Answer
The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is one of the most significant events in human history, marking the moment of His ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humanity. This monumental event is not only the foundation of Christianity but is also a testament of Christ’s faithful obedience to the Father (Philippians 2:8). Jesus died by way of crucifixion, but what was the precise cause? What physical factors contributed to His death?
The story of Jesus’ death begins with His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to the Gospels, Jesus went to pray in the garden after the Last Supper, fully aware of the physical trauma He was about to endure. In Matthew 26:39, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (ESV). Despite Jesus’ impending agony, He submitted to the Father’s will. Jesus’ prayer was so intense that “his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44, ESV). Luke’s description of Jesus’ agony suggests a rare medical condition known as hematidrosis, where extreme stress causes blood vessels in the sweat glands to rupture.
After His arrest in the garden, Jesus was taken before a Jewish court, which found Him guilty of blasphemy. Then “the guards took him and beat him” (Mark 14:65). Early in the morning, the Jewish court bound Jesus and handed Him over to Pilate, the Roman governor of the province (Mark 15:1). Pilate interviewed Jesus and sent Him to Herod, the ruler of Galilee, and Herod promptly sent Him back to Pilate. So, after a stressful and sleepless night, Jesus was forced to walk more than two and a half miles from trial to trial.
Pilate determined that the charges against Jesus were baseless and, finding no fault in Jesus, attempted to release Him (John 19:4, 12). However, the crowd demanded Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate succumbed to the pressure and had Jesus scourged before handing Him over to be crucified (John 19:1–16).
Scourging was a severe form of flogging, reserved for those condemned to death. Roman soldiers used a flagrum, a short whip consisting of several leather thongs attached to small fragments of metal, bone, or lead. Each strike of the flagrum would embed the sharp fragments into the skin. As the whip was pulled back, it would tear away chunks of flesh, exposing muscles and even bones. The scourging would cover the back, buttocks, and legs, but could also extend to the chest and stomach. Many victims of scourging would go into shock from sheer agony and blood loss. The intent was to bring Jesus to the brink of death, weakening Him before the final act of crucifixion.
After the scourging, Jesus was forced to carry His cross to the place of execution. This would have been an immense burden for Jesus, who was already weakened from the scourging, the prior beating, and the sleepless night. Jesus collapsed multiple times under the weight of the cross, so Simon of Cyrene was pressed into service (Mark 15:21). Upon reaching Golgotha, Jesus was stripped of His clothing. He was then laid on the ground with the crossbeam beneath His shoulders. The Roman soldiers then drove large iron nails, likely 5 to 7 inches long, through Jesus’ wrists. The nails were placed at the point where the wrist meets the hand, between the radius and ulna bones, and the carpal bones of the wrist. This location allowed the nails to support the weight of the body without tearing through the flesh. Driving nails through the wrist also ensured that the median nerve would be struck, leading to a condition known as causalgia, or complex regional pain syndrome. Causalgia is characterized by a severe burning pain in the limb.
After nailing His wrists to the crossbeam, the soldiers lifted the beam and fixed it to the upright post, called the stipe, already positioned in the ground. Jesus’ feet were then nailed to the stipe. This was done by placing one foot over the other and driving a single large nail through both feet into the wood. The position of Jesus’ feet required Him to push up on the nail to breathe. This act caused excruciating pain with every breath.
The combination of shock, blood loss, and the inability to breathe was meant to lead to a slow and agonizing death. The factors contributing to Jesus’ death could have included asphyxiation, heart failure, and hypovolemic shock. He endured this inconceivable torment for approximately six hours. At that time, “Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ When he had said this, he breathed his last” (Luke 23:46). As Jesus had earlier taught, “No one takes [My life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:18).
After Jesus died, a soldier confirmed death by piercing Jesus’ side with a spear. With that, “a sudden flow of blood and water” gushed from His body (John 19:34), indicating that Jesus had indeed died from the trauma inflicted upon Him.
Note: This article uses data from “On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ” by William D. Edwards, W. J. Gabel, and F. E. Hosmer in The Journal of the American Medical Association, 255(11), Apr 1986, p. 1455–63.
