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Crucify (Crucifixion)
The word crucify means to kill someone by placing them on a cross. They then die a long, horrible death. The person was either tied or nailed to a cross. Crucified people died from losing blood and from not being able to breath while on the cross.
See: Cross
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The Roman Empire used crucifixion to punish and kill someone who did something very bad. For example, if a person killed someone or made people go against the government, the Romans would crucify that person. The Jewish religious leaders wanted the Roman government to crucify Jesus. Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. He suffered on the cross for six hours. Then he died.
Jesus’ crucifixion was part of God’s plan. He planned this before the world was created (see: Acts 2:23; Revelation 13:8). Jesus told his disciples that he would be crucified and die in Jerusalem (see: Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:19; 26:2).
Paul taught that Christians need to “crucify” themselves. This is a metaphor. It means that the same way a dead person no longer can do anything, a Christian is to stop doing the things they did before that did not honor God. They need to start doing the things that honor God. Christians now live a new life (see: Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; 5:24; 6:14). In the same way a baby learns to do new things, a Christian is to learn to do the things that honor God.