Who Really Killed Jesus?
Dearest Friends,
What is the truth to the most famous killing of all time? Was Jesus killed by the Jews accusing Him of blaspheming God? Was it the Romans through Pontius Pilate who is charged with Jesus’ death? Was it Judas, Jesus’ follower who betrayed Him out of greed? Was it Caiaphas, the high priest and the other Sanhedrin and Pharisees who killed Jesus out of envy and fear? The Jewish leaders were threatened by the quick rise and popularity of Jesus and were fearful of losing their status. If you have thought about this question before and you know your Bible then you know the truth. It was none of the aforementioned who killed Jesus. Then who killed Jesus? It was Jesus’ Father who killed Him.
It was God our Father who killed His own Son. It was His Father who put Jesus to death so that we might live. God sacrificed His son for us. He did not spare His son, but He killed His Son. The Lamb has been sacrificed. God killed His Son for us. What kind of a God does this? God’s love for us, that He would kill His own Son, a young man who lived His entire life perfectly, sinless, as the incarnate God on earth. We know that God is love [1 John 4:8.16]. He loved us before the creation of the world. You see, before we existed, God—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit had already planned for Jesus to be the sacrifice for the sins of man. Jesus’ death was already predetermined. It was set in motion before the creation of the world.
The death of Jesus was planned by God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God knew that man would fall into sin and by God’s grace He wanted to save man because He created man and loved man. “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” [John 3:16].
Could The Death of Jesus Been Spared?
We must always keep in mind that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and our ways are not His ways [Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:33-34]. We cannot comprehend the world as He sees it. We are not all powerful. Our minds and power are so puny and insignificant compared to God who is all powerful and all knowing. We might say, “If God is so powerful why didn’t He simply kill all the corrupted Jews and destroy the occupying Romans? It is because God’s ways are not our ways. Do you remember the story of Job? When Job started to rebuke God, God revealed His omnipotence to Job [Job 38-42]. Job was disgusted and ashamed of himself after God spoke. Job repents in verse 42 acknowledging that he has no knowledge of God, that he should not have spoken. Job did not really know God. Job’s understanding of God has changed.
Job’s Response to God
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
“Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
Once I have spoken, but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further” [Job 40:3-5]
Job Repents
Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’
My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes” [Job 42:1-6]
Was Job passing judgment on God? We know that Job, after losing his family and his possessions, his great wealth and being plagued with disease was naturally confused, depressed and distraught. Who wouldn’t be? But, who are we to tell God what to do or how to do it? Are we smarter than God? Some people think they are; they call themselves atheists, liberals, socialist and college professors, congressmen, senators and leaders of countries. Others call themselves Satanist or mystics or any other perversions man has created.
Could the death of Jesus be spared? No. God spared the death of Abraham’s son Isaac as a sacrifice: but God did not spare His own Son. Why? A sacrifice had to be made. “The wages of sin is death” [Romans 6:23]. All have sinned and there is none that is righteous [Romans 3:23]. All men, every living human being is condemned because each and every one of us has sinned and broken the laws of God (The Ten Commandments). The only person who is perfect, holy, sinless, who did not transgress God’s law is our Lord Jesus Christ. One person [Adam] brought sin into the world and condemned us all and one person [Jesus] took the punishment for our sins, all of our sins, past, present and future. Jesus saves all from eternal death who believes in Him. It is by this act of grace that we are saved by our faith in believing in the only Son of God [Ephesians 2:8-9]. Because of our belief and faith in Jesus we are no longer condemned [John 3:18; Romans 8:1]. But unbelievers are already condemned [John 3:18].
Let This Cup Pass From Me
Jesus did not want to die. He knew what was going to happen. In the garden, moments before His arrest, Jesus prayed to His Father, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” [Luke 22:42]. Although, Jesus’s death was planned, He did not want to die. He prayed to His Father to stop it but not by what He willed but only by the will of the Father. It was the will of God that Jesus died for the remission of our sins. Jesus didn’t want to die, even though He knew it was necessary He prayed to the Father for another way. Jesus was the Sacrificial Lamb of God who gave His life on the Passover so that we might be forgiven and live. Jesus restores our relationship with God through this act. All we have to do is receive Jesus and live. Did He die for nothing? Did God sacrifice His Son for nothing?
God’s love is demonstrated by placing His full wrath on His Son at the cross. And Jesus’ love is demonstrated for what He did. God killed His Son because He loves us and Jesus died to fulfill His love for His Father and His love for us, so that all who believe in Him will be cleansed from sin, sanctified, justified and finally, glorified in heaven. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” [John 15:13]. “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” [John 15:15].
----------
Mihran Kulhanjian is President and Founder of Christian Revival Mission. He is an author and businessman.