After all these centuries the same question is still asked. Who really killed Jesus? Who is to blame? Many believe that surely it was the traitor, Judas Iscariot. Judas began as an enthusiastic, but unconverted, follower of Jesus. It seems that he was nothing more than a political zealot who hated the Romans and when he finally realized that Jesus was not going to lead a political revolt against the hated Roman occupiers that he became the great betrayer motivated by his greed [John 12:6]. He was a dupe and willfully gave himself to be the instrument of Satan to effect the betrayal and capture of Jesus to the religious leaders. Was he guilty of Christ’s death? Absolutely!
But what about the religious and political leaders of that day? The religious officials were enraged by his attitude toward their interpretation of the Law and by his claim that He was the Son of God. The Romans thought he was proclaiming himself King of the Jews, and therein, challenging the authority of Caesar. Thus, in the Jewish religious court, he is charged with “blasphemy,” and in the Roman court the charges were “sedition and treason.”
Jesus was arrested, charged, questioned, witnesses called, a verdict was given and the sentence pronounced in both courts. But the Gospels make it clear that He was not guilty of the charges, the trials were a farce, the witnesses were liars, and the sentence a miscarriage of both Hebrew and Roman justice. Surely the religious and political leaders were also guilty.
But there are others too. Those who did the physical act were the Roman soldiers. It is true that they mocked him, ridiculed him, spat on him, slapped his face, gambled for his garments and beat the crown of thorns into his head, and then without mercy, crucified him.
And what about Pilate? He had the power to release him and he was convinced of Jesus’ innocence and said so twice. But Pilate didn’t want to get in trouble with Caesar. He tried to pass the buck and sent him to Herod and later offered to compromise with the Jewish leaders by having Jesus scourged. But when cornered, he agrees to his death and hypocritically professes his innocence by “washing his hands” of the whole matter.
Yes, all the above were responsible for Christ’s death. But we dare not forget there was another who caused this. We must remember that, it was God Himself who ultimately allowed His son to be killed. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” [Rom. 8:32, cf. John 3:16; 10: 15-18]. It was God’s love for us sinners and His own righteousness and justice that required so dreadful and costly a sacrifice. God was responsible for the death of Jesus Christ.
But there is a remaining guilty killer that above all others, we dare not exonerate. And who might that be? All we need do is look in our mirrors to discover the guilty party. Like Pilate, we may try to wash our hands of the matter but it will not work. It was our sin that put Christ there. Before we can see the Cross of Christ as something done FOR US, we must see his crucifixion as something done BY US!! The 19th century Scottish preacher and songwriter, Horatius Bonar wrote these indicting words:
‘Twas I that shed the sacred blood; I nailed him to the tree;
I crucified the Christ of God; I joined the mockery.
Of all that shouting multitude, I feel that I am one;
And in that din of voices rude, I recognize my own.
Around the cross the throng I see, mocking the Sufferer’s groan;
Yet still my voice it seems to be, as if I mocked alone.
WEN