How does it feel?

This past week, we discussed Jesus' Passion on the cross. Some central goals to this class is to gain a better understanding of what Jesus experienced on earth, how it felt to be Jesus and what Jesus' suffering means to us in our walk today. Up to now, Jesus' experiences in ministry, at the Last Supper and even in the Garden, while sometimes a stretch to relate to, aren't completely outside the realm of our own experiences. At the very least we probably feel like we can relate to Jesus in some way. That connection stops at the cross. None of us have undergone anything remotely close to crucifixion. We all assume that crucifixion was really painful. "Really painful" seems to be a woefully inadequate description of Calvary. But how do we describe something we have no ability to relate to? In some sense there is a part of us that doesn't want relate to Calvary. The cross is offensive to us. Not the act of sacrifice itself mind you. It's the blood. I have linked an article titled "The Science of the Crucifixion" that may add to our understanding on a physiological level. Mind you, I believe this is the hardest part for us to relate to but maybe the most critical. After reading the article, I have a few questions for you to consider and comment on if you'd like:

1) Why crucifixion? Couldn't Jesus have made a valid offering by dying a less excruciating death?
2) Why does the death of Christ make us so uncomfortable? Why does watching a movie like "The Passion of the Christ" bother us more than fiction movies like "Silence of the Lambs" or even war movies like "Saving Private Ryan"?
3) When "The Passion of the Christ" came out, there were many accounts of Christians who couldn't watch the entire movie and walked out. There may even be some who can't stomach the graphic physiological accounts of Calvary like I linked to. Is there some obligation on the part of Christians to watch the movies and internalize the gritty details of this story? Or is it OK for us to just say, "Look, I don't need to focus on the gory details because they have nothing to do with my relationship with Christ"?

Feel free to comment below with your answers to these questions or other general comments.