List and Links of Old Disney Channel Movies

Disney Channel Original Movies

1983

1.      Tiger Town (October 9, 1983): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY2YcD5Muwk

 

1996

1.      Susie Q (1996): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRUkQbO4IMo&feature=plcp

2.      Wish Upon A Star (1996): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs3yNSHxpiQ&feature=relmfu

 

1997

1.        The Paper Brigade (February 25, 1997): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDvtITGPQW0&feature=plcp

2.        Northern Lights (August 23, 1997): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGYkx7UjrgU&feature=plcp

3.        Under Wraps (October 25, 1997): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40qag0qOTvQ&feature=plcp

 

1998

1.      Brink! (August 29, 1998): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5dW4EAUX6A&feature=relmfu

2.      Halloweentown (October 17, 1998): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shcWUGlk9S4&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL401FA7F42C5E34E8

 

1999

1.      Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (January 23, 1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TalCSxNp_t4&feature=relmfu

2.      Can of Worms (April 10, 1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILCvLSvCTTo&feature=plcp

3.      The Thirteenth Year (May 15, 1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gX7kfIVJDo&feature=plcp

4.      Smart House (June 26, 1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFEijQ-kZTk&feature=plcp

5.      Johnny Tsunami (July 24, 1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6n9M-SZJRE&feature=plcp

6.      Genius (August 21, 1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ueeHsEZiH4&feature=plcp

7.      Don't Look Under the Bed (October 9, 1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Y9selbh98&feature=plcp

8.      Horse Sense (November 20, 1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9PKpDmHmWc&feature=relmfu

 

2000

1.      Up, Up, and Away (January 22, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0cBNorVpSA&feature=plcp

2.      The Color of Friendship (February 5, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwNtNVRStcc&feature=plcp

3.      Alley Cats Strike (March 18, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXHjVz82WcY&feature=plcp

4.      Rip Girls (April 22, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4E4FqLTbmI&feature=plcp

5.      Miracle in Lane 2 (May 13, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R49MxrqM4Y&feature=plcp

6.      Stepsister from Planet Weird (June 17, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzPlS65aaUU&feature=relmfu

7.      Ready to Run (July 14, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XecqUQqWtqQ&feature=relmfu

8.      Quints (August 18, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TknLsRwr-R4&feature=relmfu

9.      The Other Me (September 8, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt_pIkLIq1U&feature=relmfu

10.   Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire (October 13, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--mVzoIWUm8&feature=plcp

11.   Phantom of the Megaplex (November 10, 2000): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naPQkigdBxk&feature=plcp

 

2001

1.      Zenon: The Zequel (January 12, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxgWJ4xFHRs&feature=plcp

2.      Motocrossed (February 16, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFVO2NQ6V2Q&feature=plcp

3.      The Luck of the Irish (March 9, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lF4LyAUE2o&feature=relmfu

4.      Hounded (April 13, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MerpdwUv1IY&feature=plcp

5.      Jett Jackson: The Movie (June 8, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2yWbQ_w28Q&feature=relmfu

6.      The Jennie Project (July 13, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXHtSEDzAuY&feature=plcp

7.      Jumping Ship (August 17, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIF_bq0Sr1M&feature=plcp

8.      The Poof Point (September 14, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWW3FZPqKB4&feature=plcp

9.      Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (October 12, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPxTXg1lZwc&feature=relmfu

10.   'Twas the Night (December 7, 2001): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a37tmIdu3Cw&feature=plcp

 

2002

1.      Double Teamed (January 18, 2002): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hgsiPC5O7I&feature=plcp

2.      Cadet Kelly (March 8, 2002): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L09Xa71rOx4&feature=relmfu

3.      Tru Confessions (April 5, 2002): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAF98WbGYCg&feature=plcp

4.      Get a Clue (June 28, 2002): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DueL_S2d_Y0&feature=plcp

5.      Gotta Kick It Up! (July 26, 2002): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6aLQrFp-Xw&feature=plcp

6.      A Ring of Endless Light (August 23, 2002): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiOwx1u5I8c&feature=relmfu

