a narcotic draught of sour wine or vinegar
mingled with myrrh and possibly containing other anodyne ingredients,
for the merciful purpose of deadening the sensibility of the victim.
This was no Roman practise, but was allowed as a concession to Jewish
sentiment. When the drugged cup was presented to Jesus He put it to His
lips, but having ascertained the nature of its contents refused to
drink, and so demonstrated His determination to meet death with
faculties alert and mind unclouded.

Then they crucified Him, on the central cross of three, and placed one
of the condemned malefactors on His right hand, the other on His left.
Thus was realized Isaiah's vision of the Messiah numbered among the
transgressors.[1306] But few details of the actual crucifixion are given
us. We know however that our Lord was nailed to the cross by spikes
driven through the hands and feet, as was the Roman method, and not
bound only by cords as was the custom in inflicting this form of
punishment among some other nations. Death by crucifixion was at once
the most lingering and most painful of all forms of execution. The
victim lived in ever increasing torture, generally for many hours,
sometimes for days. The spikes so cruelly driven through hands and feet
penetrated and crushed sensitive nerves and quivering tendons, yet
inflicted no mortal wound. The welcome relief of death came through the
exhaustion caused by intense and unremitting pain, through localized
inflammation and congestion of organs incident to the strained and
unnatural posture of the body.[1307]

As the crucifiers proceeded with their awful task, not unlikely with
roughness and taunts, for killing was their trade and to scenes of
anguish they had grown callous through long familiarity, the agonized
Sufferer, void of resentment but full of pity for their heartlessness
and capacity for cruelty, voiced the first of the seven utterances
delivered from the cross. In the spirit of God-like mercy He prayed:
"_Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do._" Let us not
attempt to fix the limits of the Lord's mercy; that it would be extended
to all who in any degree could justly come under the blessed boon
thereof ought to be a sufficing fact. There is significance in the form
in which this merciful benediction was expressed. Had the Lord said, "I
forgive you," His gracious pardon may have been understood to be but a
remission of the cruel offense against Himself as One tortured