Recently Mel Gibson released one of the most controversial films of all time. The amount of publicity surrounding the movie “The Passion of Christ” has rarely been equalled if at all. One of the main issues being addressed, is that the movie will provoke anti-Semitism. This is due to the fact that the Jews are seen by many to be the ones that put Christ to death.
The Bible does indeed show that the Jews used a myriad of unjust methods to insure that Christ was put to death. From the beginning the Jews planned to use deceit (Mat 26:3-4) to bring down Jesus. They violated their own laws and procedures at every turn (for a good sermon on this very subject, listen to “The Trial of Jesus” at www.eternalgod.org/audio).
In the end the Jews caused an innocent Christ to be put to death at the hands of the Romans, one who could not be convicted by their laws or the law of God, because He was without sin. All this being said, does this make the Jews responsible for the death of Christ?
Christ had to die that we may live (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 3:16; 4:9-10). Christ HAD to die to pay for OUR sins… the sins of humanity. Christ had to die for each one of us individually, because we all have sinned (Romans 3:23).
The Jews were used as an instrument in the death of Christ. BUT as we approach Passover and the beginning of God’s Holy Day season, we need to be humbled by the realization that each one of us is personally responsible for the death of Jesus Christ while at the same time we take comfort and encouragement that we can have life everlasting through His resurrection.
