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Who Does the Bible
Blame for Jesus' Death?
"The big answer is,
we all did. I'll be the first in the culpability stakes here."
"Critics who
have a problem with me don't really have a problem with me in
this film. They have a problem with the four Gospels.
That's where their problem is."
Mel Gibson, Primetime
Live Interview, 2/16/04
Theologically speaking, of course, most Christians agree
that the collective sins of humanity and our need for salvation was the
motivation that caused God to send His only begotten Son to die like a
criminal.
However, when responding to attacks against The
Passion, it is important to remember that those attacking us,
mainly leaders from the Jewish community, aren't particularly
interested in or concerned with Christian theology.
When Jewish leaders attack The Passion, they are
disputing the Gospels themselves, and more specifically, the right
of Christians to believe the Gospels are the inerrant
authoritative record of Jesus' life. In other words, their
claim that The Passion "blames Jews" is an indirect
attack on the historical records that forms the basis of Christian
belief.
The proper response to this
attack is not explanation of the theological significance of
"who killed Christ," but rather to deconstruct their
arguments with hard biblical evidence that, indeed, historically
speaking the Jews DID kill Christ.
Let us examine the bare historical facts given to
us in the Bible regarding blame for Jesus' death:
John 19:10-11:
10"Do
you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you
realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"
11Jesus answered, "You would have no power over
me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one
who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
Acts 2:
22"Men
of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man
accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which
God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This
man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and
foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,
put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
36"Therefore
let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom
you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Acts 3:
13The God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified
his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you
disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.
14You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked
that a murderer be released to you. 15You killed
the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are
witnesses of this.
Acts 4:
8Then Peter,
filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers and
elders of the people! 9If we are being called to
account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are
asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and
all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the
dead, that this man stands before you healed.
Acts 5:
30The God of
our fathers raised Jesus from the dead--whom you had killed
by hanging him on a tree.
Acts 7 (Stephen's sermon
before being stoned):
51"You
stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are
just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52Was
there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even
killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And
now you have betrayed and murdered him-- 53you
who have received the law that was put into effect through
angels but have not obeyed it."
Acts 13:
27The people of
Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in
condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are
read every Sabbath. 28Though they found no proper
ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him
executed.
1 Thessalonians 2:
14For you,
brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are
in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same
things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15who
killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us
out. They displease God and are hostile to all men 16in
their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that
they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to
the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.
This
website is not associated with nor endorsed by Mel Gibson or Icon
Productions, but rather represents the opinion of thoughtful Christians who are concerned about the unfair attacks against Mr.
Gibson's wonderful work of art.
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