when Christ died between the years 26-36 AD, who was responsible for an innocent man’s death?
1. Judas, he betrayed this man for money.
2. High priests, they envied him.
3. Pontius Pilate, to appease the crowd’s ire, he had an innocent man whipped and hanged.
4. the crowd, they chose the death of an innocent man over the death of a murderer.
5. All of the above; everyone.
6. None of the above.
Why? What did they do? Ultimately what does it matter? It was just an innocent man like any other. Normal, probably introverted, a good man at heart. Yes, when the death of this normal man “coincides” with the temple’s consecrated protective veil being torn from the ceiling to the ground. Yes, when the death of this normal man provides a darkness over the land. Yes, when he died for no reason but everyone’s ire to be sated.
Who was responsible?
Them, the Israelites?
Them, the Romans?
Them, the authorities?
Them? No, us. All of us, every living human being.
What did we do? Why are we responsible, you say.
We were a Judas in betraying Jesus to the world, in exchange for our selfish wants.
We were the high priests in envying his purity, his position, his power, his innocence before God.
We were a Pilate in finding no fault in him, yet to appease the people’s dissension, we side the crowd; sending him to be whipped and then to crucify him.
We were the crowd in yearning his death, crucifying an innocent man.
He rebuked the winds, and the storm calmed [a]
He cast out demons, and the demons knew the authority [b] [c]
He caused a man, paralysed for 38 years, to walk and carry his mat with him [d]
He feeds a crowd of 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and two fishes, with 12 baskets of leftovers thereafter [e1] [e2] [e3]
He healed the sight of a man, who was blind from birth [f]
He brought a man back to life [g]
What did he do wrong?
Falsely accused, he kept silent.
Yet we go back to his death, and we give thanks as we realise that as this man hangs on the cross:
our inherent foulness pins this man to the cross of God’s will.
This man’s blood covers the nails, covers the cross- bridging the impure to the wholly pure.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3.16-17
