Today, I want to ask the question—who killed Jesus Christ?
The answer is important, maybe more important than you realize. You see, there has been a lot of anti-Semitism because of the story of the passion, and there has been a lot of blame assessed to the Jewish people.
In three days, a movie which has the opportunity to impact this world for Christ will be opening in theaters across America. The movie is entitled, “The Passion of the Christ.” Directed by Mel Gibson, it portrays the last 12 hours of Christ’s life leading up to the crucifixion. It has been hounded by many, praised by others, and sure to continue to cause controversy.
The reason? The message of the Gospel is a stumbling block. The Bible tells us that it was a stumbling block to the Jews. Let me read to you from 1 Corinthians.
22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
Is it any wonder that the main opposition to this movie is not necessarily the violence, but opposition to the message because of what it will do to the Jewish community?
By Scott Bowles
USA TODAY
Despite declaring that his movie is about ’’love and forgiveness,’’ Mel Gibson, interviewed Monday on national television, did little to quash debate over whether The Passion of the Christ will kindle anti-Semitism.
Several groups that have expressed concerns over the film, including the Anti-Defamation League, criticized Gibson on Tuesday for refusing to acknowledge Jewish sensitivities to the film, which portrays the final 12 hours of Jesus’ life.
Ken Jacobson, associate national director of the ADL, criticized Gibson for ’’refusing to acknowledge the concerns the Jewish community has over this movie. He just doesn’t get it. Christian-Jewish relations have improved vastly over the past 50 years because of sensitivity to the problem. None of that was there (Monday) night.’’
John Piper said of the problem of anti-Semitism—“It is a tragedy that the story of Christ’s Passion (his suffering and death) has produced anti-Semitism against Jews and crusading violence against Muslims. We Christians are ashamed of many of our ancestors who did not act in the spirit of Christ. No doubt there are traces of this plague in our own souls. But true Christianity . . . renounces the advance of religion by means of violence. . . . Christians are called to die, not kill, in order to show the world how they are loved by Christ.”
And so this morning, I want to clear up exactly who killed Jesus. You see, there have been many misconceptions regarding this fact. And the movie, which comes out this Wednesday, does not always give clear-cut answers; it just presents history for us to view.
We have lots of evidence to examine—four books of the Bible speak of this event in its historical context, and while it seems to be an open and shut case, there is more behind the scenes of this event than what is normally presented.
But before I present to you the actual person responsible for the death of Christ, let’s examine those who have been accused of this event in the past. First, we need to examine those in authority that day—those who presided over the trials of Jesus Christ. I am, of course, referring to the Romans; more specifically, to a man named Pontius Pilate.
It is a historical fact that Romans nailed him to the cross, and that Jewish leaders called for his crucifixion. As Mel Gibson said in his interview when asked who crucified Christ, he responded, “Well, there weren’t any Norwegians there.” But the answer is not as cut and dry as you might think. I want you to look at John 18.
John 18: 33Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
34"Is that your own idea," Jesus asked, "or did others talk to you about me?"
35"Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"
36Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
37"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
38"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.
1Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.
4Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." 5When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!"
6As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."
7The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."
8When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
11Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
12From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."
13When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour.
"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
15But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
16Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.
That, of course, is from the account of John’s gospel, yet there is one other fact that I must mention. It is found in Matthew 27: 24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man’s blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
Now, Jesus actually faced six trials from Thursday to Friday morning—three Jewish trials and three roman trials. The three stages of the Roman trial were: the first appearance before Pilate ( John 18:28–38 ), the appearance before Herod ( Luke 23:6–12 ), and the second appearance before Pilate ( John 18:39–19:16 ; and see Matt. 27:15–26 ; Mark 15:6–15 ; and Luke 23:13–25 ).
Pontius Pilate was in office from A.D. 26–36 and was not greatly liked by the Jews. He could be ruthless when he wanted to be (see Luke 13:1–2 ), but he also understood the Jewish power structures and knew how to use them. His handling of the trial of Jesus reveals an indecisive man, a weak man, a compromising man.
Now, if you are looking at John’s account, look at several key phrases.
38"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.
4Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him."
6As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!"
But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."
12From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free,
Here’s the deal. Pilate did not believe Jesus was guilty. He did not want to crucify him, and by all accounts, Pilate did all that he could to release him. Yet, ultimately, he ordered Jesus’ crucifixion.
Should we hold him accountable for the death of Jesus? He said he washed his hands clean of the matter, but does washing hands really absolve someone of their death? Actually, listen to the words of Jesus. 11 Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
In a sense, Jesus is saying there is someone more guilty for my death, and that is those who handed him over. Who was it who handed him over—a man by the name of Caiaphas, a Jewish leader.
Now, here is where we get to the charges of anti-Semitism. Because it is clear from the gospel accounts that this charge was led by Jewish leaders.
There were three stages in the Jewish “trial”. After His arrest, Jesus was taken to the home of Annas and there interrogated informally ( John 18:12–14 , 19–23 ). Annas hoped to get information that would implicate Jesus as an enemy of the state. He wanted to prove that both His doctrine and His disciples were anti-Roman, for then He would be worthy of death.
Stage two of the Jewish trial took place before Caiaphas and whatever members of the Sanhedrin the high priest could assemble at that hour of the night ( Matt. 26:57–68 ; Mark 14:53–65 ). When Jesus confessed clearly that He was the Christ, the council found Him guilty of blasphemy and therefore, according to their law, worthy of death. However, it was necessary for the council to meet early the next morning and give their verdict, since it was not considered legal to try capital cases at night. So, stage three of the Jewish trial took place as early as possible, and the leaders condemned Jesus to death
But here’s what they did—look at Matthew 26: 57 Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. 60 But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward 61 and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”
62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 63 But Jesus remained silent.
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
64 “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
65 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
67 Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him 68 and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ. Who hit you?”
Are the Jewish leaders guilty? It would certainly seem so. In fact, in Acts 4, the people prayed this to God: “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.”
Peter himself accused the Jews during his first sermon—“ You, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”
Yet, here is the statement that is most startling. In Luke 23 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Jesus absolved them all of this crime. And Jesus, when he forgave people, they were forgiven.
So, who really did kill Jesus. Here’s the shocking answer—God.
Acts 4: 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.
Acts 2: 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.”
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the LORD ’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,”
Why did he do it? So our sins could be forgiven. Acts 10:43 says, “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
But is forgiveness really enough? Neither society nor the universe can hold together if judges simply say to every murderer, “Are you sorry? Okay. The state forgives you; you may go.” In cases like these we see that while a victim may have a forgiving spirit, the state cannot forsake justice. Does that make sense?
It is the same with God’s justice. All sin is serious. He is the one whose glory is injured when we ignore or disobey or blaspheme him. His justice will no more allow him simply to set us free than a human judge can cancel all the debts that criminals owe to society. The injury done to God’s glory by our sin must be repaired so that in justice his glory shines more brightly. And if we criminals are to go free and be forgiven, there must be some dramatic demonstration that the honor of God is upheld.
That is why Christ suffered and died. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins.” Forgiveness costs us nothing. But it cost Jesus His life.
Isaiah 52: 14 Just as there were many who were appalled at him —
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness—
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Every stripe, every whip, every pierce—that brings about our salvation, to those who believe in him.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
That’s the passion of the Christ—Christ dying for God, so that we could be saved. That’s the message that people will begin to see this week. That’s the message that we should believe, and tell the world about. God so loved the world that HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. That’s the message of the passion.
