No trial or execution in history has had such crucial outcome as that of the trial of Jesus. For instance, when Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ, was released in 2004, it was feared that it would instigate world-wide antisemitism, because the film suggested that the Jews killed Jesus.
The impact of the film was also felt among Muslims. The film was banned in Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. They believed in the Koranic teaching that Jesus did not die, as portrayed in the New Testament.
Although almost 2,000 years have gone, the death of Jesus continues to arouse attention. This ongoing interest is what prompted the BBC to update an archived article entitled, Who Killed Jesus? The article suggested that three sources shared responsibility for the death of Jesus.
The first source was Jewish. The Jews arrested Jesus as a Jew. They saw him as a threat to the religious establishment. Jesus assumed messianic authority when he raided the Temple, the heart of Jewish religion, and attacked moneychangers for defiling a holy place.
The Temple apparatus brought in huge revenues for simple matters like purification and the forgiveness of sins. Archaeologists have discovered about 150 ritual baths, which Jews used to purify themselves before any act of worship. Jewish people could only enter the Temple if they were ritually pure, and almost everyone arriving in Jerusalem for Passover was deemed ritually unclean. They had to use a ritual bath before they could fulfil their religious obligations. The priests controlled these baths and charged people to use them. There were so many regulations requiring ritual purification that control of the baths became a way of making money.
Jesus stormed into the Temple and accused the moneychangers and sacrificial dove sellers of extortion and of turning the Temple into a den of thieves. This is how John described Jesus’ reaction: “So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the Temple area, both sheep and cattle; He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, ‘Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market’” (John 2:15-16).
To assume that authority was to assume divinity. In many other situations Jesus assumed divinity, and that was tantamount to blasphemy – assuming to be God. Such a charge was punishable by death. However, as a colony of the Roman Empire, the Jews had no authority to invoke capital punishment. In addition, the Romans were not interested in conducting a religious trial.
Because the Jews were so determined to have Jesus killed, they referred the matter to the Romans, accusing him instead of treason. They contended, Jesus claimed to be a king. In essence, he is guilty of insurrection and would eventually become a threat to the Romans. Caiaphas and Pilate, both Roman representatives, conducted sham trials and did not find any reason to sentence Jesus.
They both tried to release themselves from the trial. Pilate offered the murderer Barabbas as an alternative, worthy of death. The Jews objected and publicly expressed their dissatisfaction. In order to avoid public revolt, Pilate capitulated. So, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, at the insistence of the Jews.
The BBC article to which I referred earlier, contended that if the Jews nor the Romans could be held responsible, then Jesus may have been responsible for his own death. Jesus, it was felt, conducted himself in a way to warrant his trial, which resulted in his death.
I would agree that Jesus could have extricated himself from capital punishment. On previous occasions he miraculously walked away from death traps. In addition, he rebuked Peter when he attempted to defend him in the Garden of Gethsemane. He informed Peter that he could have called some 10,000 angels to his defense. Then, why didn’t Jesus utilize the resources available to him to avoid crucifixion?
The New Testament strongly advances the view that the death of Jesus was no accident. In announcing his birth, the Angel said to Joseph, “Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The name Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.
At Jesus’ dedication, Simeon the priest mentioned to Mary his mother, “… and a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35). In addition, at the launch of Jesus’ ministry, John the Baptist introduced him as “the Lamb of God”. In brief, Jesus predicted his death. He knew a tragic death was expected of the Messiah.
Following his resurrection, Jesus said to his disciples, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day…” (Luke 24:46). Jesus was referring to Scriptures from the Hebrew Bible, written some 700 years earlier.
The proper question should not be, who killed Jesus? Rather, the question should really be, why did Jesus die? Among others, Paul answers that question in one of his letters: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3).
And, that is the story of Easter – Jesus Christ died for our sins.
