This weekend Christians around the world will celebrate our risen King. Our Savior has conquered death and did so because of His love for mankind. Easter Sunday will be a joyous and celebratory day. But for me, Good Friday is always a little dark. A little.
Yes, I know what happened three days later. But it's still depressing to think about how hateful and evil human beings can be towards another. I recently learned a detail about how Christ was tortured and it always comes to mind while taking communion, as I did tonight during our Good Friday service.
In The Case For Christ, Lee Strobel interviews Dr. Alexander Metherell about this topic. As we know, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed all night. He knew how much torture awaited Him and was "quite naturally experiencing a great deal of psychological stress". Luke 22:44 says "He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood."
Lee says that skeptics have a field day with this, but Metherell claims that this can occur: "This is a known medical condition called hematidrosis."
Metherell continues, "What happens is that severe anxiety causes the release of chemicals that break down the capillaries in the sweat glands. As a result, there's a small amount of bleeding into these glands, and the sweat comes out tinged with blood."
Why is this important? Because this condition leaves your skin extremely fragile and sensitive. So when Jesus was flogged with a whip fused with metal balls and sharp bones, it tore through this his skin easier and caused the pain to be even more extreme. It would nearly rip the skin off entirely and expose skeletal muscles and even the spine.
It's absolutely unthinkable how torturous that night was for Jesus. However, He endured and finished what He was sent on earth to accomplish.
As we know, He rose from the dead on Sunday and expressed His abundant love for us by offering Himself as a sacrifice. Praise be to God!
CHRIST IS KING!
Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
-Steve