“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross.” 1 Peter 2:24
Perhaps the most popular symbol for Christians is the cross, and rightly so. Crucifixion was reserved for non-Roman slaves and criminals. Its purpose was not just to kill the criminal but also to mutilate and display the dishonored person to the crowds. This disgraceful torture was designed to produce a slow death with great suffering.
It is possible Jesus was nailed to a cross called the Latin cross, the traditional cross shape we see in most pictures. This allowed sufficient room for the crimes to be posted above the criminal’s head. John 19:19,20 says this sign read “Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews.” John goes on to say that the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.
The crossbeam Jesus carried weighed about 100 pounds. Fortunately, Simon of Cyrene was put into service to help the Savior. The victim’s arms were often tied to this beam while carrying it to the place of crucifixion. The criminal was then nailed, tied, or both, to the crossbar. The 5-7 inch nails were likely driven into the wrists so they would not fracture bones. Nails were often driven into the arches and heels. A small block seat (sedile) was attached to allow the criminal to rest for brief moments. Every movement resulted in more pain and agony. The length of survival from crucifixion ranged from a few hours to several days. In Jesus’ case, the victims needed to be removed from their crosses before a high festival. If still alive, the legs were broken, which caused immediate suffocation.
The empty cross represents Jesus’ love for us. As terrible as this form of death was, the almighty God used the cross for his purpose and caused it to become the platform on which he saved all people. What a tremendous sacrifice!
From Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer