Posted on 03/11/2018 11:47:12 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Much of the scholarly discussion about the circumstances of Jesus’ death relates to the question of who was responsible for his arrest and crucifixion.
Who was responsible? The Jews or the Romans?
Historically, the primary responsibility has been placed on the Jewish leadership and the Jews in Jerusalem. Throughout the centuries, this has sometimes had tragic consequences, resulting in anti-Semitism and violence against Jews.
More recent trends in scholarship have shifted the blame to the Romans.
The tendency to blame the Jews, it is said, arose in the decades after the crucifixion with the church’s growing conflict with the synagogue and its desire to convince Rome that Christianity was no threat to the empire.
Most contemporary scholars recognize that there is not an either-or solution to this question, but that both Jewish and Roman authorities must have played some role in Jesus’ death.
First, Jesus was crucified—a Roman rather than a Jewish means of execution. (Stoning was the more common Jewish method.) There is good evidence that at this time the Jewish Sanhedrin did not have authority to carry out capital punishment (John 18:31; y. Sanh. 1:1; 7:2). The Roman governor Pontius Pilate no doubt gave the orders for Jesus’ crucifixion, and Roman soldiers carried it out.
At the same time, all that we know about Jesus’ teachings and actions suggest that he was more apt to offend and provoke the Jewish religious leaders than the Roman authorities. It is unlikely that the Romans would have initiated action against him without prompting from the Jewish authorities.
So was Jesus crucified for political reasons or religious reasons?
Raising the question this way actually misrepresents first-century Judaism, in which religion and politics were inseparable. Jesus’ death was no doubt motivated by the perceived threat felt by the religio-political powers of his day.
Let’s take a look at the motivations, tendencies, and actions of these authorities.
The motivations of Pilate and the Romans
The evidence points to the conclusion that Jesus was executed by the Romans for sedition—rebellion against the government.
While this evidence confirms the charge against Jesus, it raises the mystifying question of why Jesus was crucified, since he had almost nothing in common with other rebels and insurrectionists of his day. He advocated love for enemies and commanded his followers to respond to persecution with acts of kindness (Matt. 5:38–48; Luke 6:27–36). He affirmed the legitimacy of paying taxes to Caesar (Mark 12:14, 17; Matt. 22:17, 21; Luke 20:22, 25). At his arrest, he ordered his disciples not to fight but to put away their swords (Matt. 26:52; Luke 22:49–51). His few enigmatic sayings about taking up the sword probably carry spiritual rather than military significance (Matt. 10:34; Luke 22:36, 38).
Jesus’ kingdom preaching would hardly be viewed by Pilate as instigating a military coup.
Furthermore, the fact that Jesus’ followers were not rounded up and executed after his death, and were even allowed to form a faith community in Jerusalem, confirms that Jesus was not viewed as inciting a violent insurrection. The early church was surely following the teaching of its master when it advocated a life of love, unity, and self sacrifice (Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–35).
Learn more in the online course:
Cultural Context of Jesus’ Life and Ministry
Why did Pilate have Jesus crucified?
While it is unlikely that Pilate viewed Jesus as a significant threat, he also had little interest in justice or compassion.
We know from other sources that Pilate’s governorship was characterized by a general disdain toward his Jewish subjects and brutal suppression of opposition. At the same time, his support from Rome was shaky at best, and he feared antagonizing the Jewish leadership lest they complain to the emperor. Pilate had originally been appointed governor of Judea in AD 26 by Sejanus, an advisor to Emperor Tiberius. When Sejanus was caught conspiring against Tiberius and was executed in AD 31, Pilate too came under suspicion. Pilate’s tenuous position is well illustrated by the Jewish philosopher Philo, who writes about an incident when the Jews protested against Pilate’s actions in placing golden shields in Herod’s palace in Jerusalem:
He feared that if they actually sent an embassy [to Rome] they would also expose the rest of his conduct as governor by stating in full the briberies, the insults, the robberies, the outrages and wanton injustices, the executions without trial constantly repeated, the ceaseless and supremely grievous cruelty. So with all his vindictiveness and furious temper, he was in a difficult position.*
While Philo may be exaggerating Pilate’s faults, the picture here is remarkably similar to that of the Gospels—an unscrupulous and self-seeking leader who loathed the Jewish leadership but feared antagonizing them.
When the Jewish leaders warn Pilate, “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar” (John 19:12), he would surely have felt both anger and fear.
Most likely, Pilate ordered Jesus’ execution for three reasons:
Jewish opposition to Jesus
During Jesus’ Galilean ministry, he faced opposition primarily from the Pharisees and their scribes.
In his last week in Jerusalem, the opposition came especially from the priestly leadership under the authority of the high priest and the Sanhedrin, which was dominated by the Sadducees.
