Who Crucified Jesus On The Cross

Who is responsible in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ

QUESTION: Who bears the primary responsibility for the crucifixion of Christ? Answer: This subject has been disputed for ages and the discussion continues now – who was the genuine assassin of Jesus Christ. What does the Bible say about this? It is revealed in Matthew 27:22–25 that the Jewish authorities asked that Jesus be crucified. The Romans, on the other hand, were the ones who physically crucified Jesus (Matthew 27:27-37). Who has the ultimate responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ?

Our sins were the cause of His death.

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, according to the Bible’s verse Romans 5:8.

Pilate was the one who inquired.

  1. ‘Why?
  2. “Crucify him!” they cried out even louder, as if they had something to prove.
  3. ‘I am not responsible for this man’s blood,’ he insisted.
  4. They stripped him down to his underwear and draped him in a red robe before twisting a crown of thorns together and placing it on his head.
  5. ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ they cried out in jubilation.
  6. After they had made fun of him, they stripped him of his robe and dressed him in his own clothing.
  7. ” “As they were about to leave, they came upon a man from Cyrene called Simon, whom they compelled to carry the cross for them.
  8. They offered Jesus wine laced with gall to drink there, but after tasting it, he refused to take any more from the cup.

After Jesus had been nailed to the cross, they divided his clothing by drawing lots for it. They sat down and kept a close eye on him from that position. A printed indictment against him was placed over his head, which read: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWISH GENTILES.”

The Crucifixion of Jesus and the Jews

Jesus was executed because he was a Jewish victim of Roman persecution. On this point, all documented authorities are in agreement. His execution was ordered by the Gentile Roman ruler, Pontius Pilate, who had him tortured and killed by Gentile Roman troops before he was executed. In fact, Jesus was one of thousands of Jews who were executed by the Romans. The New Testament not only attests to this fundamental reality, but it also provides for Jewish participation in two ways. A small group of high-ranking Jewish officials who owed their positions and authority to the Romans colluded with the Gentile leaders to have Jesus executed; they are claimed to have been envious of Jesus and to have regarded him as an existential danger to the status quo.

The number of individuals in this mob is not specified, nor is there any explanation provided for their actions (other than the fact that they had been “stirred up,” as stated in Mark 15:11).

As recorded in Matthew, the Roman ruler wipes his hands of Jesus’ blood, as the Jews exclaim, “His blood be upon us and upon our children!” (Matthew 27:25.) Throughout Jesus’ mission, the Jews are shown as desiring to murder him in John’s Gospel (John 5:18,John 7:1,John 8:37).

This shift in emphasis is not entirely clear, but one obvious possibility is that as the church spread throughout the world, Romans rather than Jews became the primary targets of evangelism; as a result, there may have been some motivation to “off-the-hook” the Romans and blame the Jews for Jesus’ death rather than the other way around.

However, by the middle of the second century, the apocryphal Gospel of Peter presents the Romans as Jesus’ supporters, and the Jews as those who crucify him, according to tradition.

As a result, anti-Semitism has fed such beliefs for ages, culminating in the crude demonization of Jews as “Christ-killers.” Christians have traditionally held, in opposition to such predictions, that the human actors responsible for Jesus’ execution are irrelevant: he offered his life voluntarily as a sacrifice for sin (Mark 10:45;John 18:11).

“Let his blood be upon us and upon our children!” cries out the congregation in most liturgical churches when Matthew’s PassionNarrativeis read during a worship service.

In most liturgical churches, when Matthew’s PassionNarrativeis read during a worship service, all members of the congregation are invited to echoMatt 27:25aloud, crying out, “Let his blood be upon us and upon our children!”

Contributors

Mark Allan Powell is a professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota (Columbus, Ohio). He is the editor of the HarperCollins Bible Dictionary and the author of Introducing the New Testament (Baker, 2009) andJesus as a Figure in History (Westminster, 2009). He received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. John Knox Publishing Company, 2012). A gathering of individuals who are participating in religious services and are worshiping. The proclamation of “the good news” of Jesus Christ to the entire world.

  1. spurious gospel purporting to have been authored by the apostle Peter, but which was rejected by the early Roman Catholic Church as part of the canonical New Testament canon because of its apocryphal nature.
  2. A narrative that has been written, spoken, or recorded.
  3. God’s character and actions are discussed through writing, conversation, or contemplation.
  4. 15:1111 (Mark 15:1111) The leading priests, on the other hand, incited the mob to demand that Jesus release Barabbas for them instead.

27:2525 (KJV) Following that, the entire population exclaimed, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 5:1818 (John 5:1818) In order to assassinate him, the Jews increased their efforts even further, believing that he was not only violating the Sabbath but also referring to God as his own Father in the process.

  • He did not want to travel about in Judea since the Jews were searching for an occasion to attack him and his family.
  • 1 2:14-1514 (Thess 2:14-1514) Because you, brothers and sisters, were models for the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are located in Judea, because you experienced the same things from your own compa, you became imitators of those churches.
  • Observe further information 10:45:45 (Mark 10:45:45) The Son of Man, after all, did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 18:1111 (John 18:1111) “Put your sword back into its sheath,” Jesus instructed Peter to do.
  • God, on the other hand, demonstrates his love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
  • More details may be found at1 Tim 1:515 p.m.

