Who Killed Jesus?

Apparent reasons for the death of Jesus (Physical)

Jewish Involvement

There is no question that there was Jewish involvement in the death of Jesus.
- At this point the reader should be reminded that the focus of this presentation is on responsibility. This is a distinction that those of an anti-Semitic bent (or those who don't know any better) fail to identify. They confuse involvement with responsibility.
The main Jewish involvement consisted of the religious establishment:
- Matt 26:3-4
  3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. (NIV)
- Mark 3:6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. (NIV)
  - The Pharisees and the Herodians were not exactly "buddy-buddy" (Pharisees - religious, Herodians - secular) but they were in agreement on getting rid of Yeshua:
    - Matt 26:59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. (NIV)
  - When it was heard that Jesus had overturned the tables of the money-changers and those selling sacrificial animals in the temple:
    - Mark 11:18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. (NIV)
Motivation
- To preserve power
  - John 11:47-53 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.
  - The Sanhedrin had a working relationship with Rome even though it was an oppressive power.
    - This relationship was perceived threatened by anyone whom Rome might regard as leading a revolt to set up an independent government. ( 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." )
    - The results of such a revolt would yield widespread death and destruction of the Jewish people at the hands of the Romans. Therefore the conclusion of Caiaphas was : (v. 50) "... it is better [for you] that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish."
    - It is ironic that Caiaphas would prophesy that Yeshua would die for the Jewish nation. He was, of course, thinking in terms of the "revolution" that would be thwarted by having Yeshua killed. The deeper significance involves Isaiah's Messianic prophecy:
      - Isaiah 53:6 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.
    - The followers of Yeshua believe He paid the death penalty in lieu of and on behalf of the people of Israel and ultimately the world.
- Envy
  - Matt 27:18 For he (Pilate) knew it was out of envy that they (the Sanhedrin) had handed Jesus over to him. (NIV)
- Fear
  - Mark 11:18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. (NIV)
The Jewish people in general were not against Jesus
- Matt 26:3-5 3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. 5 "But not during the Feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people." (NIV)
  - The people knew there was a plot to kill Yeshua:
    - John 7:25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they (the Jewish Leadership) are trying to kill? (NIV)
    - Matt 21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet .
  - Popular opinion of Jesus:
    - Matt 16:13,14 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." (NIV)
    - John 7:31 Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ (Messiah) comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"
What about Matt 27:25: All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"
- The crowd that said this was most likely comprised of Judeans who were within the sphere of influence of the religious establishment in Jerusalem who were against Jesus. This crowd was most likely not the same crowd that hailed Jesus coming into Jerusalem a few days before. The crowd that hailed Jesus was probably mostly Galilean pilgrims visiting for Passover.
- The number of people making this statement is questionable.
- They have no right to call upon this curses on themselves and offspring:
  - Deu 24:16 Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.
  - Eze 18:4 For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son-- both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
- Who is a Jew?
  - During the time period of the New Covenant Scriptures there were three possibilities for the word "Jew." The meaning would be derived by the context:
    1. A member of the tribe of Judah
    2. Followers of the Jewish religion
    3. People living in or originating from Judea

Roman/Gentile Involvement

Jesus implicated the Gentiles as His killers
- Luke 18:31-32 31 Yeshua took the Twelve (disciples) aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. (NIV)
Pilate finds Yeshua innocent 3 times:
- Luke 23:4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man." (then sends Him to Herod)
- Luke 23:14 "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him."
- Luke 23:22 For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this an committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."
  - Pilate can find no crime, but has Yeshua whipped.
Further indictments against Pilate
- In a last ditch attempt he offers up Bar-Abba, a man convicted and found guilty of insurrection and murder (ironically Yeshua is accused of insurrection, but is innocent) in exchange for Yeshua. This plan backfires and he ends up releasing a guilty man.
- Pilate displayed a lack of character and shallowness by giving into the pressure of the religious leaders and the crowd that they had roused. Pilate violated Roman law by allowing Yeshua to be crucified.
Conclusion Yeshua was brought to trial before the two greatest systems of jurisprudence known in all of history: the Roman and Hebrew. Both systems of justice pronounced an innocent man guilty. Thus, in the physical/material world, the guilt is equally distributed between Jewish and Gentile representation. In God's view there are two people groups in the world: Jewish and Gentile. Therefore, in the material or physical view, the whole world was guilty of the death of Jesus.

Non apparent reasons for the death of Jesus (Spiritual)

Jesus predicted His death (and resurrection)
- In the 4 gospels Yeshua predicts His death at least 14 times. A sample:
  - Mark 10:33-34 33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." (NIV)
- At His arrest and betrayal:
  - Matt 26:53-56 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" 55 At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." (NIV)
- After Yeshua was resurrected and had appeared to the apostles he had to remind them of these predictions:
  - Luke 24:44-47 44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (NIV)
What was Yeshua's outlook on the crucifixion?
- Matt 26:39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (NIV)
While He was on the cross Jesus did not call down curses on the people who said "Let His blood be on us and on our children!."
- Instead
  - Luke 23:34: Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (NIV)

The ultimate reason for the death of Jesus

The New Covenant Scriptures teach that we are all responsible for His death
Forgiveness
- Yeshua's death is all about forgiveness:
  - Luke 23:34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (NIV)
  - John 3:16, 17 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (NIV)

The consequence of blaming the Jewish people

Christians who insist that the Jewish people were solely responsible for the death of Yeshua should consider the following:
- Blaming the Jewish people denies the willingness of Yeshua to give Himself up as a sacrifice for sin. It means that one's mind is on the "things of men" rather than the "things of God."
  - Matt 16:21-24 21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. 22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!" 23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (NIV)
- Blaming Jewish people for the death of Jesus denies the resurrection.
  - The death of Jesus and who caused it are so dwelled upon that one forgets that He is not dead, but risen.
- Blaming Jewish people for the death of Jesus denies the sovereignty of God and prophecy. It implies man is in control and not God.
  - Matt 26:53-56 5 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" 55 At that time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. 56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." (NIV)
Conclusion
- Denial of the willingness of Yeshua to die, denial of the resurrection, denial of the sovereignty of God, these are major and fundamental doctrines for a Christian to deny. Hear Now! only three words to say to someone who claims to be a follower of Jesus yet blames his death on the Jewish people:
  1. Repent
  2. Repent
  3. Repent

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