Torah (the law) and temple were the two great institutions of Judaism. Jesus apparently challenged the authority and continuing validity of both, posing a significant threat to Israel’s leadership.
Why the Pharisees opposed Jesus
The opposition Jesus faced from the Pharisees and scribes centered especially on his teaching and actions relating to the law and the Sabbath. He claimed authority over the law, treated the Sabbath command as secondary to human needs, and accused the Pharisees of elevating their oral law—mere human traditions—over the commands of God. He also accused them of pride, hypocrisy, and greed, warning the people to do as they say but not as they do (Matt. 23:3). These actions certainly did not win him friends among the religious leaders.
Jesus’ proclamation of the kingdom of God and his calling of twelve disciples would have also provoked anger among the Pharisees, who considered themselves the rightful guardians of Israel’s traditions.
Jesus’ call for them to repent, his warning of coming judgment, and his actions in creating a new community of faith all sent the message that Israel needed restoration and that her leaders were illegitimate and corrupt. In the boiling cauldron of religion and politics that was first-century Palestine, Jesus’ words would have provoked strong opposition.
Why the Sadducees opposed Jesus
While Jesus certainly made enemies before his final journey to Jerusalem, it was the events of the final week which resulted in his crucifixion.
In fact, Jesus’ clearing of the temple is widely recognized as the key episode which provoked the Jewish authorities to act against him. His attacks were aimed at the Sadducees, who represented the religious leadership of Jerusalem.
Here’s what happened: in Mark’s account of Jesus’ Jewish trial, “false witnesses” are brought forward who testify, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’ ” The high priest then questions him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” to which Jesus’ replies, “I am . . . and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The high priest responds with rage and accuses Jesus of blasphemy. The whole assembly calls for his death (Mark 14:58–65; cf. Matt. 26:55–68; Luke 22:66–71).
Questioning the historicity of Jesus’ trial
Some have questioned the historicity of this scene, claiming it violates Jewish trial procedures. For example, the Mishnah states that it is illegal for the Sanhedrin to meet at night, on the eve of Passover, or in the high priest’s home.
A second hearing would also have been necessary for a death sentence, and a charge of blasphemy could be sustained only if Jesus had uttered the divine name of God (m. Sanh. 4:1; 5:5; 7:5; 11:2).
This argument is not decisive for four reasons:
On closer inspection, Mark’s trial account makes good sense when viewed in the context of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus’ temple action would naturally have prompted the high priest to ask if he was making a messianic claim.
Jesus’ response combines two key Old Testament passages, Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13. The first indicates that Jesus will be vindicated by God and exalted to a position at his right hand. The latter suggests Jesus will receive sovereign authority to judge the enemies of God.
By combining these verses, Jesus asserts that the Sanhedrin is acting against the Lord’s anointed, that they will face judgment for this, and that Jesus himself will be their judge!
Such an outrageous claim was blasphemous to the body, which viewed itself as God’s appointed leadership, the guardians of his holy temple. Jesus was challenging not only their actions but also their authority and legitimacy. Such a challenge demanded a response.
Learn more in the online course:
Cultural Context of Jesus’ Life and Ministry
What a rebellion would mean
There were also political and social consequences to consider. Jesus’ actions in the temple—probably viewed by the Sanhedrin as an act of sacrilege—together with his popularity among the people, made it imperative to act against him quickly and decisively.
A disturbance of the peace might bring Roman retribution and disaster to the nation and its leaders. The earlier words of the Pharisees and chief priests in John are plausible in this scenario: “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” (John 11:48).
The Sanhedrin therefore turned Jesus over to Pilate, modifying their religious charges to political ones—sedition and claiming to be a king in opposition to Caesar—and gaining from Pilate a capital sentence.
Well; if you throw out the SPIRITUAL...
The PLAN was in place before the world began!
Ephesians 1:4
2 Timothy 1:9
1 Corinthians 2:7
Caiaphas?
#metoo!
Makes me want to find out what has been left out of the 'question'
https://www.google.com/search?q=excluded+middle+fallacy&ie=&oe=
Well; if three days after they had buried Him in the prison cemetery...
We know that agitators are placed in crowds to direct the shouts the way they 'should' go...
But; lest we forget; there were a LOT of others; too; who appeared to 'crucify him' shouters as well:
Matthew 27:52-53
... and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.
I am not being facetious when I say “Jesus Christ Superstar” got it right.
In JCS they mashed up and summarized Scripture and the story line ended being an insistence of the Jewish leadership to kill Jesus and an ambivalent but accommodating Rome performing the execution.
The area was not called Palestine until after AD 73 when the Romans renamed it. It is Judea.
Neither. Both were acting under Divine intervention from God the Father.
How could our sins be washed away in His blood, if there was no blood spilled? Jesus was destined to life, death, and resurrection all along, beginning with the immaculate conception.
