Posted on 07/30/2003 8:19:47 PM PDT by DPB101
Gibson's gaffe. Mel Gibson needs to take a history class. It was the Romans, not the Jews, who were the Christ killers.
The flood of recent articles and publicity on Mel Gibson's forthcoming movie on Jesus' crucifixion have failed to mention the most important point about this controversy: if the movie does tell the truth about the cruelty and brutality of Jesus' crucifixion, it will make it clear that it was the Romans, not the Jews, who are the real "Christ killers".
According to the Christian Bible ( the "New Testament", especially the Gospel of Mark), Jesus, his family, and virtually all of his followers and disciples at the time were Jews. Jesus preached almost exclusively to the Jews ("the multitudes"), who dined and walked with him. It was his popularity with the Jewish people that caused Jesus to be killed by the ruling Roman authorities; and it was Jews who took Jesus off the cross, prepared him for "burial," mourned him, and then got the blame for the crime.
While a small clique of Jewish collaborators in the ruling classes are purported to have urged the Romans on, they had no real political power, all of which was held by the ruling Romans. All accounts make it clear that it was Romans who condemned Jesus to death, tortured him, put a crown of thorns on his head, spat on him, crucified him, even ran him through with a sword, fearing that this popular Jewish reformer with a huge Jewish following was a threat to Roman law and order.
The Romans went on to kill Jesus' closest disciples Peter and Paul, along with countless other Jewish "Christians", and eventually killed or expelled from the region almost all of the Jews, thus setting the stage for 2,000 years of Jewish suffering and persecution, and for the violence and territorial disputes that plague the Holy Land today.
It is unfortunate that Gibson's movie will apparently fail to make it clear who really killed Jesus, and instead will repeat the ancient blood libels that actually contradict the New Testament's account of the murder, and which have been used since that time to stir up hatred for Jesus' own people.
Indeed, the New Testament account of these events could be used to discredit Gibson's movie, which he claims is based on the truthful version of events as set forth in the Christian bible.
Yes. The Pharisees implied to the Roman governors that One who calls Himself "King of the Jews" means to make an insurrection against Rome and govern the Jews Himself.
It is not believed that all Jews demanded His crucifixion, but only those whose power He threatened: the Pharisees and Saducees.
All of this is, of course, if I recall correctly.
It is not a coincidence that the first "convert" after the crucifixion of Christ was the Roman centurion who stood guard at the foot of the cross.
Uh huh. That just leaped right out at me, too. (see #3)
Ultimately, I believe that if a Christian is confronted with the question "Who Crucified Christ?" the appropriate answer is "I did."
I, Petronski, crucified Christ.
But, Hallelujah, He saves.
I don't know why people bother with blame. It was necessary for it all to happen the way it did.
This is not a faith issue. It is a history issue and you'll probably never know. So the comments about Gidson are unprovable and arrogant.
When there's some provable history, we'll all take the lesson.
John 18:
Jesus Before PilateWhen Pilate wanted to punish Jesus and release him, the Jewish leaders and the crowd wanted Barabbas released and Jesus crucified:
28Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. 29So Pilate came out to them and asked, "What charges are you bringing against this man?" 30"If he were not a criminal," they replied, "we would not have handed him over to you." 31Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." 32"But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled.
Luke 23:
13Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16Therefore, I will punish him and then release him."[3] 18With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" 19(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) 20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" 22For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." 23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
The Jewish leaders accused him and would have killed him themselves had Roman authority permitted. But it didn't so they persuaded Pilate to do it for them against Pilate's initial finding of innocence. So the Jewish leaders most definitely were co-responsible with the Romans.
But Christ died for all our sins. We all, in fact, had a hand in killing him.
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