Mark E. Larson

Who Was Responsible for the Death of Jesus? Lesson Four: The Jews and Us.

Introduction: Who was responsible for the death of Jesus? Many persons in history played a pivotal role and each of these examples teach us important lessons about ourselves and our connection to the cross of Christ. In this lesson, we will examine the role the Jewish people played in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. For centuries, many people have placed the responsibility for the death of Jesus solely on the Jews, blaming not just the individual Jews that were present that day in favor of Jesus' crucifixion, but all Jews everywhere as collectively responsible, and by extension the entire race of Jewish people and for generations to come. Jews have been labeled as “Christ-killers” and made objects of scorn and hatred and targets of cruelty and violence. Yet, this is not the lesson that the Scriptures teach us concerning the role of the Jews! Such an interpretation is not only unfair and prejudiced, it condemns the souls of those who believe in it. For any person to be saved in Christ, he/she must accept his/her own part in the responsibility of the cross of Christ.

I. Jews Were Indeed Responsible for the Death of Jesus. A. Repeatedly, the Jews called for Jesus' crucifixion. i. The leaders of the Jews (the chief priests and elders) convinced this crowd of Jews to destroy Jesus (Mat. 27:20-23). a) These Jews had a choice. They did not have to listen to them. They could have decided to free Jesus, but they chose not to! (Mat. 15:14). ii. Pilate gave them several opportunities to make the right choice according to truth and justice, (Mat. 27:24-26; cf. Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:39-40) yet these Jews continued to insist: “Crucify Him!” B. These Jews claimed full responsibility for Jesus' death (Mat. 27:25). i. “His blood be on us and our children" – They were accepting not only responsibility for Jesus' death, but the penalty if Jesus was in fact innocent. a) The Law of Moses demanded that false witnesses be given the same punishment that the accused would have received (Deut. 19:16-20). b) Jesus previously warned that their generation would suffer punishment for shedding the blood of the righteous (Mat. 23:34-36; Lk 11:47-51). c) Many Jews of that generation would in fact suffer the same kind of punishment for having put to death the Son of God, an innocent man. The Jewish historian Josephus of the first century, wrote of the Jewish-Roman Wars, a series of Jewish rebellions against the Roman Empire. Josephus recorded in graphic detail how Jews were captured by the Romans to be scourged and crucified before the city wall in Jerusalem, as many as five hundred a day. "The soldiers, out of the rage and hatred they bore the prisoners, nailed those they caught, in different postures, to the crosses for the sport of it, and their number was so great that there was not enough room for the crosses and not enough crosses for the bodies." - Titus Flavius Josephus ii. “His blood be on us and our children" – They were even so bold as to place this responsibility upon their children!

1 Mark E. Larson

“... Among the Athenians, if anyone accused another of a capital crime, he devoted himself and children to the same punishment if the accused was afterward found innocent. So in all countries the conduct of the parent involves the children in the consequences of his conduct. The Jews had no RIGHT to call down this vengeance on their children, but, in the righteous judgment of God, it has come upon them. In less than forty years their city and temple were overthrown and destroyed. More than a million of people perished in the siege. Thousands died by famine; thousands by disease; thousands by the sword; and their blood ran down the streets like water, so that, Josephus says, it extinguished things that were burning in the city. Thousands were CRUCIFIED suffering the same punishment that they had inflicted on the Messiah.” - Albert Barnes a) Their children did suffer because of the wickedness of their parents, but not because the children themselves were guilty of their sin. b) The innocent are unfortunately not exempt from the suffering or consequences of the punishment of a nation (Prov. 14:34). C. Afterwards, the Jews were charged with the death of Jesus by His apostles. i. “This Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). a) Jesus' murder on the cross came to represent, in part, the persecution and opposition the Jews had to the gospel of Christ (1 Thes. 2:14-16). ii. The Jewish people and their rulers were held accountable for His death, even though they did it in ignorance (Acts 3:14-18; 1 Cor. 2:7-8). a) Jesus desired their forgiveness while being crucified! (Lk 23:33-34). b) Jesus not only desired the forgiveness of those who shouted “Crucify Him” but future persecutors who acted in ignorance (1 Tim. 1:12-15). c) Stephen called the Jewish council murders of Christ. As they stoned him he said: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:51-60). II. Yet Many Others also Share in the Responsibility for the Death of Jesus. A. Both Jews and Gentiles were responsible for Jesus' crucifixion that day. i. The apostles included the Gentiles as active participants (Acts 2:22-23). ii. Both Jews and Gentiles took part as prophesied (Acts 4:25-28; Psalms 2). B. Ultimately, we are ALL responsible for the death of Jesus. i. His death for OUR sins was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 53). a) Every person has committed sin (disobeyed God's law) (Rom. 3:23) and the wage of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). Jesus paid for OUR wage! ii. The hymn “I'm the One” (See next page for lyrics) reminds us that we too bear responsibility. We weren't there the day Jesus was crucified, but it was also our sins (not just the Jews) that resulted in the death of Christ. iii. If you want to share in God's grace, you must first share in the guilt. Come see that you are also to blame for Jesus' death. Can you say: “I'm the one!” a) When you truly recognize your guilt and sin against God, you will then desire to obey the gospel. Forgiveness is found in Christ! (Ac 2:36-38). III. Shall We Crucify Jesus Again? (Heb. 6:4-6). A. Sadly, many people who receive God's grace at baptism into Christ later return to a life of sin, refusing to repent. This is like crucifying Jesus all over again! i. If you continue in sin without repentance, you will be lost (Heb. 10:26-31). B. Repent and seek God's forgiveness!

2