7.      The Scream Team (October 4, 2002): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQvEZr0FZlI&feature=plcp

 

2003

1.      You Wish! (January 10, 2003): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Mt6RXmi7c&feature=relmfu

2.      Right on Track (March 21, 2003): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StyD7oBNiBc&feature=relmfu

3.      Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-Off (July 18, 2003): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbGLj5Kig8A&feature=plcp

4.      The Cheetah Girls (August 15, 2003): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8MbPT9Xj8s&feature=plcp

5.      Full-Court Miracle (November 21, 2003): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-zLh2kHe6s&feature=plcp

6.      Kim Possible Movie: A Sitch in Time (November 28, 2003): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QedMSV5yrMU

 

2004

1.      Pixel Perfect (January 16, 2004): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExqG_ADIB4o&feature=plcp

2.      Going to the Mat (March 19, 2004): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCQh6SOG1wU&feature=plcp

3.      Zenon: Z3 (June 11, 2004): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF_f34IQamw&feature=relmfu

4.      Tiger Cruise (August 6, 2004): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijocTCf-nVI&feature=plcp

5.      Halloweentown High (October 8, 2004): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82gDBVNydG8

 

2005

1.      Buffalo Dreams (March 11, 2005): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJrsnPorWMY&feature=plcp

2.      Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama (April 8, 2005): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-oDSrPW1dk

3.      Go Figure (June 10, 2005): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqcgniHL4nM

Other

1.        Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars (March 26, 2010): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmkhHqOZd7s&feature=plcp

2.        16 Wishes (June 25, 2010): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBZ87idX5dM&feature=plcp

3.        Hocus Pocus: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAkTaInCDzk&feature=related

4.        H-E-Double Hockeysticks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i5BfObOhf4&feature=plcp

5.        Seventeen Again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAmCSWy_H6w&feature=plcp

6.        Model Behavior: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXd6nV_7DPc&feature=plcp

7.        Tower of Terror: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMWpK4XJid4&feature=plcp

        8.     My Date with the President’s Daughter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCbyuPSBDyo&feature=plcp

If We Believe

What does it mean to truly believe in the God of all creation? What does it look like if we believe?

I truly believe that a follower of Christ can be spotted from across a room. When we follow Christ with our whole hearts, minds, and souls, we don't look like everyone else anymore. Because, when we follow Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in us. This is the Holy Spirit that healed the sick, cast out demons, and yes, even conquered death. Do we honestly think that if that Spirit lives in our very hearts and souls that we won't stand apart?

I tell you, Jesus wants us to stand apart. He wants us to drop everything of this world and follow Him. The comforts of this life mean nothing when compared to His overwhelming presence. If we truly believe in Him, then we are transformed. The things of this world will no longer matter and every fiber of our being will want to worship Him all the days of this life and the next.

It is a hard truth to understand. Jesus told us to take up the cross, forsaking this world, in order to live in the next. If we truly and honestly believe, we will be on fire for Christ. Our souls will leap with the chance to spread His holy Message. Our hearts will rejoice in His Word. Our minds will reel with the Truth of His existence.

Lay down the woes of this world, they mean nothing. Worry not about relationships, money, food, water, comfort. But lay down your life for Him. Let His Spirit live in you. Do not be ashamed when you look in the mirror, but rather rejoice. Rejoice when you look at yourself and see Him. Forsake all others and follow Him.

I can beg you, I can plead with you, I can scream it from the highest mountains...but I cannot make you believe. I cannot force His love upon you. I can only tell you that it is the single most wonderful thing this world will ever know. It cures diseases of the heart. It heals hurt. It forgives all sin. It restores life.

If we believe, and I mean truly believe, we will no longer be of this world. For the Holy Spirit will live in us, and with that Spirit...we can move mountains. God gave us a choice. A choice to follow Him and forsake this world, or a choice to live of this world and perish in the next.

Ask yourself on this Easter day when Christ rose again, do you really think that money, power, fame, sex, drugs, and any other evil of this world can compare to the God of the Universe?
I certainly don't.

I choose to lay down my life to follow Him. Will you?