When it comes to Christ Jesus coming into the world to help sinners—of which I am the foremost—the phrase is certain and deserving of complete acceptance. Matt. 27:2525 (KJV) Following that, the entire population exclaimed, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

Who was responsible for Christ’s death? Who killed Jesus?

QuestionAnswer The solution to this question has a number of different sides. In the first place, there is little question that the religious leaders of Israel were directly or indirectly responsible for Jesus’ killing. “The chief priests and the elders of the people convened in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they devised a plan to secretly capture Jesus and murder him,” according to Matthew 26:3–4. The Jewish authorities asked that Jesus be put to death from the Romans (Matthew 27:22–25).

  • (John 11:53).
  • It was a Roman form of execution approved and carried out by the Romans under the authority of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who sentenced Jesus to death on the cross.
  • The people of Israel were also participants in Jesus’ execution, as was the Roman Empire.
  • Crucify him!” “Crucify him!” the crowd chanted as He faced trial before Pilate (Luke 23:21).

When Peter told the men of Israel in Acts 2:22–23, he was confirming their suspicions: “You, with the assistance of evil men, put him to death by nailing him on the cross.” As it turned out, the murder of Jesus was part of an elaborate conspiratorial scheme that involved the Roman Empire, Herod’s Jewish leaders, and the Jewish people themselves, a diverse group of people who had never worked together before or since, but who came together this one time to plot and carry out an unthinkable act: the assassination of the only begotten Son of God.

  1. At the end of the day, and maybe quite astonishingly, it was God Himself who executed Jesus.
  2. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross insured the redemption of untold millions of people and offered the sole means by which God could forgive sin without compromising His holiness and flawless righteousness, which was otherwise impossible.
  3. As opposed to being a win for Satan, or a needless tragedy, as some have indicated, it was the most gracious act of God’s grace and mercy, the greatest manifestation of the Father’s love for sinners.
  4. As the Bible says, “God caused him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that through him, we may become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
  5. He died in order to pay the price for our sins (Romans 5:8; 6:23).

He did it this way to serve as a constant reminder to himself and everyone else that it was our faults that condemned Jesus to death on the cross. Questions regarding Jesus Christ (return to top of page) Who was to blame for the killing of Jesus Christ? Who was responsible for Jesus’ death?

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Why Did Pontius Pilate Have Jesus Executed?

“What is truth?” Pontius Pilate asks Jesus of Nazareth in the Gospel of John, and Jesus responds with a question. It’s a question that may be raised regarding Pilate’s own personal background as well. According to the New Testament of the Christian Bible, the Roman ruler of Judea was a shaky judge who originally exonerated Jesus before bowing to the will of the multitude and condemned him to death as a result of his actions. Non-Biblical sources, on the other hand, present him as a barbaric commander who wilfully rejected the traditions of the Jewish people under his command.

WATCH: JESUS: A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE VaultJesus before Pilate, just before he was crucified.

Pilate’s early life is a mystery.

Before his time as Roman governor of Judea, from 26 and 36 A.D., nothing is known about Pilate’s early life and career. While most believe he was born into an equestrian family in Italy, certain tales indicate that he was actually born in the Scottish Highlands. From the Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria emerges one of the earliest—and most damning—accounts of Pilate’s reign as governor. Around the year 50 A.D., he denounced the prefect for “briberies, insults, robberies, outrages and wanton injuries, executions without trial, constantly repeated, endless and extremely severe brutality,” among other things.

Patterson describes Pilate’s rule as “corrupt and full of bribery.” Patterson is an early Christianity historian at Willamette University and the author of several books, including The Forgotten Creed: Christianity’s Original Struggle Against Bigotry, Slavery, and Sexism.

“Philo is a really dramatic writer,” she observes, “and one who has very apparent biases: persons who maintain Jewish rules are documented in highly favorable ways, whereas people who do not uphold Jewish laws are represented in quite bad ways.

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: The Bible asserts that Jesus was a real person. Is there any further evidence? Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus had been tortured, and this was the culmination of that suffering. courtesy of DeAgostini/Getty Images

Pilate clashed with the Jewish population in Jerusalem.

A pair of golden shields emblazoned with the name of the Roman Emperor Tiberius were allowed into King Herod’s ancient residence in Jerusalem, according to Philo, despite Jewish tradition. Writing more than a half-century later, the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus related a similar story, claiming that Pilate let troops bearing military standards with the likeness of the emperor into Jerusalem, despite Jewish law prohibiting the carrying of images in the holy city. A large number of people journeyed to the Judean city of Caesarea to express their displeasure, and they laid prostrate outside Pilate’s palace for five days until he finally yielded.

  1. This account has the ring of a rookie governor experimenting with his powers and entirely underestimating the depth of local opposition to graven images.
  2. Josephus related another event, this one with a bloodier conclusion, in which Pilate used cash from the Temple treasury to construct an aqueduct to provide water to Jerusalem.
  3. They were successful.
  4. More information may be found at: Where Is the Head of Saint John the Baptist?

The Gospels portray an indecisive Pilate.

