Jim May | living at His place

WHO KILLED JESUS CHRIST?

Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, has raised the question again: “Who killed Jesus?” Fears of anti-Semitic hatred have surfaced in the media and among some in the Jewish community, in particular the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The ADL expressed concerns that the movie would portray Jews as blood thirsty, sadistic Jesus killers, a charge that has come from uninformed Christian sources in the past. Long before the movie was released writer Christopher Nixon raised questions about Gibson’s “Holocaust denier” father in a New York Times article.

But Michael Medved film critic, nationally syndicated radio host and longtime president of a Jewish Orthodox congregation, “Felt heartsick over denunciations of an unfinished movie.” Later after seeing The Passion, Medved was, “overwhelmed by its lyrical sweep and devastating immediacy.” He said critics must blame Matthew, Mark, Luke and John for its portrayal of Christ’s death, because it is an accurate account of history. “The film seemed to me obviously free of anti-Semitic intent. . .”

With all the controversy, it is well to go back to the original documents of the Gospel’s to answer the question: “Who killed Jesus Christ?”

The love of our Father in heaven sent Jesus to the cross. “God so loved the world that he gave His only son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16] Our Father wanted his family back. He had a Son in whom he had unspeakable delight and he wanted many more sons and daughters like his first-born. But as he looked out over the world, he saw his children were lost. They could not find their way back to their Father’s heart. Sin had blinded them. The world had misled them. The devil had deceived them. They needed a Savior to take on the death penalty for sin and to lead them back to the Father’s waiting heart. So our Father sacrificed his Son to free his family from sin.

The willing heart of Jesus took him to the cross. “Yet, not what I want but what you want.” [Mark 14:36] No one knows the counsels between Father and his Son, but we do know Jesus voluntarily submitted to the cross for His Father’s sake. Jesus wanted to bring his Father’s family home, and he was willing to suffer death to make it happen.

Paul wrote these astonishing words about Jesus, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” [Phil. 2:5-8] This attitude of mind is hard to find anywhere in history. Leaders do not surrender their power except when conquered by a more dominant force. Jesus gave up his position freely out of love for his Father.

The betrayal of a friend sent Jesus to the cross. “So he went up to him and … kissed him.” [Mark 14:45] The story of Judas is the most famous betrayal in history. He was picked by Jesus to be a part of his inner circle of disciples. He was with Jesus constantly. None of the disciples knew who would betray Jesus so Judas’ loyalty was unquestioned. Jesus loved Judas to the end – washing his feet with the others. Yet, Judas’ greed caused him to betray his Savior.

Who has not felt the betrayal of a friend? David did. “Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.” [Psa. 41:9] Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers. They threw him in a well, sold him as a slave, and told his father he was dead. And so it is today. Teens are devastated when friends are disloyal. Businessmen have betrayed their partners for money. Young associates have usurped senior pastors. Sons have betrayed fathers like Absolem taking David’s throne. It is part of human nature. Jesus understands the betrayals we face, because he has endured the hurt himself.

Cowardly disciples sent Jesus to the cross. “All of them deserted Him and fled.” [Mark 14:50] Much has been made of Peter’s denial of Christ, but he was not alone. All of them ran when the heat was on. I would have run too, if I had been there. None of Jesus’ closest allies stood with him to defend him. Of course, Jesus would have gone on to the cross whether his disciples defended him or not. But he was utterly alone. There was not one to comfort him. As Psalm 69:20 reports, “I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.” His mother, Mary Magdalene and John seemed to have stayed close to him in death, but the rest ran in fear.

The injustice of human courts put Jesus on the cross. “Some stood up and gave false testimony.” [Mark 14:57] No less then twelve tenants of Jewish law were violated. False charges based on the twisting of his teaching were brought. He was not able to face and question his accusers. Due process was denied. He was convicted on false testimony.

