3. “Christus… suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate.” ~ Tacitus, 109 C.E. “Christus… suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate.” ~ Tacitus, 109 C.E.

4. “Christianity makes much of the credibility of its theology because it is rooted in history.” ~ John Gilmore, Professor, Spurgeon’s School of Theology, London “Christianity makes much of the credibility of its theology because it is rooted in history.” ~ John Gilmore, Professor, Spurgeon’s School of Theology, London

5. “Crucifixion is the most cruel and shameful of all punishments.” ~ Cicero, 43 B.C.E. “Crucifixion is the most cruel and shameful of all punishments.” ~ Cicero, 43 B.C.E.

6. “To die by crucifixion is the most wretched of deaths.” ~ Josephus, 100 C.E.

7. “Two thousand years of pious Christian tradition have largely domesticated the cross, making it hard for us to realize how horrifically it was viewed in Jesus time.” ~ D. A. Carson, New Testament Scholar “Two thousand years of pious Christian tradition have largely domesticated the cross, making it hard for us to realize how horrifically it was viewed in Jesus time.” ~ D. A. Carson, New Testament Scholar

8. “The emperor Tiberius is said to have preferred crucifixion as a method of punishment, precisely because it prolonged the victim’s agony without granting relief by death. He believed death was an escape, so in his view execution was really no punishment, unless the victim had as much mortal agony inflicted as possible before death.” ~ John MacArthur, The Murder of Jesus “The emperor Tiberius is said to have preferred crucifixion as a method of punishment, precisely because it prolonged the victim’s agony without granting relief by death. He believed death was an escape, so in his view execution was really no punishment, unless the victim had as much mortal agony inflicted as possible before death.” ~ John MacArthur, The Murder of Jesus

9. “In early Judaism there was no expectation of a crucified messiah; in fact, one who was crucified was assumed not to be the Anointed One of God. Indeed, if someone wanted to scotch the rumour that Jesus was the Messiah (as the religious leaders did), there was no better way to do so than to have him crucified.” ~ Ben Witherington III, Historian & Theologian

10. “Jesus’ messianic calling led him not to military victory over Rome, but to death at the hands of the Romans. This was an unwelcome and virtually incomprehensible vision in the eyes of Jesus’ contemporaries, including his closest followers.” ~ Mark D. Roberts, Theologian “Jesus’ messianic calling led him not to military victory over Rome, but to death at the hands of the Romans. This was an unwelcome and virtually incomprehensible vision in the eyes of Jesus’ contemporaries, including his closest followers.” ~ Mark D. Roberts, Theologian

11. “For those who had believed that Jesus would be their Messiah, this was the final, sickening end to all their hopes. A dead Messiah was no Messiah at all.” ~ Peter Walker, Professor, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University “For those who had believed that Jesus would be their Messiah, this was the final, sickening end to all their hopes. A dead Messiah was no Messiah at all.” ~ Peter Walker, Professor, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University

12. “Oh sacred Head, now wounded, With grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded With thorns, Thine only crown.” ~ Bernard of Clarivaux, 1153 C.E. “Oh sacred Head, now wounded, With grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded With thorns, Thine only crown.” ~ Bernard of Clarivaux, 1153 C.E.

13. “Jesus lays down his life in love for those whom he loves, and the meaning of both ‘life’ and ‘love’ are redefined. Life becomes an expression of love, the ultimate gift. Love, love unto death, becomes the only true source of life.” ~ Gail R. O’Day, New Testament Scholar “Jesus lays down his life in love for those whom he loves, and the meaning of both ‘life’ and ‘love’ are redefined. Life becomes an expression of love, the ultimate gift. Love, love unto death, becomes the only true source of life.” ~ Gail R. O’Day, New Testament Scholar

14. “Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, once for all. Never again would the priests have to make sacrifices in the Temple; never again would blood have to be shed for the forgiveness of sins. Christ was God’s one, final, acceptable sacrifice. Mission accomplished!” ~ Charles Swindoll, President, Dallas Theological Seminary “Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, once for all. Never again would the priests have to make sacrifices in the Temple; never again would blood have to be shed for the forgiveness of sins. Christ was God’s one, final, acceptable sacrifice. Mission accomplished!” ~ Charles Swindoll, President, Dallas Theological Seminary

15. “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. ~ John 12:32-33 (NRSV) “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. ~ John 12:32-33 (NRSV)

17. If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and then hanged on a tree, [23] the body must never remain on the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone hanging on a tree is cursed of God. Do not defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession. ~ Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (NLT) If someone has committed a crime worthy of death and is executed and then hanged on a tree, [23] the body must never remain on the tree overnight. You must bury the body that same day, for anyone hanging on a tree is cursed of God. Do not defile the land the Lord your God is giving you as a special possession. ~ Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (NLT)

20. “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” ~ Zechariah 12:10 (NASB) “I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.” ~ Zechariah 12:10 (NASB)

25. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21 (TNIV) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 5:21 (TNIV)

26. “From that day on, all the temple ceremonies lost their significance, because what they were meant to foreshadow had finally arrived. Within forty years, the temple itself would be completely destroyed when Titus sacked Jerusalem. But the true end of the Old Testament sacrificial system did not occur with the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. It ended here at the moment of Jesus’ death.” ~ John MacArthur, The Murder of Jesus “From that day on, all the temple ceremonies lost their significance, because what they were meant to foreshadow had finally arrived. Within forty years, the temple itself would be completely destroyed when Titus sacked Jerusalem. But the true end of the Old Testament sacrificial system did not occur with the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70. It ended here at the moment of Jesus’ death.” ~ John MacArthur, The Murder of Jesus

27. “I die every day!” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:31 (NRSV) “I die every day!” ~ 1 Corinthians 15:31 (NRSV)