A Lasting Covenant

I must apologize for the delay in this post, as I was out of town celebrating the marriage of a very dear friend. As I participated in the glorious celebration, I began to reflect on what it truly means to be married.

The most important thing to realize is that marriage is not a man-made institution. It did not originate in a lawyer's office, the government did not create it, and no other religion had it before Christianity. The first union between a man and a woman took place when God created a helper for Adam. Of all the creatures He had created throughout the six days, all of them were male and female. Except for Adam. He was the only one of his kind.

This was the only time in the whole story of the creation that God decides that something was not good. Adam was alone and God saw that he should have a helper, yet of all the beasts of the fields that were brought to Adam, none were the helper that Adam's heart was seeking. So God created that helper, and that helper was woman. Her name was Eve.

Immediately following the creation of Eve, the Bible says that a man shall leave his parents and cleave to his wife. In the very second chapter of the first book in the Bible, marriage is already mentioned. Eve was no longer just a woman, she was a wife.

Jesus then took this institution and redefined it. He explained to us how he is like the bridegroom and the Church is His bride. After teaching us this, He then proceeded to give His life so that His bride had a chance for eternal life. He gave the ultimate sacrifice for us, asking only that we serve and support Him.

That in itself is the ultimate definition of what it means to be married. A woman will submit to her husband. This is a sign of her love, as women were cursed with the desire to rule over their husbands after eating from the forbidden tree. In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the Church.

Women are to submit. Men are to sacrifice. Both are two monumental tasks that are extremely difficult for our sinful natures. Why? Because both of these commands require us to put another before ourselves no matter the circumstances.

So how is this possible? The answer is simple. A marriage without God is no marriage at all, for He was the Divine Creator of the institution. It is not between a man and a man. It is not between a woman and a woman. In fact it isn't even a commitment between a man and a woman. It is a covenant. A lasting covenant between a man, a woman, and God. It takes three to make a marriage work.

Marriage calls for forgiveness, but how can we forgive if we do not know Mercy? Marriage calls for sacrifice and submission, but how can we know these traits if we do not know the Servant? Marriage calls for strength, but how can we stand up to anything if we don't know God's Strength?

Above all, marriage calls for love. But how can we love, how can we truly, selflessly, fully love someone, if we do not know who Love is?

Kony 2012

Do you know who he is? Joseph Kony is the man who abducts children from their homes and forces the boys to become soldiers/murderers (this includes taking the lives of their own parents) while the girls are forced to be sex slaves. This is against everything we stand for as Christians. I didn't know who Joseph Kony was, I didn't know what he did and is still doing. As a believer in the sweet children that Jesus allowed to come to Him, I will not stand for this injustice. Will you?
Maybe you didn't know who he was, as I myself did not, but now you do. Are you going to stand for God's children to be abducted and forced into sin?

If you didn't know, now you do. What are you going to do about it?

Gifted

What if someone were to ask you at this moment what you were really good at. Whether or not you voice it aloud, chances are one or two talents that you have been born with or spent your life honing will pop into your head.
Maybe you're a musician, or a writer, maybe you have a gift of understanding, maybe you are an artist, or maybe you can understand the complex world of technology. Each of us has been gifted with some talent or another and we know, as Christians, that it is our duty to use our God-given and God-honed talents to praise and glorify Him.
But what about those talents that you'd rather not speculate on how they formed?

I once knew this little girl who was the subject of bullying from the moment she entered school. In preschool she found a friend in another bullied young boy. Together they could withstand the teasing of those around them as long as they had each other. Yet, one day, the boy decided that he was tired of being bullied and joined with their tormentors to turn the game into three against one. Imagine the pain she felt when her best friend betrayed her. Imagine the pain Jesus felt when one of His twelve betrayed Him.
I watched as this girl went through to elementary school. In third grade, she was once again ridiculed by those around her. At recess and lunch, she would sing to her best friend, a silent and young tree on the outskirts of the soccer field. One day, a soccer ball came flying through the air towards her. For a flashing moment, she dreamed that she would be able to kick the ball back and score a goal to the joy of all. But she was no athlete and the soccer ball smashed across her face, stunning her. The entire third grade errupted into hysterics at her pain and humiliation as tears streamed down her cheeks. Oh the pain she must have felt. The Jesus must have felt as He was mocked by the ones He came to save.



