Who Killed Jesus?
Pilate said to them, "Then what
shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let
him be crucified."
And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified."
So when Pilate
saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he
took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I
am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."
And all the
people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!”
(Matthew
27:22-25 RSV)
“Who killed Jesus?” The answer to this question has been at the center of theological debate among professing Christians for centuries, as well as at the center of controversy in the relationship between Christians and Jews. The answer to this question has fueled the flames of religious persecution, both with Christians against Jews and with Jews against Christians.
The effort of this Bible study is to deal with the Scripture facts. I am a Christian minister of the Apostolic Faith and Doctrine, so I believe that the Scriptures present fact. My dear reader, depending upon your religious persuasion or the lack thereof, you may be offended by what you read in these pages. You may get angry as you examine this content.
You may cry ‘foul’ to the Anti-Defamation League and demand that Bible studies like this be censored. One day, you might win that argument. For now, I have the ‘freedom’ of speech to print whatever I wish, for however long the Lord allows that to last. I will use this ‘freedom’ to print Bible Truth, regardless of who does not like it. I stand with the Scripture alone.
I believe that the answer to this nearly two thousand year old question is very simple when you observe the New Testament Sacred Writings. The Scriptures declare that unbelieving Jews are responsible for the execution of Jesus of Nazareth. Scripture documents that these unbelieving Jews got together in secret meetings, plotted the death of Jesus, and had him killed.
EVIDENCE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
There are several Scriptures in the New Testament which implicate the unbelieving Jews as being responsible for the death of Jesus their King. That is what will be shown here. What you will not find is ‘the Romans are responsible for the death of Jesus.’ What you will not find is ‘all sinners who have ever lived are responsible for the death of Jesus.’ What you will find, is that the unbelieving Jews killed Jesus. We will examine these texts and then you will see what the plain Bible truth is, line upon line and precept upon precept, as it is written in Isaiah 28:10. All Scripture is from the KJV.
Acts 2
22. Ye men of
Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye
yourselves also know:
23. Him, being
delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Acts 3
13. The God of
Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his
Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just,
and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15. And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Acts 4
10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Acts 5
30. The God of our
fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
Acts 7
51. Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart
and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52. Which of the
prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which
shewed before of the coming of the Just
One; of whom ye have been now the
betrayers and murderers:
Acts 10
39. And we are
witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
1 Thessalonians 2:14-16
14. For ye,
brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ
Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as
they have of the Jews:
15. Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please
not God, and are contrary to all men:
16. Forbidding us
to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway:
for the wrath is come upon them to the
uttermost.
So there you have it. Many Scripture witnesses testify to the Spiritual and historical fact that unbelieving Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus. What we have read is the Apostolic testimony. The Apostles’ Doctrine is clear on this controversial issue, unbelieving Israel is responsible for the death of Christ. ‘They’ crucified Him. ‘They’ also killed the prophets.
One often overlooked point of history is the fact that these unbelieving Jews, who killed Jesus, also persecuted and killed His followers. Paul was one of these terrorists (Acts 9). The New Testament is full of these testimonies.
WAS THE WHOLE
NATION GUILTY?
Acts 2:36 (KJV)
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that
same Jesus, whom ye have crucified,
both Lord and Christ.
According to the historical account in the book of Acts, there were present on the Day of Pentecost at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven (Acts 2:5). These were from many nations and spoke many languages. Peter tells ‘all’ the house of Israel that ‘they’ had crucified Christ. Clearly the implication is that the nation is responsible for His death.
After Peter spoke in Acts 2:36, many hearts were pricked. Israel had killed her King, who would bring them salvation according to Old Testament Prophecy (Zechariah 9:9/Matthew 21:5). The question now was how could they get His salvation, when they had killed Him? This is evident by the reply from the people in Acts 2:37, ‘Men and Brethren, what shall we do?’
