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The "last words" of Christ on the cross have been the subject of much interest over the millennia. In spite of his extreme pain, the Lord spoke seven times from the cross and each statement is instructive for us. Each evangelist recorded the statements that he considered most important to his presentation of Christ, his identity, example, and purpose.

King of Glory: Crucifixion Part 2. No punishment is more associated with the Roman Empire than crucifixion. Almost no one was immune from the possibility of suffering this fate and everyone feared it. Crucifixion was specifically designed to maximize pain. But also fundamental to the procedure and this punishment was the humiliation of the cross, the shame and loss of status in a culture which esteemed personal glory, honor and reputation above all.

Crucifixion. Nothing was more feared in the Roman Empire than this horrific punishment. Almost no one was immune from the possibility of suffering this fate. Crucifixion was specifically designed to maximize pain. But also fundamental to the procedure and this punishment was the humiliation of the cross, the shame and loss of status in a culture which esteemed personal glory, honor, and reputation above all. Join us tonight on Search the Scriptures LIVE! as we discuss the cross and crucifixion in Roman culture.

Mockings were routine in Roman culture, but in Christ's case, the crown of thorns contributed significant physical agony. Scourgings also routinely preceded crucifixions. What was a scourging, and if Pilate believed Jesus to be innocent, why was Jesus scourged at all? The Jewish leaders insisted on crucifying Jesus and blackmailed Pilate to achieve their goal. Find out how on Monday's podcast, Search the Scriptures LIVE!

Pontius Pilate has become a controversial figure recently. Many critics of the New Testament claim that the portrayal of Pilate in the gospels is not accurate. What do we really know about Pilate? What became of him? Could it be true that he was reluctant to crucify Jesus? If so, why?

The Jewish trial of Christ in the gospels reveals the determination of the Jewish leaders to convict Jesus. Requirements of Jewish trial procedures were violated, and the outcome was predetermined. But claiming to be the Messiah was not a crime, nor was predicting the destruction of the Temple. A conviction warranting the death penalty would not have been possible without Jesus' last statement. After being silent during most of the trial, why did Jesus finally speak and what was so shocking about his statement that the High Priest tore his robes and pronounced Christ guilty of blasphemy?

Judas remains one of the most enigmatic figures of the New Testament. How much do we actually know about Judas? Why is he called Iscariot? After everything he had witnessed, what motivated him to betray the Lord? Why did he throw the coins into the Temple, and how do the Fathers explain his remorse? As Jesus awaited his arrest, he was in agony and actually sweated blood. Why wasn’t it a sin that Jesus was afraid and wanted to avoid the cross?

Why did the Lord cleanse the Temple? Why did he decide to take that action at that time after having visited the Temple countless times before? Did Jesus lose his temper? The words and actions of the Lord that day have been misunderstood by many. but the event is recorded in all four gospels because it had deep significance and resulted directly in his crucifixion

One of the most perplexing stories in the Bible is God's request to Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac. This event, known as the Akeda, has been endlessly discussed by the Jews who cannot agree as to its meaning and purpose. But the Church knows its deep, powerful, and surprising connections to the crucifixion of Christ,

Now that we have taken our tour of the Temple and the Temple Mount, we will take a closer look at the Jewish priesthood. Who could become a priest or Levite? What jobs did they perform? Why did Jesus "cleanse" the temple? Did the Lord lose his temper, or was something happening in Judaism that led him to take such dramatic action?