Who Killed Jesus?

Thursday May 23, 2013

Jesus said that He laid down His life for the sheep and that His Father loves Him for doing so. He also said that no one took His life from Him but that He laid it down of His own accord.

“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.” (John 10:17-18 NIV)

Evidence, related to Jesus’s crucifixion, declares that the Roman soldiers killed Jesus by nailing Him to the cross. Others say that the Jewish leaders were to blame as they led Jesus to Pilate the Roman Governor so that he, having the power to do so, would have Him put to death by crucifixion. Therefore, they blame Pilate, Caiaphas the High Priest, the Pharisees, and others who were in power at that time for the death of Jesus. Others proclaim that your sin, my sin, and the sin of whole world was the cause of the death of Jesus. According to Jesus’ own words, recorded in John 10:18, none of the above is true. Jesus said that no one takes His life from Him.

Suppose I decide to give someone a gift. I have to consider the personality of the person and the reason for the gift. I decide the time I will shop and where I will purchase the gift. I will pay for it with my own money. I then offer the purchased gift to the person I bought it for. Did that person do anything to initiate the gift? Did they decide the time or the place I would buy the gift? Did they pay for the gift? What part does the person play in the gift giving process? The only part that person plays is to accept the gift I am offering. If they do receive it I am well pleased.

God the Father planned the gift of eternal life for each of us. He determined the time and place where it would be bought. However, the gift of eternal life for each individual was initiated by God the Father and purchased by God the Son. Each of us is offered this gift and we have the choice of either receiving or rejecting it. If we receive it, God the Father is well pleased, for He knows how much it cost Jesus to purchase it for us. Jesus, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, scorning its shame, and then sat down at the right hand of the throne of His Father.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (Romans 3:21-24 NLT)

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1b-2 NIV)

God freely gave us this gift so that we would be made right with him. Jesus who had no sin, freely became sin for us, so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God and have life forevermore. We didn’t kill Jesus. He willingly paid the price for our gift of eternal life. Have you accepted the gift? If not, will you accept it today?

Who Killed Jesus?

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