Acts 2:38 (KJV)
Then Peter said unto them, ‘Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’
Peter went on to tell them that the ‘promise’ was to them and their children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God would call (Acts 2:39). What is this ‘promise?’ You will discover by reading the Scripture in Luke 24:49 and then Acts 1:4-5 that this ‘promise’ is the gift of the Holy Ghost. The ‘prophecy of the promise’ was fulfilled in Acts 2:4.
More light is seen when we look at the prophecies of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11-12. John revealed that the Christ would come to baptize Israel with the Holy Ghost and with fire (verse 11). Follow the point further in verse 12 to see that the wheat would be ‘gathered into his garner,’ but the chaff would be ‘burned up with unquenchable fire.’ The wheat would be baptized with the Holy Ghost, like in Acts 2:4.
The chaff will be baptized with fire, and that fire will be unquenchable. Christ came to judge Israel! He came to thoroughly purge His floor! The believers would be saved, and the unbelievers damned, as it is written in Mark 16:16.
IS THE UNBELIEVING
NATION STILL GUILTY?
We have observed in Acts 2 that the remission of sins was available to those in the nation of Israel who believed the Gospel, through water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. It was here that their heinous sin of crucifying Jesus Christ their King was removed. It was no longer held to their charge.
I have already presented many Scriptures which prove that unbelieving Jews were charged with the death of Jesus. Testimony from the Apostles was given, shown in Scripture after Scripture. So this is a well established fact.
The whole nation was guilty, but those who believed, were baptized, and received the promise became His Chosen, His Elect. They found the King’s salvation, and they became part of His Body by receiving His promise, by being baptized with the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:4, 1 Corinthians 12:13).
However, that unbelieving nation still exists today. Are these still guilty, being the descendants of them who killed the King of Israel? Let us look to the Scriptures for the answer. The answer here may shock you!
The reader must first understand that to shed innocent blood was a sin under the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 19:10). The Lord hates hands that shed innocent blood, just as much as He hates a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:17). The only way that Israel could put away the guilt of innocent blood was to do that which is right in the sight of the Lord (Deuteronomy 21:8-9).
So if Israel did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, the guilt of innocent blood remained. When the unbelieving Jews murdered Jesus, innocent blood was shed. The land was polluted. The only way to put this guilt away was to do that which was right in the sight of the Lord.
What was this ‘right’ thing to do? Well, Peter told them in Acts 2:38. The believers that received the Gospel and obeyed it had their sins removed. However, for those Israelites who still abided in unbelief and did not do this ‘right’ thing which is written in Acts 2:38, their sin remains.
It is written in the Ten Commandments that God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those that hate Him (Exodus 20:5). Only obedience to God could break this cycle (Ezekiel 18:19). Those unbelieving Jews who hate Jesus still bear this sin. The guilt for this innocent bloodshed can only be lifted by obedience to the Gospel of Grace.
God will show mercy to those that love Him, and keep His commandments (Exodus 20:6). Jesus said that ‘if you love me, keep my commandments’ (John 14:15). Ye which are Spiritual can see this parallel.
If unbelieving Jews turn from their hatred of our God to love, and obey His commandments instead of disobeying them, then they will receive mercy. The only way for their sins to be remitted is Acts 2:38.
Outside of Gospel Salvation, these unbelieving Jews have no hope. The unbelieving nation still bears the guilt of the death of their King, Jesus the Christ, even to the present day. They are damned because of unbelief, as it is written in Mark 16:16.
The hope of Israel is Jesus (Acts 28:20). They cannot offer up valid animal sacrifices according to the law, because their temple was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. What other sacrifice and hope can they have towards the remission of sins?
As you can clearly see, the ONLY HOPE for unbelieving Israel is Jesus and His Sacrifice, once and for all, for the remission of sins. My prayer for them is that they might turn from dead works to the righteousness of Faith in Jesus, and be saved (Romans 10:1-4).