Josephus also referred to Pilate’s well-known role in agreeing to Jesus’ death, which he had played previously. After being gravely concerned by his teachings, the Sanhedrin (an elite council of priestly and lay elders) arrested Jesus while he was celebrating the Jewish festival of Passover, according to the Gospels. They hauled Jesus before Pilate to be prosecuted for blasphemy, accusing him of claiming to be the King of the Jews, which they said was false. And they exerted pressure on Pilate, the only person who had the authority to sentence someone to death, to order his crucifixion.

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According to the Gospel of Mark, Pilate intervened on Jesus’ behalf before caving in to the demands of the mob.

MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: Discovering the Early Christian Church’s Conversion Tactics from Within “Mark’s goal isn’t truly historical in nature,” Patterson explains.

Mark blamed the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem for the city’s collapse since the high priests and officials had turned their backs on Jesus when he had arrived in the city.

courtesy of DeAgostini/Getty Images Following this, according to the Gospel of Matthew, Pilate washed his hands in front of the assembled throng before declaring, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; take care of yourself.” When the Jewish people heard this, they yelled out, “His blood be on us and our children.” For millennia, it would be used to punish the Jewish people, and it is still being utilized now.

As Bond explains, “Matthew claims that, while Romans were accountable for carrying out the action, the Jews were liable—a line of thought that, of course, has had fatal ramifications ever since.” When Jesus was making problems during a gathering like Passover, when the city was packed to capacity, I don’t believe Pilate would have spent much time worrying about what to do with him.

According to the Gospels, the people preferred the criminal Barabbas than Jesus.

The so-called custom of freeing a prisoner on Passover has been investigated by scholars, but so far, according to Patterson, “they have not discovered anything in regard to this so-called ritual.” More information may be found at: Early Christians Didn’t Always Take the Bible Literally (Discovery).

Pilate disappears from history after his rule.

Following the use of disproportionate force to quell a suspected Samaritan rebellion, Pilate was dismissed from office and transported back to Rome, according to Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus. Pilate vanished from the historical record as soon as he arrived in Rome. According to various legends, he was either executed by Emperor Caligula or committed suicide, with his remains being thrown into the Tiber River after his death. In fact, the early Christian author Tertullian said that Pilate had become a disciple of Jesus and had attempted to convert the emperor to Christian beliefs.

A portion of a carved stone with Pilate’s name and title etched in Latin on it was discovered face down in an antique theater, where it had been used as a stair.

According to a November 2018 article in Israel Exploration Journal, improved photography showed Pilate’s name engraved in Greek on a 2,000-year-old copper alloy ring recovered at Herodium, which was previously thought to be a Roman coin.

Crucifixion of Jesus – Bible Story

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are the four New Testament writings that contain the story of Jesus’ death on the cross; they are known as the Gospels. This Bible tale serves as a succinct summation of the salvation message of Jesus Christ. “From that time on, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life,” according to Matthew, who wrote, “from that time on, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and As a result, Jesus saw that his death would be necessary as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

  • During the height of Jesus’ career and miracles, a large number of Jews came to believe that he was the Messiah and the Son of God.
  • Roman soldiers apprehended Jesus with the assistance of Judas Iscariot, and he was placed on trial for claiming to be the Jewish king, which he denied.
  • When it came to the penalty for Jesus, the Roman ruler Pontius Pilate was apprehensive about the idea.
  • Jesus was turned over to be beaten and whipped after Pilate washed his hands in front of a mob to demonstrate that he was not accepting responsibility for the slaughter that had taken place.

In addition to being forced to carry his cross along the walk to the hill where he would be killed, Jesus was also beaten with whips and whipping cords. The site of Jesus’ crucifixion is known as Calvary, which is derived from the Latin phrase meaning “a place of skull.”

Jesus on the Cross

Crowds had assembled to grieve and witness the death of Jesus. In addition to being nailed on the cross between two criminals, Jesus’ sides were wounded by a sword. After being mocked for a while, one of the convicts approached him and requested Jesus to remember him. Jesus answered by saying, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” “Forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing,” Jesus said as he raised his eyes to the heavens. When Jesus took his last breath, he said the following: “Father, I entrust my spirit into your capable hands.

The Last Words of Jesus Christ on the Cross

1. According to Matthew 27:46, at around the ninth hour, Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?” 2. 2. “Father, please forgive them since they are completely unaware of what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). 3. I swear to you that from this day forward, you’ll be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). 4. “Dear Lady, please accept this as your son!” “Here is your mother!” says the other. When Jesus saw His mother standing near the cross with the Apostle John, He committed the care of His mother to John’s care, saying, “I trust you to look after her.” (See also John 19:26–27.) 5.

  • In this instance, Jesus was responding to the Messianic prophesy from Psalm 69:21, which stated, “They put gall in my food and vinegar in my thirst.” 6.
  • ” (See John 19:30.) The mission that His Father had given Him to carry out, which included teaching the Gospel, performing miracles, and bringing His people back together, was successfully completed.
  • 7.
  • (Matthew 23:46) Jesus freely laid down his life for us.
  • This was a terrible and difficult assignment, yet Jesus volunteered to take on the challenge.
  • In the hands of those who crucified him, Jesus was not helpless; he was the only one who had the authority to put an end to his life.
  • (Revelation 13:8).

