Yes, it was horrible but horrible was commonplace at the time. At least it was a fairly short period of suffering. How about Giordano Bruno. He was imprisoned, tortured and interrogated for about seven years before being found guilty. After being found guilty, an iron spike was shoved through his tongue and another was shoved through his palette- to silence his lying devil tongue. Then he was stripped and dragged through town and burned alive. Then, he didn't even get the decent burial of Jesus, his ashes were just dumped in a river.
This was because he refused to recant his personal dedication to his scientific beliefs and their implications and the church felt threatened. He made a sacrifice which was even more impressive than Jesus, since being divine meant that Jesus "knew" paradise would await him, but Bruno had no such assurances. Nevertheless he underwent all of these horrible things to stand up for the principles of scientific knowledge.
WHAT JESUS did was he knew what was going to happen what he was born for and still came to earth into a human body knowing what was going to happen. NOT saying this other guy didnt go through anything bad. My point is jesus died for his people and his people trun there backs on him. How is that right I got compassion for all that suffer. and no it wasnt a short time. Jesus son of GOD. Was beaten nearly to death with wips, wips wit glass and nails riping his skin and when they were done he didnt look like a man anymore after that the men whoud taunt him took a crown of thorns pressed it on his head till it bleed. Taunting him. Then he had to carry his cross miles and miles to the place he knew he was going to die In all the while he was getting wiped along the way the guards lauging at him . Layed him on the cross nailed one hand then other other then his feet. While the others got nothing even close he was on that cross for weeks. He died slowly as his mother wached her baby boy the one she would hold and cuddle with wach him grow into a man die in front of her. Not saying this other man that died wasnt bad or how he died. My only point is A man that went through this for what I dont understand only because he did this thing that he didnt have to do. All he would have to say was NO IM NOT THE SON OF GOD OR THE KING OF MY PEOPLE. But he didnt He went through it went to hell so we wouldnt have to. So we may have a choice.
You don't think Bruno was whipped while being tortured in prison for seven years? He was flogged and beaten and who knows what else. The inquisition was creative. SEVEN YEARS. All he had to do was say, "Everything in the bible is absolutely true, and I recant my beliefs in other solar systems, the infinite universe, and heliocentrism. Yet he endured torture for seven years. Nailing to a cross was horrible. But no more horrible than having an iron spike driven through your tongue and another through your palate. And Jesus didn't hang on the cross for weeks. According to Mark he was dead 6 hours after being crucified. And if he carried his cross all those miles, then the three synoptic gospels are false since they describe Simon carrying his cross for him.
And while it was no doubt bad, Jesus supposedly knew this was his entire purpose. He didn't have any other dreams to be taken from him since he knew he was destined for this end. Bruno probably had dreams and aspirations for the rest of his life. He had no way of knowing that his life would end with seven years of brutal torture and then be burned alive. I would take crucifixion over being burned alive. Being stripped and dragged through town was as humilating as the humiliations of Jesus and he too felt betrayed by his own countrymen who were murdering him.
Jesus suffering is overplayed to emphasize a certain theological framework. The movie "passion" is overhyped and biblically inaccurate just to spin a certain theological point of view. The crucifixion was nor more torturous than many incidents in the ancient world like Giordano Bruno who was tortured and killed by christians, or Hypatia of Alexandria the first female head of the great library, who was taken by christians, dragged naked through town to a christian church, had her skin flayed with bits of shell and pot shards, and then set ablaze. So excuse me if I don't find the suffering of Jesus a compelling argument for divinity nor a supreme example of sacrifice.