March/April 2001
Who Killed Jesus?
by Brian J. Waldrop
So was the culprit the butler in the basement with the butcher knife? Nope. What about the maid in the master bedroom with a monkey wrench? Try again. Maybe the repairperson toting a revolver? No.
So who did it? Who killed Jesus?
Grab your magnifying glass. Let's look for clues as we examine four primary suspects.
Suspect No. 1: The Jewish religious leaders and teachers
Motive: To stop Jesus from usurping their authority.
Clue No. 1: The leaders of the Jews were jealous because Jesus was becoming popular with the crowds.
"When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law" (Matthew 7:28-29).
Clue No. 2: The Jewish leaders and teachers condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy.
"'Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.'
"'Yes, it is as you say,' Jesus replied.
"Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, 'He has spoken blasphemy!'
"'He is worthy of death,' they answered" (Matthew 26:63-66).
Clue No. 3: The Jewish leaders didn't have the authority to carry out the death penalty.
"Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.'
"'But we have no right to execute anyone,' the Jews objected" (John 18:31).
Summation of Evidence:
The Jewish religious leaders and teachers had motive to kill Jesus, but not opportunity. They condemned Jesus to death for blasphemy but couldn't legally carry out the sentence without help from the Roman government.
Suspect No. 2: Pilate, the Roman governor
Motive: To protect himself from charges of treason and to prevent a Jewish uprising from occurring.
Clue No. 1: Jesus claimed to be a king and therefore could be considered a threat to the Roman Empire.
"'Are you the king of the Jews?'
"Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world.'
"'You are a king, then!' said Pilate.
"Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king'" (John 18:33-37).
Clue No. 2: The Jewish leaders threatened to accuse Pilate himself of treason if he let Jesus go free.
"From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, 'If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar'" (John 19:12).
Summation of Evidence:
As a Roman, Pilate didn't care about Jewish religious law; therefore, he wasn't interested in executing Jesus on the charge of blasphemy. So the Jewish leaders took a different approach.
They tried persuading Pilate that Jesus, by claiming to be a king, was a threat to the Roman Empire and therefore guilty of treason. So, in order to prevent a riot and to save himself from accusations of treason, Pilate ordered that Jesus be crucified.
The evidence shows that Pilate had both motive and opportunity, but he was coerced into deciding the final sentence. Does this mean that Pilate alone can be blamed for Jesus' death?
Suspect No. 3: Sinners
Motive: To place the punishment for the world's sins upon a sinless person.
Clue No. 1: All have sinned and are in need of a savior.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Clue No. 2: The penalty of sin is death.
"For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
Clue No. 3: The only hope for sinners is for a perfect person to suffer the penalty in their place.
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God" (1 Peter 3:18).
Summation of Evidence:
Sinners definitely had a motive (or a need) for Jesus to die -- as penalty for their sins. But the opportunity to kill Jesus wasn't there. Salvation was God's plan, not humanity's. Sinners certainly couldn't force or even expect Jesus to die as penalty for their sins.
Suspect No. 4: Jesus himself
Motive: To freely give his life as penalty for the world's sins.
Clue No. 1: Jesus predicted his own death and resurrection.
"We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again" (Luke 18:31-33).
Clue No. 2: The Bible says that Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins.
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).
Clue No. 3: Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves his motive.
"The gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Sonwho through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:2-4).
Summation of Evidence:
Certainly, the Jewish religious leaders and teachers began the process of killing Jesus by falsely condemning him on the charge of blasphemy.
And Pilate -- looking out for his own best interests -- ordered that Jesus be crucified for treason for claiming to be a king.
In addition, sinners greatly needed a perfect person to pay their death sentence.
Yet it was Jesus' own willingness to give his life as penalty for the sins of the world that led to his death and resurrection.
"I lay down my life -- only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord" (John 10:17-18).
The only remaining mystery is whether or not you'll choose to believe that Jesus died for you.
Brian Waldrop enjoys teaching teens about the Bible. He holds a biblical studies degree from Cincinnati Bible College, located in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio.