Isn't it ironic? (Galatians 2:20)

From the tract '10 Reasons Jesus Came to Die' by John Piper

#4) To show Jesus' own love for us

I think that the modern view of crucifixion is the greatest irony in the history of capital punishment. We sort of grasp the concept of pain that Jesus endured (the word “excruciating” literally means “out of crucifying”). However the cross has become overwhelmed by it's own symbolism in Christianity that the original purpose of crucifixion seems to be mostly overlooked or forgotten. The reason Roman's would use this execution method was to dissuade others from committing similar crimes.

First off, this punishment was very public. This is an obvious necessity for the execution to be a warning to others. There are historical references to crucifixions in established places outside city gates. The most famous mass display followed the slave revolt lead by Spartacus where 6,000 men were crucified spanning about 125 miles along the Appian Way which was one of the most prominent roads of the time.

Next, the execution was meant to last a long time. That way more people could experience the show of suffering. Depending on the physical state of the person before they were hung, crucifixion could last from hours to days. Pierre Barbet popularized the theory that the placement of a persons arms while on the cross made it difficult to breath resulting in death by asphyxiation. Later experiments by Frederick Zugibe showed that, while incredibly painful, arm placement didn't cause breathing problems. Death was usually from a combination of slow traumas including blood loss, infection, or eventual dehydration.

Lastly, this punishment was incredibly humiliating and dishonorable. Roman citizen were exempt from crucifixion in all but the most extreme cases such as treason. Unlike most artistic representation from the Renaissance, Jesus didn't wear a loincloth on the cross. Criminals were hung in the nude. This was a display of disgrace in front of all passers-by with the humiliation multiplied when the commended person ultimately needed to “releave” themselves (which also attracted insects). Now combine this with the utter mutilation the body had to endure simply in the logistics of crucifixion and the fact that the body usual didn't receive a proper burial or at best it was extremely delayed.

A historic understanding of crucifixion gives you a much better picture of Jesus' immense love for us. He endure such extreme pain and humiliation to save us. Which leads us to the irony of the cross. The Romans meant for the cross to prevent other people from committing the same actions of the criminal. Jesus changed the cross into the ultimate example of sacrificial love for Christians to follow.

If you knew that, contrary to Kubrick, Spartacus was not crucified: