Nay-Sayer

According to the text of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - who is really responsible for Jesus' execution?

Opinions?

spin

Assuming for a moment some factuality behind the story, God.

The death would have been totally unnecessary: god didn't need the death because god doesn't need anything, ie he lacks nothing. God sent Jesus to die for nothing whatsoever. The death was supposed to be a substitution for those who having broken the law and fell short of the glory of god had to die. All that was needed to be said was, "you naughty stupid people, I forgive you, if...", but instead he, we are told, sends someone to die in the place of the naughty people. Completely futile logic. (Most women would understand that this is a weak masculine ego thing, and, yes, god is obviously masculine).

Looking at it another way, god, having created all these naughty people, is responsible for their actions. You're the one who is arrested when your rottweiler maims someone. God is responsible for those minions who carried out the execution, so god is responsible for the death.


spin

Toto

Who Killed Jesus from the Straight Dope column notes that the gospels try to blame Jesus' death on a Jewish mob, but that Pilate must have been responsible.

Of course, it depends on why you ask. Are you trying to clear the Jews of blood libel? That theme seems to be behind all of the post-World War II writings on the issue. But the gospels describe a dramatic scene (fictional or not) in which Jesus is playing out a role. Any blame should attach to the playwright, not the characters.

I think that the Catholic Church tells its flock that they are the ones who have crucified Jesus every time they sin.

VoxRat

Or a committee of playwrights? A committee that might have benefitted from one more staff meeting before opening night?

Because, on the one hand, Jesus takes his ear-severing disciple to task for trying to interfere with God's great plan, but on the other, says it would be better for Judas - apparently an integral part of that great plan - if he had never been born.

Mythra

I never have understood the grudge against the jews. According to the gospel story, Jesus willingly marched to his own death, practically instigating it. It was a necessary part of the whole atonement scheme.

Looks to me like christians owe the jews a great debt for fulfilling their obligation and following the script.

If Jesus had died of old age, what kind of a story would that be?

No punch line, no religion.

Toto

Ah, but that's just part of the drama. Judas plays the villain, and if he weren't truly evil, there would be something missing from the plot.

But he's still just reading his lines.

Rhaedas

Another vote for God. He was already on probation for influencing multiple genocides, and then there was that damn flood thing. Think of all the puppies.

Amedeo

1. To speak of the crucifixion of "Jesus of Nazarenth king of the Judeans."

2. This Jesus was executed, but there is contradictory evidence, in the Gospels, as to whether he died. [I have discussed this elsewhere.]

3. Who gave the order of the execution? Pontius Pilate, who had let the mobs choose between Jesus [bar-Yosef] and bar-Abbas. (The mobs were anonymous people, who may have acted in the interest of the High Priest, who was quite concerned with this man who pretended to be the king of the Judeans, just as, retrospectively fabricating, the scriptures say that King Herod the Great, who ruled Judea when this new king was born, was so concerned as to initiate a massacre of the newly born... but God knew the plot and sent a messanger to send the holy family go into Egypt.)

The high Priest played the final game: Checkmate! The king is dead.... or at least crucified and put away from circulation. God loses; the high priest wins.

If it were not for Paul, who fabricated the idea that Jesus died temporarily in order to save mankind from (original) sin and had not found stupid Gentiles who believed in him, we would not be here talking about the Gospel fables: They would not have been recorded by the Greeks and they would not be around for anybody of sound mind to discuss them.

Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was the great deceiver from whom Americans have not recuperated yet.

judge

Jesus of course.

Here Jesus explains that he deliberately lays down his own life.

Jesus, goes to Jerusalem intending to suffer and die. He knows death is not to be feared.




Jesus makes a strong decision to go to his death.

seven8s

And the other Jesus made a strong decision towards life, and the Jews gave it to him.

I gues you could say he 'cheated/robbed death. Oh death where art thou sting?