It is still a heinous crime against humanity.

Death was visited upon the creator of life by nefarious men (Acts 2:23).

The death of Jesus was distinguished by extraordinary occurrences.

When Jesus took his last breath, the ground shook, the temple curtain broke in half from top to bottom, and the graves of saints were opened, their bodies being lifted from the grave.

The sin of mankind would necessitate the offering of a sacrifice.

The complete Bible account of the crucifixion can be found in the Scriptures listed below.

Read the entire narrative of Jesus’ crucifixion in the scriptural text below, as well as articles, videos, and audio sermons that are related to this moving story. Image courtesy of Getty Images/mbolina

Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate was a Roman governor under the emperor of Tiberius in the 1st century. He is best known as the judge of Jesus’s trial.

Who Was Pontius Pilate?

Pontius Pilate is thought to have originated from the Samnium area of central Italy, where he was imprisoned. Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judaea from 26 to 36 A.D. throughout his reign. He accused Jesus of treason and said that Jesus considered himself to be the King of the Jews, and he ordered Jesus’ execution. Pilate died in the year 39 A.D. The exact reason of his death has not been determined. His presence was proved by an item discovered in 1961.

Prefect of Judea

Pontius Pilate was appointed prefect of the Roman provinces of Judaea, Samaria, and Iduma by the Roman Emperor Tiberius in 26 A.D., although Pilate is best remembered for his leadership of the Roman province of Judaea. While the average tenure for a Roman prefect was one to three years, Pilate was to keep his position as the fifth Roman procurator for a period of ten years, which was unprecedented at the time. Pontius Pilate became the successor of Valerius Gratus when he assumed his position.

His responsibilities as a prefect included routine activities like as tax collecting and project management for building projects.

Pontius Pilate made every effort to achieve this goal by whatever means necessary.

Jesus’ Crucifixion

Pontius Pilate, as governor of Judaea, was confronted with a clash of interests between the Roman Empire and the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council. When Pontius inquired as to whether Jesus was the King of the Jews, he asserted that Jesus had accepted the title, which he never had done. The Roman authority regarded this claim as treasonous and prosecuted the accuser accordingly. Pontius Pilate, according to some historians, worked in collaboration with Jewish officials, who considered Jesus’ claim to authority as a political danger, when it came to pursuing Jesus.

All four of the Gospels portray him as a weak man who eventually caves in to the Jewish rulers’ demand to put Jesus on the cross.

Only Matthew 27:24 describes Pontius Pilate as refusing to participate in Jesus’ crucifixion: “So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves,” he said.

INRI was a Latin abbreviation for Jesus’ given name as well as his title as King of the Jews. Some feel that the term was intended to be sarcastic, in order to criticize Jesus for his lofty assertion.

Mysterious Death

The circumstances surrounding Pontius Pilate’s death, which occurred about 39 A.D., remain a mystery and a matter of debate. According to some legends, the Roman emperor Caligula ordered Pontius Pilate’s death by execution or suicide, which was carried out. According to some stories, Pontius Pilate was exiled and eventually committed suicide of his own free will. Some stories hold that after committing himself, his body was thrown into the Tiber River, which is where he is buried. Others, on the other hand, feel that Pontius Pilate’s destiny was tied to his conversion to Christianity and his canonization.

Whatever happened to Pontius Pilate in the end, one thing has been established: that he was a real person who lived in the first century A.D.

Antonio Frova discovered a piece of limestone etched with Pontius Pilate’s name in Latin, establishing a link between Pilate and Emperor Tiberius’ reign in the city.

Who Crucified Jesus? The Romans, the Jews, You and I, or His Father?

So, who was it that assassinated Jesus? 1. Was it the Romans who did it? Let us seek the answer in God’s Word to find out the truth. “And after they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among themselves by casting lots,” Matthew 27:35 says. We learn from this scripture that the Romans crucified Jesus on the cross. In reality, the crucifixion was a Roman method of punishing a convicted criminal. Jesus was considered a criminal in the eyes of the Romans. That is why they nailed Jesus on the cross.

  • 27:31–33).
  • They hammered the nails into his hands and feet until they were completely gone.
  • They were the ones who assassinated Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
  • Was it the Jews who were responsible?
  • And Peter addresses them as “Men of Israel.
  • In other words, Peter is informing the Jews that they were directly responsible for the crucifixion and death of Jesus on the cross.
  • The apostle Paul verifies this in 1 Thessalonians 2:14–15: “For you became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea,” he says.

3.

As Paul reminds us, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and that “the consequence of sin is death,” we are all guilty of sin (Rom.

As a result, you and I should have been the ones to be crucified on the cross, because we are the ones who have sinned against the Almighty and deserve death.

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He stood in my place, bearing disgrace and scoffing rudely, sealing my forgiveness with his blood: Hallelujah, what a Saviour we have!

5:2; Heb.

3:18).

According to the contemporary song “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,” this reality is articulated as follows: It was my own fault that kept Him confined.

It was in this sense that we crucified our Lord and Savior.

Who was the perpetrator?

Unfortunately, Jesus, my betrayal hath brought Thee to ruin.

I nailed Thee on the cross.

