Replies

I actually thought it was the religious leaders who condemn jesus to death thru the crowds and the romans who up held jewish law.

I don't know I maybe wrong won't be the first time, but if that is not the case I will stand corrected quite quickly.

The Jewish leaders were the ones who captured him and led him away. He was tried before their tribunal before being sent to Pilot.

No, While they screamed and moaned to have Christ killed, there was not ONE law from Moses that concemnded Jesus.

Most points this guy made were right on, but he left out how th first people who killed Christians were Jews in Jerusalem, Stephen. Led by the future Apostle Paul.

I actually thought it was the religious leaders who condemn jesus to death thru the crowds and the romans who up held jewish law.

Yes, indeed. The religious leaders of the Jews wanted to get rid of Jesus. They didn't want to have his blood on their hands, especially at the high holiday of Passover, so they petitioned the Roman rulers to carry out the task for them on trumped up charges (sedition or insurrection, I think, will have to check Bible - computer probs tonight, no links) and got the crowds all fired up. The crowds were waiting for the Romans to give amnesty to and release a prisoner - Barrabas, as the Romans always granted this amnesty release during the high holidays, kind of like appeasement. The Roman rulers were reluctant, because questioning with Pilate did not reveal wrongdoing, but they were eager to avoid a riot. Seems like both groups played a part. The Romans carried out the actual crucifixion, as they routinely used such methods to punish criminals.

that's the way I recall it, too. I don't have my Bible with me (at work) but I'm pretty sure that the Pharisees are the ones who corralled Jesus, tried him, condemned him, and then turned him over to Pilate for execution.
None of which is or should ever be taken as license for calling Jews "christ-killers" or anything like that - the author correctly pointed out that Jesus et alia were themselves Jews. Moreover, of course, how are modern Jews accountable for the acts of the Pharisees 1970 years ago? That's worse than holding the modern white descendants of dirt-poor yeomanry accountable for the institution of slavery from 140 years ago.
I am curious as to why the author is so... eager to wail? exercised? about this issue - no one with a brain these days takes the old "blood libel" seriously.

Your interpretation agrees with my reading of the Gospels-- just read all 4 for the first time over the past 2-3 months.

The Pharisee's and their council the Sanhedrin conspired with Judas to betray Jesus, and they took him to Pilate (the Roman Procurator) for execution, knowing they couldn't kill Jesus but they persuaded Pilate to use his authority on trumped up charges to execute Jesus:

John 18:

Jesus Before Pilate
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.

When Pilate wanted to punish Jesus and release him, the Jewish leaders and the crowd wanted Barabbas released and Jesus crucified:

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.

Yes, you're wrong.

Rome ruled Palestine ( their name for Israael, BTW ) and the Jews had absolutely NO say so over any of the laws. Jesus said " RENDER UNTO CAESAR ...", because Caesar WAS Rome and the head of the empire. The ONLY person, who could render the sentence of crucifixtion, was Pontius Pilate.

The Ancient Roman Empire was pretty easy about the religious practices, the peoples in the places they ruled over followed, with one caveat. They demanded that those peoples also acept their Caesars as gods and follow their laws. The Jews, being the oNLY monotheists, threw a HUGE monkey wrench into that mix, as they refused to accept any god but GOD; hence a lot of the friction.

During and even predating Jesus' time on earth, there were various sects within Judaism; some more militant than others. This was a problem for the Romans, since the Jewish Messiah, was , acording to Jewish traditions, supposed to come to fight . There were many " leaders ", at this time, doing just that ... fighting the Romans. They had to be put down.

But, the Jews had NO power, none whatsoever, in telling Pilate who or how to kill anyone.

You are not wrong, all were guilty. The Roman Governor gave them a choice between Jesus, and Jesus Barabas. Barabas being a criminal and murderer that had terrorised the land far and wide. Pilot was scared, and he was hoping the crowd would feel pity for the beaten condition Jesus was in and set him free for what seemed to the Romans not much of a crime, instead the crowd freed the criminal Jesus Barabas, those of understanding know that Barabas served as an example of mankind, in the future, choosing the anti-Christ, the fake Christ at the coming time appointed.

We have all seen how a man can be a super star one day, and yet have his fans turn on him and eat him like lions the next day. Roman hero's enjoying parades in their honor had a servant riding in his chariot whispering in his ear, "Fame is fleeting". The same happened to Jesus, the crowds that wanted to lay hold of him and make him King the previous day, turned on him before the court.
When Pontious Pilot washed his hands of the blood of Jesus, a woman in the crowd yelled, let his blood be on our hands, and the hands of our children.

Does this mean in any way what so ever that the Jews are not to this day "the apple of God's eye"? No, they are still the apple of His eye and mankind should tremble at the thought of bringing harm to them. A Christian understanding the mysteries of Christ will lay down his own life for their protection.

Jesus said that if he had gone to the gentiles they would have believed him, He chose to reveal himself to the Jews for the express purpose of being rejected. Did Jesus committ suicide as some imply? No. He allowed things to take their natural human course, mute as a sacrificial lamb. So now we are no longer a mass of chemicals merely made in God's image, with no more connection to Him than as created to creator. He chose to become one of us in the flesh, to unite us in a way that makes us much more than we ever were before. He became a part of us, so that we can become like Him.

As Peter said, "it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we do know that when He appears we shall be like Him."
All were guilty, and all were forgiven when Christ said on the cross, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do". So who is anyone else to hold anyone guilty whom God has forgiven?

and the romans who up held jewish law.

No, the Romans upheld Roman law.