I know the pain she felt, for that girl was me. And often I wondered why it was that I was the subject of ridicule my entire life. As I grew, I adapted to the world around me, learning to stay under the radar of those mocking voices of my peers. Until, one day, I watched as a mentally challenged girl was ridiculed by two of the popular honors students that I shared my classes with. I knew exactly how she felt, and something inside of me couldn't stand to see the sight of my high school peers be so heartless and cruel.
...I rebuked them, forsaking my chances of ever joining the ranks of the popular, athletic honors students, but I suddenly didn't care. I had dreamt of being on top of the world as most high school students are apt to do, but at what price? My own hurtful experiences helped me to understand the feelings of those around me.

It was a painful gift to learn. But it is most certainly a gift. Being the subject of bullying has given me the strength to stand up for what's right on the behalf of others. It also came with the ability to understand. I have empathy for those hurting around me, and I can offer advice freely because of my own painful memories.
So take heart, life may be hard, it may cause pain, in fact I know it will, but each storm cloud will pass and bring an even brighter morrow. Thank God for the suffering you experience, for it just might change your life. It just might allow you to stand up for others. It just might be a talent that no amount of practicing can create. It just might bring about the change you've been hoping for.
...You just might be gifted.

Too Late

It is never too late for repentance in this life. Even as they died, Jesus forgave a convicted criminal. But there is a time that is too late. As soon as we take our last breath, will we be standing in His glorious light? Or will He turn His face away and say He does not know us? Don't wait until the end for His redeeming love. Don't let it be too late.

Forgiven

 *"Forgiven"
Though I was the one who made His blood flow. Though I was the one who hammered in the nails. Though I was the one who scorned the Son of God. As He died, He thought of me. He forgave the ones who betrayed Him and murdered Him. I was the killer, and I'm so ashamed. Yet still He carries me home. I am forgiven.

Three in One

One of the most beautiful passages in the Bible can be seen in the Gospel of Mark 1:9-11.
"And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, 'Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"
It is in this precious moment that the Trinity, the Holy Three in One, appear at one time. Imagine the beauty that that moment contained. Jesus is standing in the Jordan river, dripping wet from His immersion, when all of a sudden the skies are ripped open and all the perfection of Heaven can be seen. And in the glorious light that shines from Heaven, a perfect dove, the Holy Spirit, descends. The Spirit alighted on Jesus while, at the same time, God spoke. The Alpha and Omega addressed His Son in front of witnesses and praised Jesus for His actions.
And in that moment, the precious Father, the blameless Son, and the gentle Spirit, were witnessed. Rejoice in the Trinity that loves and saves. Rejoice in the Three in One. Immerse yourself in the Word and rejoice in the miracles of love.

Something Every Christian Needs to Understand

The Crucifixion Of Jesus

A medical explanation of what Jesus endured on the day He died
By Dr. C. Truman Davis*

A Physician Analyzes the Crucifixion.
From New Wine Magazine, April 1982.
Originally published in Arizona Medicine,
March 1965, Arizona Medical Association.

Several years ago I became interested in the physical aspects of the passion, or suffering, of Jesus Christ when I read an account of the crucifixion in Jim Bishop's book, The Day Christ Died. I suddenly realized that I had taken the crucifixion more or less for granted all these years - that I had grown callous to its horror by a too-easy familiarity with the grim details. It finally occurred to me that, as a physician, I did not even know the actual immediate cause of Christ's death. The gospel writers do not help much on this point. Since crucifixion and scourging were so common during their lifetimes, they undoubtedly considered a detailed description superfluous. For that reason we have only the concise words of the evangelists: "Pilate, having scourged Jesus, delivered Him to them to be crucified ... and they crucified Him."
Despite the gospel accounts silence on the details of Christ's crucifixion, many have looked into this subject in the past. In my personal study of the event from a medical viewpoint, I am indebted especially to Dr. Pierre Barbet, a French surgeon who did exhaustive historical and experimental research and wrote extensively on the topic.

