Who Killed Jesus?

By Pastor Eddie Fabry [efabry@tadaust.org.au]
Date: Thursday, January 12, 2006


Dear friends,

After such a long time people are still talking about he movie. As far as I am concerned the movie may or may not be offensive or anti-semitic, the movie does not reflect "Scriptures" as such, it is just a movie.

The question was asked :"Who killed Jesus". I have answered to the best of my interpretation of the Christian Scriptures an article that was published in our local newspaper, among many other articles on the matter.

I am attaching a copy of that article for your consideration.

Regards,
Eddie Fabry


THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST.

Mel Gibson’s highly advertised movie of the Passion is now out and a large number of people have already watched it and many more will watch it in the future.

The Jewish community is concerned for the fact that after centuries of Roman encouraged anti-Semitism, in Spain, Poland, East Germany, Russian pogroms, the Holocaust, the Middle East, etc., this movie is adding another nail to the cross - after all Jesus was a Jew.

For quite some time I have been gathering information and accumulating impressions regarding “The Passion of the Christ.” The movie covers the betrayal, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. I have heard church leaders and others express their views. I tend to respect them for the fact that they have the freedom of _expression and their views are as legitimate as of any other.

I have also realized that the majority of people and also some Christians and Jews alike have somehow a limited understanding of what the Christian Scriptures have to say on this subject.

So I prayed to the Lord for His inspiration. I was propelled in a journey that we might call “Back to the Future”. So with my Bible in hand I have tried to express my views in my best possible way. Perhaps some people will disagree with me, but I would ask them to allow me to express myself.

Who killed Jesus? The first thing that came to mind was that people have asked the same question for the past 1900 years and are still asking it. I say 1900 years because for the first century of the Christian era there had been no doubt about whom had killed Jesus.

These are the most common questions:

1. Was Jesus killed by the Jews?
2. Was Jesus killed by the Romans?
3. Was Jesus killed by a collective sinful humanity?

Before I can tackle any of these questions it would be helpful if I may be allowed to express some Biblical background and what was the reason for Jesus having to die?

The very first book in the Bible, Genesis, tells of a place called the Garden of Eden. God placed a man Called Adam in this garden… Most people know the story of Adam and Eve and there is no point of me having to relate it again. Adam was created by God and was given a mind of his own. He was free to chose to do things his own way, in the same manner we all operate.

When Adam was asked by God to do something God’s way, he chose not to do it, very much like many of us do, when confronted by our parents or some other authority. But because he was dealing with God, both him and his wife ended up outside the Garden of Eden. They were asked to leave home. This fact meant that they got separated from God. Adam and all his descendants missed out on God’s spiritual life.

But God never meant it to be that way. He immediately planned to provide a way for Adam and his descendants to be reconciled to God.

Some centuries later a man called Moses and his followers, the people of Israel were chosen by God to become the vehicle in fulfilling God’s reconciliation plan. A Tabernacle was built and as the years went by the Tabernacle was replaced with a Temple. This building was a type of the Garden of Eden and represented it here on Earth.

It was in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple in Jerusalem, that the Sacrificial System was used as ordained by God. It allowed the people to obtain God’s temporary acceptance by performing animal sacrifices. Perhaps many animal - lovers friends would be offended by this, but this is how the Bible puts it. A one - year old lamb was sacrificed and died on behalf of the people.

However God was still not too happy with the killing of so many animals, because the people were still not changing their rotten way of life. God was trying to awaken righteousness in the people’s hearts, having given them the freedom of choice so as to chose right from wrong. Animal sacrifices could not change a person’s heart.

At the right time in history, God’s final act of love towards humanity took place, for while we were still helpless, Christ Jesus died on behalf and for all humanity. God chose Jesus to be the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.

That was God’s final plan of Redemption (Redemption means to pay someone’s debt without asking anything in return). Jesus’ death was not just a killing or a murder. It was ordained by God to be a sacrifice. In the same way that the lamb was sacrificed in the Temple, so was Jesus to be sacrificed according to the Jewish Temple sacrificial law. It was to be offered to God by the Temple Jewish Priesthood as instituted by God Himself.

Did the Romans kill Jesus? Yes! But they were only instrumental to carry out the task of killing. The Romans could not have offered a sacrifice to God. That would have been unacceptable, because God would not accept a sacrifice offered by Pagans.

Did the sinful world kill Jesus? The answer is No! The world had no mandate from God to offer God’s Son as a sacrifice. Jesus died to redeem humanity thus, allowing all of us to choose access to Paradise (Heaven, Garden of Eden). This is what Redemption is: “the opportunity to accept God’s invitation to be a very special guest in God’s house.” This could only be done by Jesus dying on our behalf.

So, who killed Jesus? Rather we should ask: “WHO SACRIFICED JESUS?” The answer is quite obvious, the Jewish Temple Priesthood did. Jesus had to be sacrificed by them, otherwise it would not have been an acceptable sacrifice to God, and Redemption would not have taken place at all. Humanity would have still been standing outside the Gates of Heaven not being able to get in, even if they wanted to.

