If you remember a few years back when Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of the Christ” was released, you probably heard within all the controversy the accusation that retelling the story of Jesus betrayal, arrest, trial, and death only serves to incite anger against Jews.  After all, doesn’t the Bible claim that it was the Jewish people who were responsible for this murder of all murders?  Certainly, there have been those who have used the death of Jesus to stir up hatred and violence toward the Jewish community.  But they have done so only in opposition to the Bible, the early church, and even Jesus himself.

BIBLE
First, we should remember that when the Bible recounts the responsibility of Jesus’ death it doesn’t fix it upon the Jewish community alone.  Dr. Luke (the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament) records these words in a prayer by those first Christians to God, “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed” (Acts 4:27).  This should stand in stark contrast to anyone who would attempt to argue that the Bible points the finger at the Jews.  In fact, not only are the Jews not alone in the list of those responsible, they are even mentioned last.  The only individuals singled out in this passage are Romans.  So, the Bible clearly fixes responsibility upon Roman, Gentile (everyone but Jews), and Jewish people.  And if you didn’t notice, there’s no one left.

THE EARLY CHURCH
Second, we must note that the initial followers of Jesus at the Church’s inception were Jews.  They would have considered themselves “completed Jews.”  If this is in doubt, just read though the book of acts and make note of the kinds of things going on in the church—they were having “church” in synagogues, discussing whether or not to allow uncircumcised Gentile converts into their community, and arguing about how to continue observing the Sabbath.  These are all Jewish issues and show us a Jewish Christian Church at its inception.  And though there was resentment toward certain groups like the Sanhedrin, there was no animosity toward the Jewish people in general; otherwise, they would have been hating themselves.  They didn’t believe themselves to be less Jewish simply because of their belief that the Jewish Messiah had come in a particular Palestinian Jew named Jesus.   

JESUS
This brings us to the third point: Jesus himself was a Jew.  It was just a couple decades ago that a bumper sticker began appearing on cars.  It read, “My boss is a Jewish carpenter.”  It was and is a great reminder to all of us of the historical Jesus.  We have so Anglicized Jesus that we’ve nearly forgotten that the man we worship here in 20th century America as the divine Son of God, did things like read the Torah on Sabbath, celebrate exclusively Jewish feast and festivals, dress and eat in keeping with Moses’ law, etc.  We are reminded that Jesus understood his own mission of establishing God’s kingdom to be one which was directed toward the people of Israel first.  And if there’s any doubt left, we can just think of those times in which Jesus wept over the soon coming mass murdering of his Jewish people whom he considered to be like his own children (Mt 23:37), or even his dieing desire that their sin of unjustly nailing him to the cross not be held to their account (Lk 23:34).

NO MERE VICTIM
Despite all of this, we must not think that Jesus was a mere victim.  Look back to the numerous times that Jesus said things like, “The reason my Father loves me is that 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. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father” (Jn 10:17-19).  Jesus reminded his confused apprentices that he could have at any moment summoned countless armies of angelic beings to demolish those who stood against him (Matthew 26:52-54).  Yet, Jesus willingly placed his head in the noose.  He freely swallowed the cup of severe punishment.

THE REAL CULPRITS
Though the responses to viewing “The Passion” were different, one stood out.  It was a response made up of tears.  And in those tears, there’s something that I’m guessing only Christians understood.  As I watched the extreme cruelty poured out upon Jesus in the movie’s recounting of the Gospels, I certainly felt anger toward the perpetrators.  But there was something deeper than mere pity for Jesus.  It was pangs of guilt.  It was the realization that I was ultimately responsible for what I was watching.  Like Edmund in Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I knew that it was because of my own treacherous rebellion that Jesus was suffering.  And that somehow, in that horrifying action, I was being made right with God.  But the day’s guilt clearly settled upon me.  This is what all clear minded Christians understand when we read the account of Jesus’ death.  Who is responsible for Jesus’ murder?  You and I are.  It was our sin that brought that day.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:
1. Read Col 2:13-15.  What is that Paul say God nailed to the cross?
2. What are your thoughts? (click “comments” above)