Who Are The Real Christ Killers?

By David Ben Yakov

In this day and age when it seems that everyone wants to assign blame to everyone else we tend to overlook this fault in human character. Men want to blame women, women want to blame men; one race wants to blame another race and if a person has a bad life the psychiatric community says that it's okay to blame your parents. Of course one of the main causes of this behavior is to take the attention of one's self away from the personal and focus on the other. It seems that though we humans have been on this earth for a scant six thousand years or less we tend to forget that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

One of the most insidious forms of blame assigning is labeling Jewish people as "Christ Killers." It's been a favorite form of slinging hatred for two millennium and of all the hatred that has been cast throughout time, it is the one form that just doesn't seem to die. But what is so special about the Jewish people that makes so many revile them so much? Why above all people have they been mistreated so much? The answer is simple and we will examine it below.

It's quite evident to us by observing the long history of the Jewish people that there truly is a God, and there truly is a Satan. By God, I refer to the only God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the one and only Almighty God. All other personages that call themselves god are only trivial beings of the demonic realm who desire to deceive those who adhere to their teaching and precepts. Compared to God, they are as insignificant as a grain of sand is to the mass of the Earth, but in infinitely higher proportions.

Bible - The Word of God

Now if anyone reading this article has read the Bible, you will have to admit that the Jewish people have been the focus of God. The Bible, what we call "The Word of God," centers around the lineage of Jews, from Adam right to Jesus. If the Jews never existed, the Bible would consist of only Genesis, chapters one through eleven. Abraham was the first Hebrew (as far as the Bible is concerned) and the name Jew is derived from the name of his great grandson, Judah. The Old Testament that the Jewish people read is broken into three distinct parts known as; The Torah (or The Law) which consists of the Five Books of Moses; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The second division is known as the Ketuvi-im (The Writings) and consists of all of the historical books as well as Psalms and Proverbs. The third division is called the Nevi-im or The Prophets.

The New Testament, in Hebrew called the Brit Hadasha; also focus' most of its attention to the Jewish people. The four gospels are the story of Jesus, The Jewish King and the Jewish Messiah. Most of the Epistles focus on teaching the Gentile believers about the Jewish Messiah, who died to be Messiah for all. The Epistle of Hebrews is dedicated to teaching correct doctrine to the Jewish People. And last but not least, the Book of Revelation, though it talks about God's punishment to a disbelieving and evil human society, finds it outcome to be the salvation of the Jewish people. So, from it's inception to the very end, the Bible, and God's focus is on the Jewish people. And what other people has God shown such a kinship compassion. And, to what other people has He said:

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls [are] continually before me. Isaiah 49:15-16

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. Zechariah 2:8

I think that if God thinks the Jewish people worthy of love and saving, then all people should think of them as worthy of our love and affection.

So if God loves the Jewish people, why are they slandered and maligned? The evil of this deed lies far below the darkest depths of the most corrupt human heart. It is an insidious hatred that Satan has for the Jewish people. First, Satan hates God, so it is natural that he would hate the focus of God's attention. It is natural for him to want to destroy them because he wants to hurt God. He wants to make God look impotent. After all, if the Almighty God can't protect His people then what is the guarantee that He can protect anyone? But it is a miracle that the Jewish people are still around today. They are a true testament to God's divine protection.

When God created Adam, He gave Adam dominion over the Earth. In real estate terms, they had the deed to the world. They didn't know sin or even its concept. But when they ate the forbidden fruit they gave up that deed. The serpent (Satan) told Eve that if she ate the fruit her eyes would be opened and she would be like God, knowing the difference between good and evil. You see, she wanted to attain Godhood, which was the same sin that Satan is guilty of. Because of this, Eve and Adam came under the dominion of Satan; a dominion of sin and rebellion. Thus Satan gained the deed to the world.

Adam and Eve - The Sorrows Begin

But God had a plan that He implemented immediately. From that moment He knew that He would have to provide a redeemer for mankind and to regain the deed for the Earth. Now bear in mind that God would have been perfectly justified in destroying Man and Earth because of what was done, but He didn't. And because of His love for mankind, God addresses Satan and proclaims the first prophetic word about the coming Messiah:

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15

It's clear here that God is talking about a man that on some future day from that date, would bruise Satan's head. Well, the only one strong enough to harm Satan is God himself, so it's clear here that God is speaking of far down the road to the crucifixion and resurrection when Jesus would bruise Satan's head. Now the word "head," in the passage is interesting. The Hebrew word here, pronounced "roshe," denotes a rank or a position. English words that this word is translates to are: Captain, chief, forefront, "on high," height, "the highest part," principal, ruler, or top. The word for "bruise," in the passage, transliterated into English is "shuwph" which is translated to mean to "overwhelm," to break, bruise or cover. So, in essence, what the passage means is that the Messiah, our Lord Jesus, would be at odds with Satan, and that Jesus would walk over Satan's authority. He would finally put an end to Satan's rulership of Earth and that the world would no longer be Satan's principality thus Satan would no longer hold the deed to the Earth. Now the word of heel in the Hebrew means exactly that, a bruised heel. Many think that this refers to Jesus' heel being bruised by the nails that nailed His feet to the cross, and I tend to agree with that. So, by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, Jesus defeated Satan and put an end to any and all of Satan's folly. But of course there is still a battle being waged between Good and evil, but the evil side is fighting in vain because it is destined to lose miserably.

From the time that God made that proclamation, Satan has done his best to try to thwart God's future plans. He tried to have Pharaoh wipe out all the Hebrew children just before the Exodus from Egypt. Then, once they had left Egypt, Pharaoh had a change of mind and sent his soldiers to finish off the Jewish nation near the Red Sea, which also failed miserably. Through Haman he tried to have the Jews wiped out. He went out of his way to make the Jewish people feel hopeless. He tried to turn the hearts of the Jewish people away from God numerous times in order to get God to make a permanent denouncement. And finally, when Messiah Jesus was born, he had Herod murder all of the children in Bethlehem, 3 years old and under in hope to kill the newborn King. Of course, because of God's protection, all of these attempts to thwart God's deliverance have failed.

The story doesn't end there either. He had a chance at killing Jesus and he thought that he succeeded, but was again defeated when Jesus rose from the dead, thus starting the age of grace, a time of God's mercy for all mankind, should each person accept His gift with a humble heart. He then tried to destroy the Church on numerous occasions, with the knowledge that it is an entity of the Living God. For the two thousand years since Messiah's first advent, Satan has tried to put an end to the Jews. But why would he bother to do so? Well, look at the Bible and you will see why. There are numerous passages in the Tenach (the Hebrew Bible) and the Brit Hadasha (the New Covenant) that point to God saving the Jewish people. So, he figures that he can still make things hard for God by taking stabs at ruining God's plans of deliverance of Israel. He figures that if there are no Jews around then Jesus' plan for a return will have no basis and will be fruitless. This can only be the plan of a deranged mind, one that thinks it can outwit someone who's written history before it happens.

In the two millennia since Messiah's first advent the Jews have received especially harsh treatment. Unfortunately, most of this mistreatment has been done proclaiming that God was being done a justice by this murder and mistreatment. The Jewish people were dispersed throughout the known world after 135 AD, with the majority of them living in what was formally the Roman Empire. They have been a wandering people whom, every time they think they've found peace and safety, have been persecuted to the point where they have to search for another land to live in. They thought they found peace in Spain, but the Inquisition showed them that they weren't welcomed in Spain. Then they moved to various countries in Europe where the Inquisition seemed to follow them like some plague of hatred. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries they were the focus of several persecutions which culminated in what the Russians called Pogroms. During that time the Jews found friends in the English, so much so that one Englishman, named Lord Balfour proclaimed that the Jews should have their own homeland in what was then called Palestine. The late 1930's came around and the Jews became the focus of yet another hatred, that of the Nazi's who started with a plan to move the Jewish people out of Europe but ended up with the genocide of over 6 million Jews. The Germans were not the only offenders though. It seemed that no one in Europe wanted the Jews around anymore and they were blamed for all of society's ills. So it was no wonder that at the end of the war, so many Jewish people moved to Israel. And even since Israel's inception, the Jewish people have been the favorite target for every Islamic despotic nation that has existed. So, even today the Jews find no peace in a world that hates them with a passion.

So we have seen that Satan has taken special delight in trying to put an end to God's Chosen People. We have to admit that such a person has to be the progenitor of the hatred for the Jews. Thus, we see that the term "Christ Killers," has to come from the evil one himself. But who are the real "Christ Killers," and why did they kill Christ Jesus? The answer might be disturbing but it's true. We are all the Christ Killers. He died once and for all to put an end to sin. Who are the sinners? We all are. Since Adam and Eve were our original parents, and they were the first sinners, we inherited that sin.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23

In the scripture above the Apostle Paul, a Jew, proclaiming to the Romans that we are all sinners. He is saying that where sin is concerned, Jews and Gentiles share this trait. So if all are sinners, then all need to be atoned for. Again we read of our dilemma and God's solution:

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also [is] the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, [which is] by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as [it was] by one that sinned, [so is] the gift: for the judgment [was] by one to condemnation, but the free gift [is] of many offences unto justification. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)  Therefore as by the offence of one [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one [the free gift came] upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21

In Biblical days the the Law of Moses demanded that if one sinned, they would have to present a sacrifice to the priest to be presented to God on their behalf. This sacrifice always consisted of an animal. The animal had to be kosher, which means clean and acceptable by the rules that God Himself laid down; and it had to be without spot, meaning without physical defects or blemishes. These animals were usually the pride of the owner and the most prized of their herds. After all, a sacrifice is supposed to be giving up something of value. Anyway, the only way to atone for sin was through blood. Paul was aware of this when writing to the Hebrews:

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:22

The sacrifice of animals wasn't only performed by Israel, but by many cultures that surrounded them and throughout most of the ancient world. Today it is still practiced in some cultures. But for the sake of this article and the point we're trying to stress, we are examining the Biblical provisions for sacrifice and atonement, which in our opinion, is the only valid form.

As mentioned above, the ancient cultures knew the value of blood sacrifice. Most of the sacrifices were not for atonement of sin, but for pleasing their deity in order to affect the forces of nature whom their gods were supposedly in control of. One should also note that almost always, where the pagan sacrifices were concerned, the sacrifices would degenerate over time to include human sacrifices.

Jesus went through great lengths to stress in the Gospels that He was going to lay down his life as a sacrifice for the Jewish people. He did come as the Jewish Messiah after all. At that time though, the Jewish people were looking for a political Messiah, not an atoning one. Jesus knew though that His sacrifice was going to have farther reaching affects then just atonement for the Jews. This is evident in the scripture that most Christians have memorized, and yes, even those who claim to be Christians, but also tend to mock the Jews. Jesus says in John, chapter 3 verses 16 - 17:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

Now, those who cry out, "Christ Killer," to the Jew walking down the street fail to remember that the scripture above uses the word, "world," denoting all those who live in the world; not just Jews, but Gentiles also. The words, "He Gave," really means "He gave as a sacrifice," for the world; with full knowledge that all humans who ever lived in the past, and who lived at that time, and those who would live in the future were sinners and would need atonement. That's everyone folks!

Another very important thing to remember about all of this is that although some Jewish people were involved in the conspiracy to kill Jesus the Messiah, they were a very small minority of the whole Jewish population. All indications are, taking into account what the scripture says, that those who conspired against Jesus were mainly of the Jewish leadership. There were many Jews who followed Jesus and believed him to be the Messiah, even some of the leadership; taking Nicodemus to be just one. To say that all Jews are Christ Killers because of what happened is akin to saying that all Americans are no good based on our leadership and the way that they conduct themselves. Most Americans are decent hard working people with morals and values; not to be judged by their leader's actions. Now, concerning the implication of the Jewish leadership in Messiah's death, if you don't believe me, just read the accounts in the Gospels.

Now what about the Gentile implications in the crucifixion? It was the Roman soldiers who had Jesus scourged; they were the people who spit on Him; they put the crown of thorns on Him; it was the Romans who nailed Jesus to the cross and it was a Roman soldier who put the spear through His side. It was the Roman Procurator named Pilate who had the authority to free Jesus, but fearing a riot, he decided to proceed with the crucifixion. Pilate had the resources to put down any riot, but did not. Now these people were not Jews, but Gentiles, and some of them could quite possibly be a forefather of you or me.

So why did this all happen? Why were the Romans so involved? The answer is simple. As we read above, God gave His Son for the World, not just the Jewish nation. Seeing that God gave His Son for the world, then representatives of both the Jewish realm and the Gentile realm had to be involved in the death of Jesus. He was a sacrifice not just for the Jews, but also the Gentiles, so both Jews and Gentiles had to sacrifice Him. And it is because of that, that every human that has ever lived has had participation in Jesus' death. So remember that the next time you point out a Jewish person, and you think or verbally say "Christ Killer," you are condemning yourself too.

