Jesus, Nude on Cross  

1. Artemidorus Daldianus (Oneirokritika 2.53) highlights that the Romans were crucifying the victims naked. In a standard Roman crucifixion, the naked victim was scourged with a whip, its multiple lashes often weighted with bone or metal. Scourging alone could be fatal but usually wasn't. The crucificado was then nailed or tied to the crossbeam (not the whole cross) and forced to carry it to the permanently fixed upright.

2. Melito of Sardis, writing in the 2nd century about Jesus's crucifixion, writes of “his body naked and not even deemed worthy of a clothing that it might not be seen.Therefore the heavenly lights turned away and the day darkened in order that he might be hidden who was denuded upon the cross" (On the Pasch 97). The earliest portrayals of the crucified Jesus, on carved gems, feature Him naked.

3. According to the 4 Biblical Gospels, Jesus was stripped naked — all the New Testament gospels describe soldiers gambling for the robes of Jesus. (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, John 19:23-25).

4. Also, it is likely that Jesus Christ was crucified naked, thereby sharing the shame of Adam's nakedness. The shame of the cross is stressed (Heb. 11:26; 12:2; Ps. 31:17; Ps. 69:6,7,12,19,20).

Theological vision

In order to undo what the first Adam had done it was necessary for the Son to die naked in order to endure the shame of judgment and the suffering of hell. “For the curse is descending upon Him".

Well is nudity shamefull? From God's point of view and from reading the Bible I think the contrary. I mean God has no problem with Adam being nude in the Paradise. Adam had a problem with his nudity only after he eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-6).

Theologically speaking, Jesus Christ Who came on Earth in order to take upon him all the sins of the human race, should have been died naked in order for this cycle of humanity to end. Before Jesus, in the Old Testament, God was a God of Order. After Jesus, God of the New Testament becomes the God of Love... Am I right?

Yes, you are right. God is love. And maybe there is no problem with Christ dying on the cross naked because we were not there. But to re-enact or make a painting of Jesus nude, that's another thing. Why would paint Jesus nude when you can do it the other way?

Hi Pose123. Your statement is objective, mature and overall, amazing. However, there is some small correction I would like to make.

There are some isolated rural communities in remote areas of various countries, where such artistic manifestations won't be considered an excentric form of art, but a blasphemy. And, in these communities, in where the Rule of Law and the Human Rights Charter have no regulatory power, the justice being subordinated to a different set of values and norms, punishment for blashphemy is death.


Is no wonder, actually. Either we like it or not, there are places, even in Europe, where many fall victims to their own religious beliefs (you get killed only because you beong to a religious, ethic group or another and so on).

Is however interesting that, despite of their unique origin, religious values got cemented in different ways within different communities. Religion acted as an institution that had a major contribution in the development of the social norms and values and as a catalyst in the identity construction process.

Yet, religion has nothing to do with spirituality.