CRUCIFIED

"... to provide a death that was particularly slow, painful (hence the term excruciating, literally "out of crucifying"), gruesome (hence dissuading against the crimes punishable by it), humiliating, and public, using whatever means were most expedient for that goal." - Wikipedia

To be crucified wouldn't be exactly called an execution. A better term for it would be "torture".

Crucifixion was reserved for those who have done a vile crime. Even Roman citizens who were sentenced to death were given an "honorable death" like beheading, for crucifixion was not only excruciating, but humiliating. The Romans considered crucifixion "a most shameful and disgraceful way to die".

The process of being crucified starts with the criminal carrying a crossbeam weighing around 35-60 kg to the place of the execution.Once there, the criminal is nailed to the cross and is usually naked. The fact that the criminal would also have to defecate (in modern terms, poo) and urinate in the open makes it all the more shameful for the one on the cross. The death is slow, ranging from hours to days. Romans usually speed the death up by either stabbing the criminal in the heart or side, breaking his knees so that he wouldn't have support, or by lighting a fire below the cross to asphyxiate the criminal. The term "hanging on the cross" is very literal: the fact that the criminal is hanging puts all the weight in the lower part of the body and also causes the criminal to have difficulty breathing. The criminal would have to raise himself up using his arms which are nailed just so that he could breathe. Easier if the feet were nailed to a footrest, but this exhausts the criminal easily. Also, the slightest movement causes great pain.

Imagine what it would've been like to be the one nailed and humiliated on a cross. This is what we deserved! This was supposed to be our punishment! Instead, God sends His only Son for the very reason to step in for our sins and to pay the price and suffer the punishment!

Criminals usually carried the crossbeams. Scripture, however, tells it different from Christ:

"Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha)." - John 19:17

Jesus did not carry just a crossbeam, but His whole cross! The whole cross weighs 135 kilograms! True that the other Gospels record that a man named Simon carried the cross for Him. However, this was probably after Jesus couldn't carry it anymore due to exhaustion. Add to the fact He was whipped before this makes it all the more harder for Him. 

Art usually depicts Jesus on the cross with His undergarment on. However, as stated previously, criminals were hung naked, and it was the same case with Christ!

"When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.

24“Let's not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let's decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said,“They divided my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.Ӡ
So this is what the soldiers did." - John 19:23-24 

Jesus may have had His undergarments on for sometime, but eventually once the soldiers finished gambling it was removed! Imagine Jesus Christ, an innocent man guilty of nothing, absolutely nothing, hanging on a cross, nailed, naked, cold, and in excruciating pain!

But the reason He did that was for you, me, and the whole world! He could have easily cried out and sent angels to rescue Him and the Jews would also believe He was the Messiah. But no. He knew he had to do this so that once and for all our salvation can be secure. While He was on the cross, while He was being flogged and whipped, He was thinking of you and me! Imagine, He was thinking of me.

Valentines is coming and the world has completely polluted the meaning of love. Love is blurred. The love God wanted for all mankind has been twisted. But look to the Cross and look at what Jesus did. That, right there, is the ultimate expression of love: one Man, who paid the price and took the punishment and the humiliation for each and everyone of us.

Say this to yourself: Christ died because of me.

God bless.