Who Really Killed Jesus?
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His Stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6
No one takes My Life from Me, I lay it down of Myself. John 10:18
The Charges Against Us
As with any murder mystery, we must determine a couple of things: the cause of death, the murder weapon, the motive, the assailant if possible. In the murder of Jesus the Christ, we must determine the motive behind His death as well as the number of accomplices involved in the actual crime. This matter is of the utmost importance if we are to truly know the impact of the Resurrection. In other words, if you and I don’t know why He died, His rising from the dead will not mean very much except counting it as a miracle.
Each year, people attend worship services to pay tribute to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. While knowledge of the ritual and participation in this event seems to be widely accepted, millions of people have not grasped the full meaning of what this event means to them personally. The Apostle Paul recognized this problem as he wrote to the newly founded Church at Corinth. If Christ has not risen from the dead, then is our preaching in vain, and your faith is also vain. 1 Corinthians 15:14. For that reason, we must understand the reason that Christ died in order to truly rejoice in His Resurrection.
With that being said, let us turn our attention to Jesus death. The cause of death we already know; Jesus was crucified by the Romans. His age at death was approximately 33 years. The murder weapon was the cross upon which Jesus was nailed. We know that it was the Romans who executed Jesus at about 9 o’clock in the morning. He died that afternoon around 3 o’clock. While the evidence points to loss of blood, dehydration, and lack of oxygen, there were some other factors that contributed to His death. We will get to those factors in a moment, but it is important to note that while Jesus was on trial, there were charges filed in the High Court of Heaven against every soul on planet earth. These charges were pending because the Court Date had not been set. No one knew the day nor the hour of the final judgement and for that reason, some acted as if the Court Date was cancelled. Let me repeat, the Court Date is pending – it has not been cancelled. The charges were too severe for them to be handled in any other court nor could the charges be settled unless someone paid the penalty in advance of the Court Date. I say again, the Court Date is pending. Until this day, that day is still a mystery. This fact has much to do with the murder of Jesus Christ.
It is shocking but true, that these charges are filed against every human that has ever set foot on this planet. The death of Jesus Christ is central to not only valuation of His Resurrection, but to the dissolution of the charges filed against every human. The list of the charges are found in Romans, Chapter Three. Before I read the charges, I must reemphasize that the charges are filed against every human. The charges are also central to the murder of Jesus Christ and will help us in determining the motive for such a heinous crime. Some may be tempted to argue that they were not present at the Cross, nor were they even born when Jesus died. That is what makes this case so special and gives each of us an incentive to find out, who really killed Jesus.
Since the approval for Jesus’ death came through the Roman court, let us look at the Book of Romans to see what charges were filed against all humanity. The First Charge: there are none righteous. Romans 3:10. No one is living according to God’s standard. The Second Charge: there is none that understands and seeks after God. Romans 3:11. In other words, not only do they not understand, but they also don’t want to understand. The Third Charge: they are all gone out of the way. Romans 3:12. No one is walking in the path that God has planned and ordained for them. The Fourth Charge: there are none that do good, no not one. Romans 3:12. Not even one person on the planet that does good. The Fifth Charge: there is no fear of God before their eyes. Romans 3:18. In other words, all they can see is evil, because none are focused on fearing God. The last two charges are summary charges, and they seal the indictment against humanity. The Sixth Charge: For all have sinned. Romans 3:23. Not a single soul can claim that they have never committed a wrong against God or against other people. The Seventh Charge: (All) have come short of the Glory of God. Romans 3:23. What is the penalty for all these charges? The wages (payment) of sin is death … Romans 6:23. Believe it or not, these charges placed you and I front and center at the Cross of Calvary and it makes us primary suspects in this case. So, let us consider again who really killed Jesus?
From Charges Pending to Charges Cancelled
While the leaders in Jerusalem were plotting their case against Jesus, God in Heaven picked up each file on every soul on this planet. God was going to once and for all judge each person with His Ruling and Sentencing. We have already said that according to Romans 6:23, the wages of sin is death … But there was a break in the case. The High Court of Heaven was about to admit new evidence. The wages of sin was death, but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The death penalty was the same, but the person who would die had changed. In this case, it was Jesus, Himself. Now, every charge against us was transferred over to Him. He that knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him. 1 Corinthians 5:21.
So, God’s Judgment did fall, but it did not fall upon the earth. No, the moment that God’s Judgment fell, it did not reach the earth because there hanging between Heaven and earth was the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Why would God allow such a thing and was this a last minute decision of the Court? No, it was not a last minute decision but rather a well-executed plan of God. The text gives us the details. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6. While the Romans were driving the spikes into the Holy Hands of Jesus, the Clerk in the High Court of Heaven was preparing a Document of Dismissal for Believers. When they lifted Jesus up, then the Father looked to us and asked the question: How do you plead? If you plead innocent, then you are saying you have not sinned and you make God out to be a liar. If you plead guilty, then you are at the Mercy of the Court. Thank God for Mercy, but Mercy was not cheap.
The God of Justice saw His Merciful Gift hanging on the Tree. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His Stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5. But we still have not answered the question of who really killed Jesus? Did we contribute to His Death as a result of the sin and the indictments against Heaven? We certainly are guilty of the high crimes against Heaven that Jesus bore on the Cross. But does that make us His murderers? Yes, we did the wrong, but He paid the price. Yes, we had motives because whenever we do wrong we always look for a scapegoat, and in this case, Jesus was the One who took our sins away. So, did we kill Jesus? Before we answer that question, we have one other piece of evidence.
It pleased God to afflict Him, the Bible says. Some would say that such a remark would implicate God Himself because He laid all sins on His Son. We must remember, it was fellow humans that whipped and beat Jesus, not God. It was fellow humans that cried, “crucify Him, crucify Him” and not God. We cannot and must not blame God when it was human cruelty that afflicted Jesus. Yet, Jesus Himself testifies as to why He went to the Cross and who was responsible for His Death. Jesus declared, No one takes My Life from Me, I lay it down of Myself. John 10:18. In another passage, Jesus said to Peter, “the Father has given Me more than twelve legions of angels.” Matthew 26:53. This meant that had He chosen not to go to the Cross, the Angels would have come to His defense. With that being said, Jesus did not look for a way out of death, because He knew that He would be raised from the dead. He also knew that His Death, Burial, and Resurrection would mean that every charge against those who believed would be removed entirely. So, it took His Blood to satisfy that Death Penalty. That is exactly what He did. For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16. God gave His Son, and the Son gave His all, now all can know they are cleared of all charges.
There is only one other thing before we rest this case of who really killed Jesus. You must accept the terms of Jesus Sacrifice. That means, you must settle out of Court and enter a guilty plea. If you enter a guilty plea, then all your debt is paid. You cannot wait until you die because you will instantly stand before God, still guilty of all charges. Hebrews 9:27, it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, the Judgment. So, how do you plead? As for me, I pleaded guilty and settled my case out of Court. I would suggest you do the same. As for who really killed Jesus – that remains a mystery for the unsaved. The saved know and understand that He died for their sins. That is all that matters.
Now is Christ risen from the dead. We know it and we celebrate it. Hallelujah.