ANSWERING THE
CHARGE OF ANTI-SEMITISM
The charge of anti-Semitism is often brought up against persons who express views similar to those expressed in this Bible Study. Ironically, some ‘Christians’ would call this Bible Study ‘anti-Semitic,’ when I have based all of my conclusions on the plain text of the New Testament!
Now don’t get me wrong, these conclusions have been used to try to justify all kinds of violence against Jewish people. That is wrong, and the people who called themselves ‘Christians’ and committed such atrocities, were not ‘Christians’ and any true sense of the word ‘Christian.’ The Apostles of Jesus, in their teaching and preaching, gave us these conclusions.
What do we do with these conclusions that unbelieving Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus? We do as Peter did, and preach Jesus Christ and His Salvation to them, so that some of them might believe and receive the New Covenant in Jesus’ Blood and be saved (Acts 2:36-39). We do as Paul did, and reason with them from the Scriptures, proving that Jesus is the very Christ (Acts 9:20, Acts 17:1-3, Acts 18:4-6, Acts 18:19, Acts 28:17-23).
We will do as Apollos, and show Jews that Jesus is Christ (Acts 18:24-28).
Notice that the reaction of Christians in the Scripture to the unbelieving Jews ‘being responsible for the death of Jesus,’ was to try hard to win them to Christ. They need Jesus’ Sacrifice for the remission of their sins, and we are to desire their Salvation (Romans 10:1). We are to witness to them and earnestly pray for their Salvation!
Our reaction to these conclusions should be the same as the Apostolic Church in the Book of Acts, to reason with them and persuade them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the very Christ of Bible prophecy. He is the King of Israel who brought Salvation (Zechariah 9:9) when He came to Jerusalem.
The reaction of Christians was not to persecute them, kill them with the sword, or throw them in gas chambers on concentration camps. So in the Scripture, we have a good example. I say again, the religious idiots who committed such atrocities against Jewish unbelievers, were not Christians!
We Christians are a people of peace. We are to follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Persecution against Jewish unbelievers is not condoned behavior for Christians by Jesus. Concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for our sakes (Romans 11:28), however, we are told to ‘love our enemies’ (Luke 6:27).
Proclaiming the truth about the responsibility for the death of Jesus does not make one anti-Semitic. Mel Gibson did a movie, recently released, which has sparked lots of controversy by reviving this ancient debate.
The Scriptures are clear that unbelieving Jews had Jesus crucified. This is a historical fact for those of us who believe that the New Testament Gospels record facts of history.
Gibson’s movie, ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ attempts to stick close to the New Testament Gospels’ testimony of Jesus’ execution. For this, his movie has been called anti-Semitic. Gibson’s film is thought by many in Jewish leadership to ‘portray Jews in a devious and unfavorable way.’
May I interject that there are bad people in all races and religions, and there is nothing wrong with portraying this if it is the Truth.
‘The Passion of the Christ’ is no more ‘anti-Jewish’ than ‘Alex Haley’s Roots’ is ‘anti-White.’ Those films are simply reporting historical events, and in this case, historical atrocities. The death of Jesus was an execution of an innocent man, and Slavery was the execution of an innocent people.
OTHER ARGUMENTS
Although we have seen what the Scriptures clearly set forth as the Truth, the question of ‘Who Killed Jesus?’ has many other answers from different perspectives. I will here deal with one of the most popular of these.
This school of thought believes that ‘all sinners ever born’ are responsible for the death of Jesus. Well this Minister, for one, is not responsible for the death of Jesus. I did not kill Jesus. It is often said that murder results from extreme hatred, and I have never hated Jesus in my entire life!
Jesus died for sinners, while we were yet sinners; He gave His life for the ungodly (Romans 5:6-8). Jesus saw mankind in a hopeless situation, and intervened on our behalf because God so loved the world (John 3:16). Greater love than this has no man, who gives His own life for His friends (John 13:34-35).
We are supposed to love our brothers and sisters in the Church this same way as Jesus loves us, being Christians (1 John 3:16).