An attempt to examine the infinite psychic and spiritual suffering of the Incarnate1 God in atonement for the sins of fallen man is beyond the scope of this article. However, the physiological and anatomical aspects of our Lord's passion we can examine in some detail. What did the body of Jesus of Nazareth actually endure during those hours of torture?

Gethsemane

The physical passion of Christ began in Gethsemane. Of the many aspects of His initial suffering, the one which is of particular physiological interest is the bloody sweat. Interestingly enough, the physician, St. Luke, is the only evangelist to mention this occurrence. He says, "And being in an agony, he prayed the longer. And his sweat became as drops of blood, trickling down upon the ground" (Luke 22:44 KJV).

Every attempt imaginable has been used by modern scholars to explain away the phenomenon of bloody sweat, apparently under the mistaken impression that it simply does not occur. A great deal of effort could be saved by consulting the medical literature. Though very rare, the phenomenon of hematidrosis, or bloody sweat, is well documented. Under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could have produced marked weakness and possible shock.

Although Jesus' betrayal and arrest are important portions of the passion story, the next event in the account which is significant from a medical perspective is His trial before the Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. Here the first physical trauma was inflicted. A soldier struck Jesus across the face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards then blindfolded Him, mockingly taunted Him to identify them as each passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face.

Before Pilate

In the early morning, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and worn out from a sleepless night, Jesus was taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the Fortress Antonia, the seat of government of the Procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate. We are familiar with Pilate's action in attempting to shift responsibility to Herod Antipas, the Tetrarch of Judea. Jesus apparently suffered no physical mistreatment at the hands of Herod and was returned to Pilate. It was then, in response to the outcry of the mob, that Pilate ordered Barabbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and crucifixion.

Preparations for Jesus' scourging were carried out at Caesar's orders. The prisoner was stripped of His clothing and His hands tied to a post above His head. The Roman legionnaire stepped forward with the flagrum, or flagellum, in his hand. This was a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip was brought down with full force again and again across Jesus' shoulders, back, and legs. At first the weighted thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows continued, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first an oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin and finally spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles.

The small balls of lead first produced large deep bruises that were broken open by subsequent blows. Finally, the skin of the back was hanging in long ribbons, and the entire area was an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it was determined by the centurion in charge that the prisoner was near death, the beating was finally stopped.

Mockery

The half-fainting Jesus was then untied and allowed to slump to the stone pavement, wet with his own blood. The Roman soldiers saw a great joke in this provincial Jew claiming to be a king. They threw a robe across His shoulders and placed a stick in His hand for a scepter. They still needed a crown to make their travesty complete. Small flexible branches covered with long thorns, commonly used for kindling fires in the charcoal braziers in the courtyard, were plaited into the shape of a crude crown. The crown was pressed into his scalp and again there was copious bleeding as the thorns pierced the very vascular tissue. After mocking Him and striking Him across the face, the soldiers took the stick from His hand and struck Him across the head, driving the thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, they tired of their sadistic sport and tore the robe from His back. The robe had already become adherent to the clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the careless removal of a surgical bandage, caused excruciating pain. The wounds again began to bleed.

Golgotha

In deference to Jewish custom, the Romans apparently returned His garments. The heavy patibulum of the cross was tied across His shoulders. The procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves, and the execution detail of Roman soldiers headed by a centurion began its slow journey along the route which we know today as the Via Dolorosa.

In spite of Jesus' efforts to walk erect, the weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with the shock produced by copious loss of blood, was too much. He stumbled and fell. The rough wood of the beam gouged into the lacerated skin and muscles of the shoulders. He tried to rise, but human muscles had been pushed beyond their endurance. The centurion, anxious to proceed with the crucifixion, selected a stalwart North African onlooker, Simon of Cyrene, to carry the cross. Jesus followed, still bleeding and sweating the cold, clammy sweat of shock. The 650-yard journey from the Fortress Antonia to Golgotha was finally completed. The prisoner was again stripped of His clothing except for a loin cloth which was allowed the Jews.

