Have you ever thought about what Jesus went through when he died on the cross? This piece can help you gain a better understanding of the significance of his death.

Crucifixion was a common way to punish criminals and to publicly humiliate them in the ancient world. In Jesus' day, the Romans used crucifixion to put criminals to death. A person was tied with cords or nailed to a wooden cross that was shaped like a T or like a plus sign (+). Usually the worst criminals, slaves who had done wrong, and those who had led revolts were crucified.

After a criminal was sentenced to die on the cross, he had to carry his cross to the place where he would die. Sometimes he carried only the crosspiece. Before being put on the cross he would be beaten and stripped of his clothes. Then he would be fastened on the cross with his arms stretched out. This painful position made it difficult for the condemned person to breathe, and eventually he would die from suffocation. Sometimes the victims lived for as long as a week before dying.

Those who broke the major laws of Jewish society and religion were often put to death by stoning. A group of people would force the accused person to lie down and then push him off a ledge. Then people would throw huge stones down on him, which would crush him to death and cover up his body.

If Jesus had been guilty of breaking an important Jewish law he could have been stoned to death. Instead, he was accused of starting a revolt against the Roman government by allowing himself to be called "King of the Jews." A sign with this title was placed on the cross over Jesus' head when he was crucified (Matt 27.37).

God overcame the death of Jesus by bringing him back to life after he died on the cross. That's why the cross became the major symbol for God's power to forgive sins and give new life to people (1 Cor 1.18-24).