Note 6 at Joh 19:18: Crucifixion was one of the most torturous means of death that man has ever devised. Roman crucifixion began with a whipping of the condemned. The whip that was used was made of several strips of leather that had jagged pieces of metal, glass, or bone tied on the ends that didn't just inflict great pain but actually tore open and laid bare the skin, causing great bleeding and weakness. Jesus received thirty-nine of these stripes during His trial before Pilate (Mt 27:26 and Mr 15:15).

The condemned was then led through the town to the place of crucifixion, carrying his own cross. This not only was very hard physically for a person who had already been weakened by beatings, but also was intended to humiliate the condemned and serve as a warning to those who saw the proceedings.

The person to be crucified would then be tied to the cross or, for the more violent offenders, nailed to the cross. The feet were placed one on top of the other with the knees in a bent position and a single spike driven through them into a footrest on the cross that would give partial support. The arms were outstretched and nailed to the crossbeam through the wrists. Jesus' statements in Lu 24:39 and Joh 20:27 have caused many to believe that He was nailed to the cross through the palms of His hands.

Once the person was nailed to the cross, the cross would be hoisted up into the air and then dropped into the hole with a violence that would tear the tissues and cause excruciating pain. The pain of all this was unbearable, but one of the worst aspects of crucifixion was that of suffocation.

The way a person was hung on the cross, with his arms raised and extended, allowed him to inhale but restricted his ability to exhale. Therefore, in an effort to breathe, the crucified would lift himself up on his feet and gasp for air until the pain in his feet would cause him to sag, once again accentuating the pain in the wrists and stopping his breathing. Jesus must have done this countless times during the six hours He hung on the cross.

This torment could continue for two or three days before a person actually died. There have been cases where people lived as long as nine days before death came (Unger's Bible Dictionary). Therefore, because the Sabbath was approaching (Joh 19:31-33), the Jews asked Pilate to break the legs of Jesus and the other two who were crucified with Him, so they would no longer be able to lift themselves and would suffocate.