Innocent men get caught in the world’s flawed justice systems. Oswald Chambers has counseled us “not to look for justice here on earth.” To achieve their selfish ends, men will make, use and twist laws. From blacks drinking out of a forbidden fountain to Jews being herded into death camps. From Russians sent to the Gulag to Argentinean dissidents disappearing into shallow graves. The laws of the state have been used for horrible atrocities. Jesus suffered from the same law-twisting. As Solomon observed in Proverbs 29:26, “Many seek the face of a ruler, but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.” Only the Lord knows the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

The jealousy of religious leaders drove Jesus to the cross. “It was out of jealousy that the chief priests handed him over.” [Mark 15:10] Religion has always persecuted those who are not in the fold. Religious zealots are always jealous of their territory and seek to protect it. Paul had this problem in Galatia. Speaking of jealous religious leaders he said, “Those heretical teachers go to great lengths to flatter you, but their motives are rotten. They want to shut you out of the free world of God’s grace so that you will always depend on them for approval and direction, making them feel important.” [Gal. 4:17 “The Message”] Later he said of them, “Just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh (i.e. under the law) persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.” [Gal. 4:29]

Jesus did not come to establish a new religion. He came to reconnect man with God in a loving relationship. Legalists have always sought to undermine the grace of God, because they can’t control grace. Jealousy is the fear of being replaced. Religious leaders have that fear. From Jewish legalism to Christian crusades and Catholic inquisitions, religion has persecuted the free. Jesus endured the same persecution that permeates every religion.

The herd instinct of the crowd sent Jesus to the cross. “But they shouted all the more, ‘crucify him.’” [Mark 15:14] Crowds can be manipulated into fury. The herd instinct is stronger than individual discipline. People can say and do things in a crowd that they would never do alone.

In 1967-68 I was working with Campus Crusade on the Berkeley campus in California during the student riots. Crowds of student listened to impassioned speeches and then were led down Telegraph Ave. in a “march for peace,” that was anything but peaceful.

Jesus was betrayed by the herd instinct. The leaders worked up the crowd into a sea of hate and anger. Alone those people probably would regret what they did in the crowd, but the damage was done. When crowds are aroused, politicians take notice and have to respond. So. . .

Man pleasing of politicians sent Jesus to the cross. “Pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd…handed him over.” [Mark 15:15] After hearing the case against Jesus Pilate said, “I find no guilt in this man.” [Luke 23:4] Yet, because of the crowd, Pilate sent Jesus on to Herod who treated him with contempt and mockery. Then, again because of the crowd, Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate who wanted to punish and release Jesus. But the crowd kept shouting, “Crucify him!” Pilate tried three times to release a man he declared innocent, but finally delivered him over to be killed. Pilate and Herod became friends as a result of their common problem and common “enemy.” The crowd swayed spineless politicians. So it is today. Polls, not principles many times determine policy. The tyranny of the majority helped kill Jesus.

The blind obedience of soldiers sent Jesus to the cross. “The soldiers led Him into the courtyard of the palace.” [Mark 15:16] Soldiers under the penalty of death for disobedience followed orders. Blind obedience was the defense used by Nazi war criminals during the Nuremberg trials to justify the Holocaust. But blind obedience was not accepted as a valid defense and many were convicted. It is said by Gibbon in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,that the Roman Legions were such great fighters because they were made to fear their leaders more than the enemy. Failure to obey could be punished by death. In the face of such a threat, the soldiers obeyed and did their duty to crucify Jesus.

The sins of each individual person sent Jesus to the cross. “Who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age.” [Galatians 1:4] We all sent Jesus to the cross by our rebellion against God and our lawlessness against his commandments. Not only did God forgive us, but he raised us up to a new position with him. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sins, made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in heavenly places.” [Eph. 2:4-6]

Forgiveness is a priceless gift. Margaret Mead, no friend of Christianity said that the one thing she envied about the Christian faith was its message of forgiveness. Jesus has forgiven us a huge debt. He asks us to pass that forgiveness on to others who have offended us. [Matt. 18:21-35]

The sins of the whole world sent Jesus to the cross. “And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” [I John 2:2] Jesus does not just forgive Christians. He forgives the sins of whole world. I will never forget reading these words in a Dallas airport. I looked around at the crowds of people and wanted to yell, “Ya’ll are forgiven. You just don’t know it!”

So you see, as Mel Gibson has been trying to say, we all put Jesus on the cross. Our sins were the cause of his agony. Those who were there in person at his crucifixion were representative of all people, all disciples, all crowds, all politicians, all religious zealots, and all soldiers. If we had been there in any of those groups, we would have done the same thing. We all were responsible. And the loving heart of God sent Jesus to the cross to rescue us from ourselves.