Who killed Jesus?
Posted on April 1, 2012 by Pastor Tom
Who killed Jesus?
Tom Anderst – Sturgeon Valley Baptist Church
It’s a simple question. Who killed this person? Investigators ask this question when someone finds a body with a bruise on the head in an alleyway. They gather evidence, interview witnesses and contact the deceased’s network to answer the question.
We have a lot of that information. Jesus died publicly. There are four historical eyewitness accounts of his death. Yet the answer to the question is more difficult than we first imagine.
The Romans played a part in Jesus’ death. They were the ones who oversaw Jesus execution. Roman soldiers flogged Jesus; forced a crown of thorns on his head, forced him to carry the heavy cross beam and then nailed him to the cross. A Roman soldier pierced his side with a spear. So the Roman execution squad played a part.
Pontius Pilate played a part. He ultimately gave Jesus over to be crucified. Even though he had plenty of reservations, he wanted to appease the mob. Jesus’ execution would not go ahead without the governor’s approval. Pilate played a part.
Some of the Jewish religious leadership played a part. Caiphas, the high priest of that time, held a majority in the council of the 70. He called an illegal trial at night, in which witnesses contradicted each other. But when Jesus affirmed that He was Christ, the Messiah, the majority of the council condemned him to death. Their next step was to get Pilate to do their dirty work. So some Jewish religious leaders played a part.
Judas played a part. He led the Jewish temple guards to the spot where Jesus prayed. Judas helped those guards in a dark garden identify the one to be arrested before there were photographs and face imaging. Judas and the temple guards played a part.
All sinners played a part. Jesus went to the cross to pay the penalty for sin. The Holy God, creator of all, required payment for His creatures rebellion against Him. God did not require this because He was mean or jealous or short tempered. By His holy and just character, God requires sin to be punished. Just like we desire justice to be delivered on the perpetrators of crimes, God requires justice on the perpetrators of sin. So in a way, we all played a part.
But none of these were ultimately responsible for killing Jesus. It was ultimately God. The apostle Paul says God ‘set forth’ his Son as a ‘propitiation’ or sacrifice for our sins (Rom. 3:25). It was God who refused to spare his Son, but rather ‘delivered him up for us all’ (Rom. 8:32). It was God who was ‘pleased’ to ‘bruise’ the Lord Jesus and put him to ‘grief’ (Isa. 53:10).
God sovereignly predicted, planned and carried out the sacrifice of His own Son. It was out of His great love and holiness that God acted. Jesus obeyed His Father. He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
So in the end the answer to the question “who killed Jesus” is simple yet profound; God the Father so that you and I might be forgiven and walk in newness of life.
Lent
Posted on March 15, 2011 by Pastor Tom
Lent – a season unfamiliar to many protestant and evangelical Christians. Yet it can be a season of preparation for Easter. I think Joni Eareckson does a great job on a right focus during Lent. (In the next day or two, I will have some more thoughts on Japan and God’s heart for His suffering people there).
A Selfish Sacrifice
“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
—Philippians 3:8
“So, what are you giving up for Lent?” That was a common question among kids as I grew up. And the answers were predictable for many of the girls: chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate!
If you’ve ever been a chocolate lover, you know what a sacrifice that can be. And that’s where our understanding of Lent and sacrifice perhaps went astray. You see, while our minds focused on the object of sacrifice, our purpose of sacrifice got lost. So it is with any sacrifice, Lenten or life-long. If we focus on the food, habit, energy, or time that we give up, we will have missed out on the gain.
“Gain?” you ask. “You’re not supposed to gain anything during Lent or from any other act of sacrifice. What kind of sacrifice gains anything?” Only the sacrifice worth making, that’s what kind. Because any sacrifice that is made for God must always focus on the gain: knowing Christ.
Paul was no stranger to sacrifice. In fact, he gave a list of his sacrifices in Philippians 3:1–7. He listed his heritage, his education, and his status and “What is more,” he adds, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)
Paul’s entire life, from the moment of conversion, was a Lenten season.
“What are you gaining for Lent?!
Lord, You know what I value. You know what I count as special in my life. Help me view everything-my achievements, people, things, and memories-as rubbish in order that I might gain You. Let Your will be done in my life that I might know You better.
(Taken from Diamonds in the Dust. Copyright © 1993 by Joni Eareckson Tada).