The Temple Priesthood incited the mob and forced Rome’s hand to have Jesus killed. So where is the sacrifice in all that? If the Jewish Priesthood were aware that what they were requesting would have been a sacrifice, they would have refused to do it. You see, Jewish law forbids human sacrifices.

So how did God make them do it? Scriptures tell us, that God gave them a spirit of stupor so as to blind their minds about what they were about to do.

Because it was all God’s doing, it would have been unfair for God to let them be blamed for something He had planned Himself beforehand. Even in his unfathomable pain, Jesus’ love and justice prevailed. The Scriptures say that while Jesus was dying on the cross, he cried out: “Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing”.

Would you think that God did what His Son was asking Him to do? Well, if God and Jesus did forgive the Jewish Priesthood, how would anyone be so insolent in assuming that they can still call them “Christ Killers”?

I cannot conclude this article without mentioning the Resurrection of Jesus. The story doesn’t end with Jesus’ death, because we already know that God is true and righteous. God would not allow death to get hold of Jesus.

Without the Resurrection of Jesus no one can receive the Salvation that is only found when we accept God’s invitation to be reconciled to Him.

Jesus said to Samaritan woman "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." (John 11:25)

Pastor Eddie Fabry


Ed note: I invite anyone to send a response to Pastor Fabry's message, which will be posted here. Send an email to Shlomoh at kingsolnew@yahoo.com with the subject, PASTOR EDDIE'S ESSAY
My own response follows.
Pastor Eddie's statements appear in regular font preceded by his initials. My responses appear in red without initials.


EF:   Who killed Jesus? The first thing that came to mind was that people have asked the same question for the past 1900 years and are still asking it. I say 1900 years because for the first century of the Christian era there had been no doubt about whom had killed Jesus.

This is true. People knew that Jesus was killed by the Romans as a seditionist against their rule in Israel.

EF: However God was still not too happy with the killing of so many animals, because the people were still not changing their rotten way of life. God was trying to awaken righteousness in the people’s hearts, having given them the freedom of choice so as to chose right from wrong. Animal sacrifices could not change a person’s heart.

It is doubtful if sacrifices can change a person’s heart. People repent or not, independent of sacrifice. Look at the world today, with a great majority of people who call themselves followers of Christ. They are STILL rotten, much more rotten, by the way, judging by their history, than Jews EVER were. Jews never persecuted and killed people for their beliefs. Christians have done so and tacitly they still believe that killing sinners should be done. Look at all the hatred they generate, for example, against homosexuals.

EF: Did the Romans kill Jesus? Yes! But they were only instrumental to carry out the task of killing. The Romans could not have offered a sacrifice to God. That would have been unacceptable, because God would not accept a sacrifice offered by Pagans.

The Romans had no intention of sacrificing Jesus. He was killed as a warning to other would be messiahs or people proclaiming themselves king.

EF: Did the sinful world kill Jesus? The answer is No! The world had no mandate from God to offer God’s Son as a sacrifice.

It appears no one had a heavenly mandate to kill Jesus except God Himself. In fact, God is ULTIMATELY responsible for killing His own son since He arranged the death.

EF: So, who killed Jesus? Rather we should ask: “WHO SACRIFICED JESUS?” The answer is quite obvious, the Jewish Temple Priesthood did. Jesus had to be sacrificed by them, otherwise it would not have been an acceptable sacrifice to God ...

The Temple Priesthood incited the mob and forced Rome’s hand to have Jesus killed. So where is the sacrifice in all that? If the Jewish Priesthood were aware that what they were requesting would have been a sacrifice, they would have refused to do it. You see, Jewish law forbids human sacrifices.

If the only acceptable ones to kill Jesus were the priesthood, why ask the common people to help? According to the word given the Jews by God, only the clergy could perform sacrifice. The common people were not even allowed into the Temple’s priestly precincts.

EF: Because it was all God’s doing, it would have been unfair for God to let them be blamed for something He had planned Himself beforehand. Even in his unfathomable pain, Jesus’ love and justice prevailed. The Scriptures say that while Jesus was dying on the cross, he cried out: “Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing”.

If this is true then Judas himself has to be held blameless because it was preordained that he hand Jesus over. And by the way, according to Pastor Eddie’s logic, Judas should have handed Jesus over directly to the priests. He didn’t.
But Jesus said in the 22nd chapter of Luke’s Gospel, ‘But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed!’
Is it fair to blame Judas if he was the DETERMINED one? Nevertheless Jesus says, Woe unto him. And Christians have said, Woe unto the Jews even though, according to their own theology, the Jews are the determined killers. Ergo they are ‘Christ-killers’.

EF: Would you think that God did what His Son was asking Him to do? Well, if God and Jesus did forgive the Jewish Priesthood, how would anyone be so insolent in assuming that they can still call them “Christ Killers”?

Obviously 2000 years of Christian hatred, resulting in the Holocaust, have done so.


From: "Eddie Fabry" [efabry@tadaust.org.au]
To: "Shlomoh Sherman" [kingsolnew@yahoo.com]
Subject: Re: Hello Pastor
Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Thank you Mr. Sherman for your acknowledgement.
If you would ever need any other moral and religious
articles in the future, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Regards,
Pastor Eddie Fabry


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