Along with BIOME, Biologists in Observation of the Master’s Earth, Huggins presented “Anatomy of the Crucifixion,” a lecture he says “puts biology and some of our Christian walk together.”
In the lecture, Huggins gave a brief background of Christ’s life leading up to 30 A.D., the year of the crucifixion, the events and travel of his final days on earth and the history of the act of crucifixion, a prominent form of death-by-torture used by Alexander the Great, Egyptians and Romans, who he said “made it an ‘art’ of torture.”
The lecture was a combination of scripture and science, explaining throughout that each event and detail of Christ’s death fulfilled prophecy.
In one of the final points of the lecture Huggins explained the timing of Christ’s death: “It is no accident that Jesus died at 3 p.m. that day. That is the very hour that passover lambs had been sacrificed for hundreds of years – in honor of the sacrifice to come. He was the passover lamb.”
The entire almost-hour of lecture was filled with scientific explanation of the possible causes of Christ’s death and heartfelt emotion. Tears welled up in the speaker’s eyes when he reached his conclusion: “So, what really killed Jesus? I did…we did. He died on that cross for us.”
Students left having heard not only a lecture about science and anatomy, but also a message that reminded them of the pain Christ endured on the cross, said Cara Nance senior cell and molecular biology major and president of BIOME.
“Yes, all those terrible things happened, and yes, it was caused by a number of different people, but really in the end it was my sin that caused him to be on that cross…my sin is what made it necessary, and this was a reminder of just how much God loves us.”
Mark Bolyard, professor of biology and department chair, said now we understand more about what was happening to Christ’s body while on the cross than we did in the past.
“The more we understand about the pain and brutality that Christ suffered,” Bolyard said, “the more amazing it becomes that he would endure such torture in our place.”