Was it His Father, or someone else?

It is important to note that Jesus died in accordance with God’s predetermined and foreordained plan.

Whether in the hands of the Romans, Jews, or even us, Jesus was never a victim of their or our actions.

His demise had been prepared by his Father from the beginning of time.

Who was it that crushed him to death?

Pay attention to Prophet Isaiah.

His wounds were inflicted on us because of our trespasses, and he was crushed because of our sins.

“Do you honestly think that it was God who slaughtered His own Son?” a perplexed atheist once inquired of me.

“Why would God do such a thing to His own Son?” he continued.

Conclusion So, who was responsible for Jesus’ death?

However, even if this is true, we can equally assert that no one intentionally stole His life because He chose to do it willingly.

and I am willing to give my life for the sheep.

No one can take it away from me, but I choose to put it down of my own free will.

Paul writes that the Son of God voluntarily opted to die on a cross for the redemption of those whom God had predestined from the beginning of time (Eph.

“There is no greater love than this, that someone would lay down his or her life for his or her companions” (John 15:13).

Jesus gave his life in order for us to be able to dwell with Him for all of eternity.

In case you ever have any doubts about whether Jesus loves you or not, turn back to Calvary and view the wonderful cross, and don’t stop examining it until you shout, “Love so amazing, so divine,Demands My Soul, My Life, My Everything.”

The Two Men Crucified Next To Jesus Were

According to the Gospel of Luke, two additional men were crucified with Our Blessed Lord, one on either side of Him, and both died at the hands of the Romans. Traditionally, the thief to Christ’s right has been referred to as the “Good Thief,” while the thief to Christ’s left has been dubbed the “Unrepentant Thief.” While the names of the Good Thief and the Unrepentant Thief are not mentioned in the Gospels, legend claims that the one was named Saint Dismas and the latter, Gestas. Despite the fact that both men were subjected to the same brutal death and were both in the presence of Christ, their attitudes to their circumstances were vastly different.

Dismas, on the other hand, does not request that he be removed from power.

Rather, he begs to be brought up into the presence of Christ, pleading, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (Matthew 23:42) St.

Which of these two is the most like you?

To help you accept the crosses that you will carry in this life, and to set your heart on Heaven in the next life, the Norbertine Fathers of Saint Michael’s Abbey would like to give you a FREE Saint Dismas prayer card, so that you may seek the intercession of the Good Thief. To download the free prayer card, just click the button below.

Download the Saint Dismas Prayer Card for free here.

Immersed in the 900-year tradition of our order, the Norbertine Fathers live a monastic common life of liturgical prayer and care for souls. Our abbey in Orange County consists of nearly fifty priests and thirty seminarians studying for the priesthood.

St. Michael’s Abbey is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2017.

Who Killed Jesus?

In 1965, as part of the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church issued the much-anticipated proclamation Nostra Aetate, which took a fresh look at the subject of Jewish blame for the execution of Jesus Christ. That modern-day Jews could not be held responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion, and that not all Jews who were alive at the time of Jesus’ execution were guilty of the crime, according to the arguments in the paper. In the history of Christian views toward Jews, this was a significant step forward, as Christian anti-Semitism has long been predicated on the assumption that Jews were responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion.

When Jesus was crucified, they thought that the Church would come out and claim that the Jews had had no role in his execution.

Jews Lacked A Motive for Killing Jesus

Indeed, most historians believe that it would have been more rational to place the responsibility for Jesus’ execution on the Romans. Crucifixion was a common form of punishment among the Romans, not among the Jews. At the time of Jesus’ execution, the Romans were enforcing a harsh and ruthless occupation on the Land of Israel, and the Jews had been rebellious at times throughout the occupation. The Romans would have had good cause to desire to silence Jesus, who had been dubbed “King of the Jews” by some of his disciples and was well-known as a Jewish upstart miracle worker at the time of his death.

The many factions of the Jewish society at the period — including the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and others — had numerous differences with one another, but none of the organizations orchestrated the death of the leaders of the other purportedly heretical sects.

READ: The History of the Land of Israel Under Roman Control Nonetheless, the notion that Jews murdered Jesus can be found in Christian foundational literature dating back to the early days of the Jesus movement, and it is unlikely that it will be readily abandoned simply because of historians’ arguments.

The New Testament Account

The notion that Jews assassinated Jesus is parodied in this 1896 cartoon, which substitutes Uncle Sam for the historical figure. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) “The Jews who killed the Lord, Jesus,” Paul writes in his writings, which are considered by historians to be the earliest works of the New Testament (written 10 to 20 years after Jesus’ death), and he addresses them very briefly: “the Jews who slaughtered the Lord, Jesus” (I Thessalonians 2:14-15). While the idea that the Jews bear primary responsibility for Jesus’ death is not central to Paul’s understanding of Jesus’ life and death, the idea that the Jews bear primary responsibility for Jesus’ death is more prominent in the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, each of which presents a slightly different account of Jesus’ life.

Eventually, the high priest comes to the conclusion that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy and petitions the Jewish council for guidance on how to punish him.

Matthew’s account of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross (referred to by Christians as “Jesus’ “passion”) has served as the inspiration for numerous books, plays, and musical compositions over the years, and it is a prominent part of Christian liturgy, particularly during the celebration of Easter.

