Greek
mainland, but Greeks in Sicily and southern Italy used it more
frequently, probably as a result of their closer contact with
Phoenicians and Carthaginians.

During the Hellenistic period, crucifixion became more popular among
the Hellenized population of the east. After Alexander died in 323 BC,
crucifixion was frequently employed both by the Seleucids (the rulers
of the Syrian half of Alexander’s kingdom) and by the Ptolemies (the
rulers of the Egyptian half).

Among the Jews crucifixion was an anathema. (2) The traditional method
of execution among Jews was stoning. Nevertheless, crucifixion was
occasionally employed by Jewish tyrants during the Hasmonean period.
At the end of the first century BC, the Romans adopted crucifixion as
an official punishment for non-Romans for certain legally limited
transgressions. Initially, it was employed not as a method of
execution, but only as a punishment. Moreover, only slaves convicted
of certain crimes were punished by crucifixion. Only in later times,
probably in the first century BC, did crucifixion evolve into a method
of execution for conviction of certain crimes.

Outside of Italy, the Roman procurators alone possessed authority to
impose the death penalty. Thus, when a local provincial court
prescribed the death penalty, the consent of the Roman procurator had
to be obtained in order to carry out the sentence.

Once a defendant was found guilty and was condemned to be crucified,
the execution was supervised by an official known as the Carnifix
Serarum. From the tribunal hall, the victim was taken outside,
stripped, bound to a column and scourged. Following the beating, the
horizontal beam was placed upon the condemned man’s shoulders, and he
began the long, grueling march to the execution site, usually outside
the city walls.

Sometimes the victim was attached to the cross only with ropes . . .
If the victim was attached by nails, he was laid on the ground, with
his shoulders on the crossbeam. His arms were held out and nailed to
the two ends of the crossbeam, which was then raised and fixed on top
of the vertical beam. The victim’s feet were then nailed down against
this vertical stake.

THE CRUCIFIXION OF YEHOHANAN

His remains reveal the horrible manner of his dying. From the way in
which the bones were attached [to the excavated nail], we can infer
the man’s position on the cross.

The two heel bones were attached on their adjacent inside (medial)
surfaces. The nail went through the right heel bone and then the left.
Since the same nail went through both heels, the legs were together,
not apart, on the cross.

A small seat, or sedile, must have been fastened to the upright of the
cross. The evidence as to the position of the body on the cross
convinced the investigators that the sedile supported only the man’s
left buttock. This seat both prevented the collapse of the body and
prolonged the agony.

Given this position on the cross and given the way in which the heel
bones were attached to the cross, it seems likely that the knees were
bent, or semi-flexed. This position of the legs was dramatically
confirmed by a study of the long bones below the knees, the tibia or
shinbone and the fibula behind it.

Only the tibia of the crucified man’s left leg was available for
study. The bone had been brutally fractured into large, sharp slivers.
This fracture was clearly produced by a single, strong blow. . . The
angle of the line of fracture on these left calf bones provides proof
that the victim’s legs were in a semi-flexed position on the cross.

The arm bones of the victim revealed the manner in which they were
attached to the horizontal bar of the cross. A small scratch was
observed on one bone (the radius) of the right forearm, just above the
wrist. The scratch was produced by the compression, friction and
gliding of an object on the fresh bone. This scratch is the
osteological (3) evidence of the penetration of the nail between the
two bones of the forearm, the radius and the ulna.

Christian iconography usually shows the nails piercing the palms of
Jesus’ hands. Nailing the palms of the hands is impossible, because
the weight of the slumping body would have torn the palms in a very
short time. The victim would have fallen from the cross while still
alive. As the evidence from our crucified man demonstrates, the nails
were driven into the victim’s arms, just above the wrists, because
this part of the arm is sufficiently strong to hold the weight of a
slack body.

The position of the crucified body may then be described as follows:
The feet were joined almost parallel, both transfixed by the same nail
at the heels, with the legs adjacent; the knees were doubled, the
right one overlapping the left; the trunk was contorted and seated on
a sedile; the upper limbs were stretched out, each stabbed by a nail
in the forearm.

Normally, the Romans left the crucified person undisturbed to die
slowly of sheer physical exhaustion leading to asphyxia. (4) However,
Jewish tradition required burial on the day of execution. Therefore,
in Palestine the executioner would break the legs of the crucified
person in order to hasten his death and thus permit burial before
nightfall. (5)

Several years ago while in Jerusalem we went to the back of the Arab bus station where the locals say Jesus was crucified at the place of the skull. Here is a picture we took, we made it to the top and Muslim men came running from everywhere to run us off. We did not know it but there was a cemetery on top of the skull.

The place of the skull

Ironic or not at the eastern gate of the walls around Jerusalem where one day Jesus will return you find the gate bricked in with solid stone. In front of the gate again a cemetary. Death, hell and the grave will one day be swallowed up in Victory and no one will keep Jesus from sitting those nailed pierced feet down where they are destined to rule from.

Eastern gate walled shut to keep Jesus out? It will not work.