WHAT CRUCIFIED JESUS?

What crucified Jesus?  The question is not what killed Him.  It was a combination of the physical abuse before the Jewish council, the scourging by the Roman soldiers, and the effects of hanging on the cross.  The question seeks an answer to why Jesus was crucified.  What led to Jesus being handed over to Pilate with the demand He be crucified?  Why did the people cry out for His death when Pilate tried to release him?

The first factor contributing to Jesus’ death was hatred.  Jesus addressed the Jews in John 7:7 stating the world’s hatred of Him “because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.”  In verse 19 He ask, “Why go ye about to kill me?”  The problem was Jesus exposed the evil of the day.  In John 3:19,20 Jesus said: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their works were evil.  For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.”

A second factor involved in Jesus’ death was envy. In Matthew 27, Jesus is delivered to Pilate.  As the chief priest and elders made their accusation against Jesus he remained silent. Pilate then addressed Jesus but made no response so that the governor  “marveled greatly” (Matthew 27:12-14).  Matthew then explained Pilate’s practice of releasing a prisoner during the feast and he offered the people a choice between Jesus or Barabbas.  Why was Jesus a part of this prisoner release? Pilate knew “that for envy they had delivered him” (Matthew 27:18).

Also a third factor contributed to Jesus death, betrayal.  In Matthew 26:47-50 is found the betrayal of Jesus by Judas.  The price for this act?  It cost 30 pieces of silver, the price Levitical law required be paid the master of a wounded slave.  Judas later, too late, realized what he had done and attempted to return the money (Matthew 27:3-10).

Yet a fourth factor contributed, that of false testimony, Matthew 26:59,60. To summarize, the leaders sought false witnesses to provide testimony that Jesus had violated the law and was deserving of death.  They had great difficulty finding two who could agree in testimony until two came with similar enough stories for the high priest to condemn our Lord.

The final factor, the fifth, was ignorance.  After the healing of the lame man at the temple gate recorded in Acts 3, Peter preached to the assembled crowd.  He spoke of their crucifixion of Jesus saying he knew “that through ignorance ye did it, as did your rulers” (Acts 3:17).

More next week.

—Denny