It is said that Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of Judea, was fundamentally sympathetic to Jesus, but that he was unable to overcome the pressure from the Jews, who demanded that Jesus be put to death.

When Pilate arrives, the gathering members of the Jewish community tell him, “His blood be on us and on our children,” which is the most contentious verse in all of the passion accounts (Matthew 27:25).

Church Fathers and Thereafter

An etching from 1845 portraying King Herod and Pontius Pilate exchanging handshakes. (Photo by F.A. Ludy courtesy of Wellcome Images/Wikimedia Commons) With even more clarity and power, this allegation emerges in the works of the Church Fathers, who are considered to be the most authoritative Christian theologians who lived after the New Testament period. After explaining to his Jewish interlocutor why the Jews had experienced exile and the destruction of their Temple, Justin Martyr (mid-second century) concludes that these “tribulations were justly placed on you since you have assassinated the Just One” (Jesus Christ) (Dialogue with Trypho, chapter 16).

  • A historical King Solomon addresses the Jews in “The Mystery of Adam,” a religious drama from the 12th century that prophesies that they would eventually slay the son of God, as depicted in the play.
  • This statement is subject to verification.
  • The masters of the law will be the ones who do this.
  • They’ll descend from a tremendous height, and may they be comforted in their bereaved state of affairs.

In recent times, passion plays — large-scale outdoor theater events that dramatize the end of Jesus’ life and frequently feature hundreds of actors — have continued to spread this notion, as have other forms of religious expression.

In the Talmud

It’s worth noting that the notion that the Jews assassinated Jesus may be found in Jewish religious literature as well. Against the evidence of theBabylonian Talmud, on folio 43a of tractateSanhedrin, aberaita (a doctrine dating back to before the year 200 C.E.) says that Jesus was executed by a Jewish tribunal for the crimes of sorcery and insurrection. For this reason, there is a blank area near the bottom of that folio in normal Talmuds from Eastern Europe — or in American Talmuds that simply copied from them — since the possibly offending text has been omitted.

  • This section has been restored in a number of recent Talmudic versions.) When the Talmud claims that the incident occurred on the eve of Passover, it follows the timeline given in the gospel of John, which is supported by historical evidence.
  • Responsibility for the killing of Jesus is also given to the Jews in Jewish folk literature, such as the popular scurrilous Jewish biography of Jesus,Toledot Yeshu (which may be as old as the fourth century), and in Christian folk fiction.
  • From the first through the nineteenth century, the degree of hostility between Jews and Christians was such that both parties believed the accusation that the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus.
  • People who believe the tales of the New Testament (or of the Talmud) to be credible historical sources should not be shocked if this belief prevails.

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6 Facts Surrounding the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was the most horrible, agonizing, and shameful method of lethal punishment ever utilized in the ancient world, and it remains so to this day. Binding the victim’s hands and feet together with nails, and nailing the victim’s hands and feet together with nails, was this form of execution.

Crucifixion Definition and Facts

  • The word “crucifixion” (pronounced krü-se-fik-shen) derives from the Latin crucifixio, orcrucifixus, which literally translates as “attached on a cross. ” Crucification was a cruel type of torture and death in the ancient world that entailed tying someone to a tree or a wooden post with ropes or nails, and then hanging them from the tree or post. Preceding the actual crucifixion, convicts were subjected to torture including floggings, beatings, burning, racking, mutilation, and verbal abuse directed at the victim’s family. Crucifixion in the Roman tradition involved driving stakes into a person’s hands and feet before tying him or her to a wooden cross. The crucifixion was the method of execution employed by Jesus Christ.

History of Crucifixion

Although the crucifixion was considered to be one of the most shameful and painful ways of death in ancient times, it was also considered to be one of the most dreaded means of execution in ancient times. Extant records of crucifixions date back to prehistoric times, with the Persians most likely being the first to record them, before spreading to the Assyrians, Scythian, Carthaginian, Germanic, Celtic, and British cultures. Crucifixion, as a form of capital punishment, was reserved largely for traitors, captive armies, slaves, and the most heinous of offenders, among others.

Crucifying convicts became prevalent during the reign of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), who, after seizing the city of Tyre, executed 2,000 Tyrians on the cross.

Forms of Crucifixion

It is possible that secular historians were unable to explain the tragic events of this heinous practice because they could not bear to do so because of their religious beliefs. A great deal has been learned about this early form of the death punishment, however, thanks to archaeological discoveries made in first-century Palestine. For the crucifixion, four fundamental constructions or types of crosses were employed:

  • There are several types of cruxes: the simplex (one upright stake)
  • The commissa (a capital T-shaped structure)
  • The decussata (an X-shaped cross)
  • And the immissa (the well-known lower case t-shaped structure of Jesus’ crucifixion).
See also:  Who Was Released Instead Of Jesus

Bible Story Summary of Christ’s Crucifixion

Several biblical passages, including Matthew 27:27-56, Mark 15:21-38, Luke 23:26-49, and John 19:16-37 (all from the New International Version), describe Jesus Christ’s death on the Roman crucifixion. Christians believe that Christ’s death served as the perfect atonement for the sins of all humanity, which has resulted in the crucifix, also known as the cross, becoming one of the most recognized symbols of Christianity. As recounted in the Bible’s account of Jesus’ execution, the Jewish high council, known as the Sanhedrin, convicted Jesus of blasphemy and determined that he should be put to death.

