Jesus experienced an incredible amount of agony before he died. Here’s a list of what he endured, primarily from Mark’s Gospel.
- He was betrayed by one of his disciples with a kiss.
- He was “deeply distressed” and “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” while praying.
- He told his disciples to “keep watch” but they fell asleep three times.
- He was seized and arrested.
- When he was arrested, “everyone deserted him and fled.” “Everyone” refers to his followers.
- While being questioned by the high priest, he listened to many who falsely accused him, but he remained silent.
- One of his disciples denied knowing him three times.
- He was slapped in the face during his questioning.
- After being questioned by the high priest, he was condemned to die, then they spit in his face, punched him, and mocked him.
- During his trial before Pilate, he heard the crowd shout, “Crucify him!”
- He was flogged (or scourged or whipped) by the Roman soldiers. The Romans used a flagrum, which was a whip with metal balls and pieces of bone attached to the end of the thongs. And unlike the Jews, the Romans did not have a limit to the number of lashes they could give. As a result, flogging could lead to death.
- He was repeatedly mocked, spit on, and struck on the head with a staff by the Roman soldiers. They also set a crown of thorns on his head.
- He carried his own cross (Jn. 19:17), at least until Simon from Cyrene carried it.
- He was crucified.
- He was mocked by those who passed by, chief priests and scribes, and those who were crucified with him. The Romans crucified people in public, thus the mention of “those who passed by” (Mk. 15:27).
- He was thirsty.
- He felt forsaken by God.
In sum, Jesus experienced intense emotional, physical, and spiritual pain. In addition, many believe he was given the opportunity to dull his suffering, but he refused to take it. After being crucified, he was offered “wine mixed with myrrh” (Mk. 15:23) or “wine . . . mixed with gall” (Matt. 27:34). Apparently, the Roman soldiers gave this drink as a sedative to crucifixion victims, but after Jesus tasted it, “he refused to drink it” (Matt. 27:34).
To get an idea of what Jesus’ pain sounded like watch Blair Underwood’s performance for The Bible Experience (begin at 7 minute mark and go to 8 minutes and 17 seconds.)
What comes after Good Friday? Holy Saturday.
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.