The crucifixion began. Jesus was offered wine mixed with myrrh, a mild analgesic, pain-reliving mixture. He refused the drink. Simon was ordered to place the patibulum on the ground, and Jesus was quickly thrown backward, with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire felt for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drove a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he moved to the other side and repeated the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The patibulum was then lifted into place at the top of the stipes, and the titulus reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" was nailed into place.

The left foot was pressed backward against the right foot. With both feet extended, toes down, a nail was driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees moderately flexed. The victim was now crucified.

On the Cross

As Jesus slowly sagged down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating, fiery pain shot along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain. The nails in the wrists were putting pressure on the median nerve, large nerve trunks which traverse the mid-wrist and hand. As He pushed himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, He placed His full weight on the nail through His feet. Again there was searing agony as the nail tore through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of this feet.

At this point, another phenomenon occurred. As the arms fatigued, great waves of cramps swept over the muscles, knotting them in deep relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps came the inability to push Himself upward. Hanging by the arm, the pectoral muscles, the large muscles of the chest, were paralyzed and the intercostal muscles, the small muscles between the ribs, were unable to act. Air could be drawn into the lungs, but could not be exhaled. Jesus fought to raise Himself in order to get even one short breath. Finally, the carbon dioxide level increased in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided.

The Last Words

Spasmodically, He was able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen. It was undoubtedly during these periods that He uttered the seven short sentences that are recorded.

The first - looking down at the Roman soldiers throwing dice6 for His seamless garment: "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do."

The second - to the penitent thief: "Today, thou shalt be with me in Paradise."

The third - looking down at Mary His mother, He said: "Woman, behold your son." Then turning to the terrified, grief-stricken adolescent John , the beloved apostle, He said: "Behold your mother."

The fourth cry is from the beginning of Psalm 22: "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"

He suffered hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, and searing pain as tissue was torn from His lacerated back from His movement up and down against the rough timbers of the cross. Then another agony began: a deep crushing pain in the chest as the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart, slowly filled with serum and began to compress the heart.

The prophecy in Psalm 22:14 was being fulfilled: "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint, my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels."

 

The end was rapidly approaching. The loss of tissue fluids had reached a critical level; the compressed heart was struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood to the tissues, and the tortured lungs were making a frantic effort to inhale small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues sent their flood of stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasped His fifth cry: "I thirst." Again we read in the prophetic psalm: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou has brought me into the dust of death" (Psalm 22:15 KJV).

A sponge soaked in posca, the cheap, sour wine that was the staple drink of the Roman legionnaires, was lifted to Jesus' lips. His body was now in extremis, and He could feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. This realization brought forth His sixth word, possibly little more than a tortured whisper: "It is finished." His mission of atonement had been completed. Finally, He could allow His body to die. With one last surge of strength, He once again pressed His torn feet against the nail, straightened His legs, took a deeper breath, and uttered His seventh and last cry: "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit."

 

Death

The common method of ending a crucifixion was by crurifracture, the breaking of the bones of the leg. This prevented the victim from pushing himself upward; the tension could not be relieved from the muscles of the chest, and rapid suffocation occurred. The legs of the two thieves were broken, but when the soldiers approached Jesus, they saw that this was unnecessary.

Apparently, to make doubly sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance between the ribs, upward through the pericardium and into the heart. John 19:34 states, "And immediately there came out blood and water." Thus there was an escape of watery fluid from the sac surrounding the heart and the blood of the interior of the heart. This is rather conclusive post-mortem evidence that Jesus died, not the usual crucifixion death by suffocation, but of heart failure due to shock and constriction of the heart by fluid in the pericardium.

Resurrection

In these events, we have seen a glimpse of the epitome of evil that man can exhibit toward his fellow man and toward God. This is an ugly sight and is likely to leave us despondent and depressed.

But the crucifixion was not the end of the story. How grateful we can be that we have a sequel: a glimpse of the infinite mercy of God toward man--the gift of atonement, the miracle of the resurrection, and the expectation of Easter morning.

*Dr. C. Truman Davis is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He is a practicing ophthalmologist, a pastor, and author of a book about medicine and the Bible.