  1. Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler, who determined that he was innocent.
  2. Jesus was ordered to be executed by the Sanhedrin; thus, Pilate, fearing the Jews, handed Jesus over to one of his centurions to carry out the death sentence.
  3. On his head was a crown of thorns, which he refused to take off.
  4. Jesus was given a concoction of vinegar, gall, and myrrh, but he turned down the offer.
  5. “The King of the Jews,” according to the inscription on the wall over his head.

Timeline of Jesus’ Death by Crucifixion

From roughly 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Jesus hung on the cross for approximately six hours. People were passing by yelling obscenities and scoffing as soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ garments during this time. When Jesus ascended to the cross, he addressed his mother Mary and the disciple John. “My God, my God, why have You left Me?” he screamed out to his father as well. At that point, the entire landscape was enveloped in darkness. Soon after, as Jesus took his final excruciating breath, an earthquake struck the Earth, tearing the temple curtain in two from top to bottom, shattering it.

The tombs were opened, and the bodies of many holy individuals who had died were brought back to life by the might of God.” In order to demonstrate mercy, it was customary for Roman troops to break the criminal’s legs, so speeding up the process of execution.

However, by the time the troops arrived, Jesus had already passed away. Rather than shattering his legs, they punctured his side with a knife. Before the sun fell, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea dragged Jesus from the cross and put him in Joseph’s tomb.

Good Friday – Remembering the Crucifixion

Christians celebrate the passion, or suffering, and death of Jesus Christ on the cross on Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, which is observed on the Friday before Easter. Many Christians spend this day in fasting, prayer, repentance, and contemplation of Christ’s anguish on the cross, among other things.

Sources

  • Crucifixion. The Lexham Bible Dictionary (p. 368)
  • The Crucifixion (p. 368)
  • The Lexham Bible Dictionary (p. 368)

What Was the Shape of Jesus’ Cross?

An interesting topic regarding the form of the Crucifixion cross of Jesus came to my attention recently after I delivered a keynote address at an international conference. In an attempt to dispute the customary form of the cross, he had been approached by Jehovah’s Witnesses. As they pointed out, “cross” (stauros) is merely a Greek word that may signify any of three things: a “upright pole,” a “upright stake,” or a “torture stake.” His Jehovah’s Witness guests reported that Jesus was indeed nailed to a straight stake with a single spike through his hands and another through his feet, as described by the visitors from the organization.

There are a number of evidence indicators provided in the scripture to assist us in understanding the real form of Jesus’ crucifixion, despite the fact that the Greek terms used for the cross in the New Testament are not precise about its shape (“stauros” = stake / pole and “xulon” = timber / tree).

“(The Jews caught outside the walls of Jerusalem) were first whipped, and then tormented with all kinds of tortures, before they died, and were then crucified before the wall of the city.”, Josephus wrote about the siege of Jerusalem in 70AD.

The first-century Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger described crucifixion in a variety of ways, saying, “I find in front of me crosses not all alike, but made differently by different people: some hang a man head downwards, some force a stick upwards through his groin, some stretch out his arms on a forked gibbet” (Seneca the Younger, “To Marcia on Consolation,” in Moral Essays, 6.20).

  1. It is possible to bind or fasten the victim’s hands with a single piece of rope or a single nail if the wood is cut into this shape, as many Jehovah’s Witnesses believe.
  2. There are other names for this cross, including “St.
  3. This building was built from a horizontal beam that was joined at the top of a vertical stake, resulting in a “T” shape when assembled.
  4. It was either fastened jointly or individually to the bottom of the vertical pillar where their feet rested.
  5. Using a vertical stake, a horizontal cross beam (referred to as a “patibulum”) was put across the upper section of the stake, leaving a “tip” that extended above the patibulum to complete the construction.
  6. On either side of the patibulum, victims were nailed to the structure with their arms spread in front of them.
  7. Crux Decussata is the letter X.

Andrew’s Cross”) takes its name from the Roman numeral ten (“decussis”), which means “decus” in Latin.

Their feet were either fastened to the bottom ends of the X or tied to the bottom ends of the X separately.

Despite the fact that the data is restricted, I believe that the conventional form (the “Crux Immissa”) is the most reasonable inference from the facts because of the following reasons.

The original meaning of the terms “stauros” and “xulon,” like the meaning of other words in other languages, has evolved with time.

For him, the name “stauros” literally translated into the Greek word for “pole.” However, during the time of Christ, the Romans were still employing the Greek language, albeit with certain modifications to give the terms a larger meaning.

When the Romans utilized this kind of punishment, they had to alter the existing Greek language to make it more appropriate for their needs.

David Black explains that “(the original meaning of a word) employed alone cannot effectively account for the meaning of a word since meaning is constantly susceptible to change.

Therefore, it is essential for the New Testament student to understand if the original meaning of a term has survived to a later period.

As a result, according to Kittel’s Theological Dictionary, “stauros” is defined as follows: “There are three main types in terms of shape.

