Who Was to Blame for The Death of Christ?

By Steve A. Hamilton

                 The movie, “The Passion of the Christ” by Mel Gibson, has stirred up much debate in the news media.  The movie depicts Gibson’s vision of the last 12 hours of Christ’s life including much of the brutality Christ endured before His death.  Critics of the movie were not as concerned with the accuracy of the scenes as they were with the conceived notion that it was anti-Semitic.  After all, the movie betrayed Jesus Christ as being crucified by the Jews.  As the news media exploited this notion, a question arose; who was to blame for the death of Jesus Christ?

The answer to that question is readily available to all who are willing to read their Bibles.  Yet, to simply state that the Jews were responsible for Christ’s death would not adequately cover the issue.  The apostle Paul once wrote “that Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3).  Because of sin, humankind needed a savior (Romans 5:6-11).  Our Savior willingly offered Himself upon the cross to pay the debt of our sins (Heb. 7:27; 9:26).

Of course, someone had to put our Savior upon the cross.  Historically speaking, the Jews were not allowed to crucify anyone under Roman rule.  So we find a mob of Jews turning to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to execute a judgment against Jesus in favor of crucifixion (Matthew 27:22-26).  The Jews were implicit in this crime.  The mob of Jews even stated, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25).   

Does that mean the Jews were guilty of killing Christ even if they were not present at the crucifixion?  The apostle Peter talked to a crowd of Jews months after the crucifixion.  He told them, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36).  Peter was not talking to the crowd that was present at the crucifixion.  To the contrary, Peter was talking to a crowd of 17 different nationalities, though all Jewish (Acts 2:9-11).  Peter was implying that the Jews bore the guilt of killing the Messiah.  

Peter also laid the blame for Christ’s death at the feet of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish high council composed of the chief priests and other religious rulers).  He told the Sanhedrin, “let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole” (Acts 4:10).  On another occasion before this same council Peter declared, “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree” (Acts 5:30).

The apostle Paul came to the same conclusion.  In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians he wrote, “For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost” (1 Thess. 2:14-16).

Even two of Jesus’ disciples, while traveling on the road to Emmaus, told Jesus who was unbeknown to them, “the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him [Christ] to be condemned to death, and crucified Him” (Luke 24:20).

Though it is clear that the Jews bore the guilt of crucifying the Messiah, we need to remember that Christ’s death would not have been necessary if we had not sinned (Rom. 3:23). We all bear the guilt of Christ’s death for that reason.  In fact, the scriptures teach that we can continue to crucify Christ by our sinful conduct.  “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Heb. 6:4-6).

Peter acknowledged that the Jews crucified Jesus in ignorance (Acts 3:17).  Many of us have sinned in ignorance as well.  But when we are enlightened by the knowledge of the scriptures and we choose to continue in sin, we might as well have been the person driving the nails into Jesus’ hands.  “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries… Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:26-27, 29).

We must understand whether we are Jew or Gentile, our sins put Christ upon the cross.  If we must seek blame for His crucifixion, we must blame ourselves first and foremost.    

Last modified: 05/02/08