by John Osbron

Created on: May 25, 2009

Often times the question is asked, "Who in fact killed Jesus Christ?" One may say the Romans, after all it was Pontius Pilate, a Roman governor who sentenced him to a death which was carried out by Roman soldiers. Another may say the Jews, after all Judas was a Jew was he not? Was not Caiaphas the high priest the one who brought Jesus to Pontius Pilate in the first place? Well, the truth of the matter is Romans killed Jesus Christ, Jews killed Jesus Christ, you killed Jesus Christ, and I killed Jesus Christ. Every single human being who ever was, is, or will be killed Jesus Christ.

Jesus came into this world for one reason and one reason alone, and that was to die. He came into this world to atone for the sins of every Roman, Jew, Greek, American, Australian, Canadian, German, and every other person in this world who has "sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."(Romans 3:23) Every person in this world has sinned and separated themselves from God, and as a result of that sin we deserve death and Hell, however we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."(Romans 3:24)

While it may not have physically been mine or your hands driving the nails through the hands and feet of Christ, quibbling over whether the blame for it is to fall on Roman or Jewish heads is ridiculous because it may as well have been you and me. "[God] made Him who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."(2 Corinthians 5:21) Christ, the only man who never knew sin suffered the full penalty of all sin on our behalf, that being the behalf of all humanity, that we would reap the reward of the righteousness of God.

Jesus came to this world for the salvation of every person. "For all who believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."(John 3:16) We should collectively be rejoicing in the gift of grace given to us by God, purely out of love and of no merit of our own, rather than attempt to cast blame for the fact that Jesus died on one particular group of people, "for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."(John 3:17)

Every human being, no matter how hard they may try not to be is a captive to sin. We all fall under the category of those who have fallen short of the glory of God, and are all equally responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. There are those out there who would want to pick one group of people and just start a riot claiming Jesus' death to be all the fault of the Romans or all the fault of the Jews. If there are those of you who want to start that riot against the Christ killers, then by all means do it. Just "let him who is without sin among you, be the first to throw a stone."(John 8:7)

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