Now Jesus knew that He was giving himself for the sins of the world. One scripture that points this out is as follows:

As the Father knoweth me even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. John 10: 15-16

Let's look at the second part of that scripture first. Now, many have gone to great lengths to explain the second part. The Mormons say that he is referring to the Native Americans because they teach that Jesus came to the new world after His resurrection. Those who believe in extraterrestrials say that the scripture proves that there is life on other planets. Well, those are interesting tales, but they are only speculation, and dead speculation at that, because they are only conjured theories. We must look at who Jesus was talking to. We must also remember what He had said in His ministry before this time. Jesus went out of His way to stress prior to this that He came to save the Lost House of Israel. Since He knew that He would be an atonement for Gentiles also, it is clear that He in John 10: 15-16 is referring to the Gentiles. Jesus says that they will all be one fold with one shepherd. The Apostle Paul also reinforces this fact when he says:

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10: 12-13

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 4: 28-29

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Colossians 3: 9-11

It would be good to examine the first part of that verse in John. Jesus clearly makes the comment that He laid down His life for the sheep. By that, He meant that He was forfeiting His life and giving it as a sacrifice for sin; the sin of the sheep. You and I are the sheep. In another passage He reiterates this fact:

Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, bit I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. John 10: 17-18

So we can see that Jesus, along with the Father were in control of the whole situation. The Father commanded Jesus to lay down His life as a sacrifice, Jesus complied with the order and men were used to execute the order. The very men who were trying to put an end to Jesus and His ministry were actually fulfilling not only God's command, but all of the prophecies concerning the death of Messiah. That is why Jesus uttered the following words while on the cross:

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do... Luke 23:34

He wasn't asking for forgiveness for their murder of Him because they were actually fulfilling God's will, but He was asking forgiveness for the hatred that they had for the sacrifice that was offered as atonement for their own sins.

Another interesting point where all of this is concerned is God's timing in this wonderful event. We know from reading above that God had to use both Jews and Gentiles to sacrifice the Lamb of God in order for all the world to be atoned for where sin is concerned. But God also used a wonderful timing in all of this. Had the Father decided to sacrifice His Son in the Old Testament times then the message probably would not have reached around the world as it did. It would have been part of the Hebrew religion and would have remained in that local part of the world. Had our Father sent Jesus on His mission during the occupation by Babylon or even Media-Persia then the message would have remained in that part of the world and the message probably would have stagnated when those empires expired. Had the Father decided to sacrifice His Son during the Greek occupation then the message would have gotten a broader audience. But, although that audience would have been bigger, it still would have only been confined to Western Asia, Egypt and perhaps as far as the borders of India because that is as far as the Greek Empire reached.

The fact is that God waited until the Roman Empire had expanded over the vast region of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. So you ask, why is that important. It is important because the Roman Empire would later dissolve and become the nations that would one day colonize the world. The Roman Empire in Europe consisted, among other places; England, Portugal, Spain, Italy, France and other players who would reach out around the world setting up colonies and bringing the message of Christ Jesus with them. But let's go one step farther and look at what became of Europe after the dissolution of Rome. Europe became a mishmash of states and city states that really had no cohesion. Very few of these states wanted anything to do with their bordering states and many wars occurred. Each would have had its own heathen religion with various gods and goddesses making it very difficult for the gospel of Christ to be delivered let alone accepted. So, God in all of His wisdom picked just the right time to present His Son Jesus as the sacrifice for all. Of course, those of us who believe in Him and believe Him know that His timing is perfect in all situations.

In Conclusion:

Well, I guess that to summarize we should have come to some very important conclusions. First, it is the sin of every human who ever lived that put Jesus on the cross. The Jewish people aren't Christ Killers. It was both the Jewish and Roman leadership of Jerusalem who called for the death of Jesus the Messiah and the common people were of no implication. And finally, no one really murdered Jesus, but He laid down His life as a sacrifice and the men involved were just fulfilling what God had planned all along. So, if anyone calls a Jew a Christ Killer, they make themselves out to be a hypocrite and they are mocking God. If that is the food that you dish up onto your plate, then get ready for a real sour stomach, because that is what you'll have when you stand before Jesus on the day that all of our actions will be judged.

Dave Ruffino