Alternatively, it was made consisting of an upright with a cross-beam above it.

572).

572).

Descriptions of ancient non-biblical sources include the following: An extensive collection of ancient, nonbiblical materials eliminates or at least complicates one form of the cross (“Crux Simplex”) and makes the possibility of another shape (“Crux Decussata”) highly improbable.

Having stretched out both of his arms and bound them to a piece of wood that spanned over his breast and shoulders as far as his wrists, the men who were assigned to escort the slave to his punishment trailed after him, shredding his nude body with whips.” VII, 69:1-2.) (Roman Antiquities, VII, 69:1-2) The word “xulon” was employed by Dionysius to refer to the horizontal “patibulum.” The Epistle of Barnabas is a letter written by Barnabas (90-135AD) In this pseudepigraphic letter, which was employed by many Christians in the early Church to depict the form of the cross as it was understood at that time in history, we may read: And Abraham circumcised eighteen males and three hundred females from among his family, according to the Torah.” So, what exactly was the wisdom that was imparted to him?

Understand that He says the eighteen first, and then after an interval of three hundred years, He says the three hundred years.

Here is where you will find JESUS (IHSOYS).

As a result, He reveals Jesus in the first two letters, and the cross in the final letter.” (See also Barnabas 9:7) The author, in reference to the story of Abraham in the Old Testament, made the analogy between the cross of Jesus and the letter “T.” (which had the numeric value of 300).

In addition, the author of the Epistle of Barnabas referenced Exodus 17:11-12 and wrote:“And He saith again in Moses, when war was waged against Israel by men of another nation, and that He might remind them when the war was waged against them that for their sins they were delivered unto death; the Spirit saith to the heart of Moses, *that he should make a type of the cross and of Him that was to suffer, that unless, saith He, they shall set their hope on Him, war shall be waged against them for ever.

Moses therefore pileth arms one upon another in the midst of the encounter, and standing on higher ground than any he stretched out his hands, and so Israel was again victorious.

This would be the case in either the “Crux Commissa,” “Crux Immissa,” or “Crux Decussata”.

In Ode 27, the author wrote: “I extended my hands and hallowed my Lord, For the expansion of my hands is His sign, And my extension is the upright cross.” (Odes of Solomon 27.1-2) The author refers to a version of the cross in which the victim’s hands would once again be outstretched as with the “Crux Commissa” or “Crux Immissa”.

For the lamb, which is roasted, is roasted and dressed up in the form of the cross.

Justin Martyr wrote several other passages describing the cross of Jesus in a similar way, analogizing it to a sail mast and staysail or describing the position of Jesus on the cross with outstretched hands.

He wrote a five-volume Greek work calledOneirocritica(“The Interpretation of Dreams”) in which he described crucifixions of criminals: “Since he is a criminal, he will be crucified in his height and in the extension of his hands”(Oneirocritica 1:76) (Oneirocritica 1:76) According to Artemidorus, criminals during this period of time were executed by Romans on a cross as wide as it was tall.

Lucian(125-180AD) This early Greek rhetorician wrote a number of artistic, satirical and cynical pieces surviving to this day.

Men weep, and bewail their lot, and curse Cadmus with many curses for introducing Tau into the family of letters; they say it was his body that tyrants took for a model, his shape that they imitated, when they set up the erections on which men are crucified” (Trial in the Court of Vowels, 12.4-13) Once again, an ancient author analogizes the cross to the letter “T”, as would be the case if the structure was a “Crux Commissa” or “Crux Immissa”.

Given these ancient non-Biblical sources of information, the “Crux Simplex” is repeatedly eliminated by way of description.

But if “Crux Commissa” or “Crux Immissa” are still in the running, which of the two is the more reasonable inference?

The Strength of Biblical Textual Evidence: There are several clues in the New Testament confirming the “Crux Immissa” as the most reasonable inference related to the shape of Jesus’ cross.

Peter was told by Jesus that he would die with his hands stretched out in front of him.

If Peter died on the cross in the manner of Jesus, his cross would have to be one of three types: a “Crux Commissa,” a “Crux Immissa,” or a “Crux Decussata” in order for his hands to be stretched out in prayer.

If the “Crux Simplex” had been used to crucify Jesus, it is likely that his hands were nailed in place with a single nail, according to tradition.

For the second time, this implies that Jesus’ cross would have had to be either a “Crux Commissa,” a “Crux Immissa,” or a “Crux Decussata” in order for more than one nail to be used to secure Jesus’ hands together.

The location of the sign identifying Jesus at the point of crucifixion was described by the Gospel authors as follows: Matthew 27:37 (KJV) It was written above His head, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS,” that the charge against Him was leveled against Him.

This may be deduced using the conventional “Crux Immissa” formula.

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The design of the cross is not important to our Christian faith, but it does offer us with a fascinating opportunity to apply our investigative Case Making abilities.

This book teaches readers the ten principles of cold-case investigations and then applies these concepts to the claims of the gospel authors in order to investigate them.

The book is complemented by an eight-sessionCold-Case Christianity DVD Set (as well as a Participant’s Guide) that may be used to assist individuals or small groups analyze the evidence and make their case for Christianity.

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