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Who Killed Jesus?
Jewish Involvement
Simply reading the scriptures reveals that here 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 involvement.
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 fact that Jewish leaders and the Jewish mob of Jerusalem are largely involved in the death of Jesus is NOT a justification for anti-Semitism or any sort of racism: it is merely historical fact.
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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) [note: NIV is a modern version of the Bible.]
* 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)
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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 crowd was amazed at his teaching. (NIV)
* Matthew 26:3-4 (from the King James version)
3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. 4 They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him.
[The King James versions are included here for those who might question the translation of the NIV.]
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MOTIVATIONS
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.
John 11:47-53
47 The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs. 48 If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
49 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” 51 Now he didn’t say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day forward they took counsel that they might put him to death.
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* The Sanhedrin had a working relationship with Rome even though it was an oppressive power.
ENVY
Matt 27:18 For he [Pilate[ knew it was out of envy that they [the Sanhedrin] had handed Jesus over to him.
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)
Mark 11:18
The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
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PLOTTING
* 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.
3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. 4 They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people.”
The people knew there was a plot to kill Yeshua. (Keep in mind that there were two distinct groups of “people”: the small group who listened to Jesus and were becoming converted to his teachings and the mob that surround the Temple and was under complete sway of the powerful elders of the Jewish leadership.)
&Mac183; 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)
25 Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this he whom they seek to kill?
* 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.
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.
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* What about Matt 27:25: All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"
Matthew 27:21-26
21 But the governor answered them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
They said, “Barabbas!”
22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called Christ?”
They all said to him, “Let him be crucified!”
23 But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?”
But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
24 So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”
25 All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”
26 Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.
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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.
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 (This would include, of course, the ancestors of the Palestinians, who were the people the Jews “conquered” in order to occupy portions of the land of Judea. It was not called Israel until much later.)
In modern times the definition of who is a Jew is more flexible, in some cases for reasons of religious schisms (there are major faith differences in the various sects of Judaism) but primarily for political reasons.
For example, if you want to be buried in a Jewish cemetery in Israel, the definition of who is a Jew is quite strict: either your mother must be certifiably Jewish (father doesn’t count) or you must have been converted by an Orthodox rabbi (Reform or Conservative doesn’t count – this includes most of the Jewish people in America).
However, if the question is the right to emigrate to Israel and the right to be a settler on the West Bank, the definition is quite different: You only have to show that ONE of your grandparents (male or female) was Jewish. They take your word for it.
In other words, if you are only 1/4 Jewish on either the male or female side, you can automatically emigrate to Israel, move to the West Bank on what was “formerly” Palestinian land, and enjoy tax rebates and rent subsidies from the Israeli government which are designed to encourage the growth of the Jewish population in historical Palestine.
Roman Involvement
Those who want us to accept the politically correct "spin" that it was the Romans and not the Jews who wanted Crist dead simply want us to ignore the fact that Pilate (who represented the Roman government in Judea) wanted no part of this. He was extremely reluctant to participate at all, but on the other hand, one of his main jobs was to keep the peace by cooperating with the local Jewish authorities, so finally gave in to their demands that he put Jesus to death. Why now blame the Romans exclusively even though nothing in the scriptures supports it?
Easy: they are not around to defend themselves.
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 – the Jewish ruler.)
* 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 man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."
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* Further indictments against Pilate:
* 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 two systems of jurisprudence: 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 (according to Judaism) 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.
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SPRITUAL CONSIDERATIONS
* Jesus predicted His death (and resurrection)
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* Mark 10:33-34 33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," Jesus 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."
Jesus states quite plainly that he will be betrayed and condemed by the Jewish establishment who will then use Roman power to have him executed. If we can't take Christ's word for it, then who do we believe?
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CONCLUSION
The consequence of blaming the Jewish people
Merely because the Jewish involvement in the killing of Jesus has been used in the past as a justification for anti-Semitism does not make it untrue.
Those Christians and Catholics who now deny Jewish culpability for the death of Christ are only being POLITICALLY CORRECT: they feel that by denying the truth they are defending themselves from even the slightest hint of being anti-Semitic, which, since WWII, the ADL and B’nai Brith have succeeded in making the greatest sin any man can commit.
The historical fact that the elders of the Temple eliminated Jesus as a threat to their power and religious authority (as they had done with several previous teachers) does NOT justify anti-Semitism: it is merely an historical fact.
Understanding these historical facts does NOT make you an anti-Semite.
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