However reader, if I choose to die for you, are you responsible for my death? Let’s say that you are about to get struck by an eighteen wheeler diesel truck. I see you in this hopeless situation, and I leap to push you out of the way. I get struck in your place and I die. Will the police charge you with my death? Will you have to stand trial for first degree murder?
Of course not, and in like manner, Jesus saw us in a hopeless situation as sinners. He chose to intervene. He died in our place. He gave us a chance to be spared from God’s wrath. However, all sinners cannot be charged with His death. All sinners will not have to stand trial for His murder.
So clearly the argument that ‘all sinners ever born’ are responsible for the death of Jesus has many logical fallacies. Jesus died for our sins, in our place, because He chose to lay down His life. ‘Sin’ did not kill Jesus, nor did ‘all sinners ever born’ kill Jesus, but He laid down His own life for us and He had the power to take it back again (John 10:17-18).
The Scripture is clear that unbelieving Jews killed Jesus, and the unbelieving nation still bears this guilt. The only way out of this guilt of innocent bloodshed is to love the Lord and do His commandments. The only hope for unbelieving Israel is the remission of sins as found in Acts 2:38. It’s not possible for animal blood to do what only Jesus’ Blood can (Hebrews 10:4)!
CONCLUSION
The conclusion of the matter is that unbelieving Jews are responsible for the death of Jesus. This is the Scripture Truth and the Apostolic testimony. I have provided many Scriptures which establish this as both a Spiritual and historical fact. No Scripture places the responsibility of the death of Jesus upon the Roman soldiers, sin, or all sinners ever born.
Now these above parties did have something to do with the death of Jesus. Jesus died as an offering for sin, on the behalf of all sinners ever born, and was nailed to a Roman cross by Roman soldiers.
However, in the Scriptures, the Apostles preach and teach that unbelieving Israel bears the responsibility of that innocent bloodshed. They sinned against the Law of Moses by delivering the innocent to die.
The Lord God hates the hands that shed innocent blood (Proverbs 6:17). According to the Apostle Peter, the unbelieving Jews had taken Jesus and by wicked hands, crucified and slain. Their hands had shed the innocent blood of Jesus!
The true answer to the question ‘Who Killed Jesus?’ is not considered a very ‘politically correct’ answer. It is a hated and despised answer. Many unbelieving Jews today will get the same attitude that their ancestors in religion got with the Apostle Peter when he told them this Truth.
Acts 5
27. And when they had brought them, they set
them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28.
Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name?
and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem
with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
This man Jesus’ blood is upon them and their children, as it is written in Matthew 27:25. It was this blood that Pilate washed his hands of, because Pilate knew that this was an innocent man. Wicked hands had shed innocent blood, and the only hope for these to have the King’s salvation was through obedience to the Word of God as preached by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:38.
In his movie, ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ Mel Gibson removed the translated line which contained the Scripture Matthew 27:25 because of political pressure applied to him by some Jewish ‘powers that be’ in several of their organizations and media affiliations. Some Christian scholars even began to speculate that Matthew 27:25 may have been added to the New Testament Writings by an ‘anti-Jewish’ monk or scribe! How convenient!
It is amazing the lengths that some people will go to keep the Truth from being told. Nevertheless, Mel Gibson deserves our prayers and encouragement for even daring to put this film out. Although I did lose some respect for him because of the ‘deleted line’ containing the Scripture Matthew 27:25, I do appreciate him doing the movie and standing the criticism. If you listen carefully to the movie you will hear the high priest of the Jews actually say the line although it was deleted from the translation in the final cut of the movie. We have heard that antichrist shall come, but we must realize that many antichrists are already at work in this world, according to 1 John 2:18.
1 John 2
20. But ye have an unction from the Holy
One, and ye know all things.
21. I have not written unto you because ye
know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
22.
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist,
that denieth the Father and the Son.
23. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath
not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.