Where would we all be if Jesus wasn't crucified? John 3:16.
We all did.
And no one could do it forcefully except He chose to die - Thank God (for His Sacrifice)
17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
_____________________________________________________________
This is the true answer.
While Mr. Ferris points out many truths about the time of the crucifixion he misses the point.
Jesus was hated by the rulers of Israel, that is the rulers of the Temple, the leaders of Judaism. The Temple brought in huge sums of money from all over the world from visitors to offer sacrifice there. Jesus threatened this source of income to Jewish leadership. These men were not truly religious, they didn’t so much worship God as they did the money that the Temple brought in. They want to maintain the status quo.
Jesus on the other hand had a job to do, He was the sacrificial lamb to save the world. There was no way to do that other than to die. Not only must He die but He must die at the hand of those He would save. Because Jesus committed no Roman crime Pilate decided to wash his hands of the sentence after finding no fault in Him. Pilate instead of sentencing Him left His fate to the crowd. When the crowd shouted “Crucify Him” Pilate simply let it happen.
Typically it takes days for a person to die on a cross. Because the next day was a sabbath day and Jewish law said no capital punishment could be carried out on a Sabbath, the Jews explained this to the Romans and the Romans proceeded to expedite the death of the men on their crosses by breaking their legs which kept them from being able to stand, if they couldn’t stand they couldn’t breath, they suffocated quickly after that. Jesus though was already dead. Instead of breaking His legs they pierced him with a sword to make sure. That was a lot easier than clubbing the legs until they broke.
All this to say that while it is true that the Jews Caused Jesus to be executed by the Romans, that Jesus did indeed die on the cross, He was not killed. He was the master of His soul, He was the master of His body. He paid the price. He suffered in the Garden when His Father abandoned Him and felt the weight of our sins. He carried the pain of scourging in part of our punishment and finally suffered the pain of the cross as punishment for our sins. He however was not killed, He simply gave up the ghost. He had His spirit leave His body.
He did this so that when we stand before God as sinners, we all are, He will be able to tell His father not to punish us because we are His, He already paid the price for our sin. He was sinless yet paid the price. He did that for us. No other way could our sins be hidden. Either we pay for them or someone who did not deserve the punish would pay for them. There has only ever been one person who qualified to pay for them.
It is like taking a loan and not paying for the loan. In the old days our possessions would be taken and we would be thrown into debtors prison until we paid all. Since we don’t have the ability to pay we rot in prison. In this case our Friend does have the ability to pay and does so. Everybody is happy. The debt is paid, we get out of prison but now we owe The Savior, we belong to Him. He paid for us. We that are His want to be His so it works out well.
Nobody killed Jesus Christ, He simply did what He agreed to do from before the world was. He died for us. He paid our debt. Dying was only part of the punishment, all that led up to the crucifixion was part of it.
We have a tendency to sugar coat all this, it can’t be sugar coated.
We all did.
Quote[They all thought they were doing the right thing. The only one who knew this was wrong, and did it anyway was the evil that sought to destroy the work that was being done. The Darkness failed on that day.
In my opinion, we mitigate that failure when we forget these things.]
Samarai, He is Sovereign and even allowed Satan to affect the death of the Lamb.
Our Lamb even chose of one His 12 disciples that He knew would ‘be a devil’.
And Satan has been working, even within the church, since then..and that too is part of His Sovereign plan..His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.
Because some day, Satan will have an appointment on the gallows he made, just like haman..Satan’s head will have a tent peg driven through it by a woman like Sisera’s head what Satan has sowed, Satan will reap and his end will be the end of Satan’s greatest power- power over death,to kill man even the Son of Man.
And the victory Our Lamb had over death is our greatest hope!
Satan failed on Passover 2,000 years ago and caused his ultimate end.
The Lamb’s death reversed the curse and the destroyer, Satan,who has been allowed to kill, even the first born, for 6000 years, will be replaced with the restorer. Where life is eternal.
His Word has accounts of people who have ‘represented satan’ prophetically, in their lives and actions, and they didn’t know it!
Vessels for ‘dishonorable’ use are still His vessels.
He is Sovereign!
Yashua was prophesied to die for our sins. He laid down his life voluntarily and paid our debt to God. Nobody, Jew or Roman took it; and stupid people down through the centuries blamed Jews for His death.
Cross ping
No, you are implying that they had no choice. Knowing it was going to happen and intervening are two different things.
Years ago, I worked in the old Italian section of the city for a Jewish guy. The Italians routinely called the Jews “Christ Killers”. I was around a lot of Jews from time to time and honestly never met a single one that was religious in any form.
It was necessary, and God knew what was happening, but he doesn’t intervene, free will is essential.
Bkmk
Mathew 26:53
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