I recently asked this question of our youth Bible Prayer and Fellowship class.  The following are their responses:

The first response was: the soldiers.  Certainly the Roman soldiers were the one’s who inflicted the physical punishment on Jesus.  First, they beat Him until He was barely recognizable.  Then they were the one’s who were given the task of nailing those nails into Jesus’ flesh and lifted the cross into place there between two thieves.

Another response was:  the religious rulers.  These were the “chief priests and teachers of the law” who were members of the Sanhedrin.  They paid off Judas with 30 pieces of silver in order to arrest Jesus quietly, away from the crowds that normally followed Him everywhere.  They put Jesus on trial and found Him guilty of blasphemy.  They did not have the authority to kill Him so they sent Him to the Roman Governor under the charge of seeking to overthrow the Roman government.  When they could not convince the Governor, they stirred up the crowd to call for Jesus to be crucified.

Another response was:  Pilate, the Roman Governor.  Jesus was brought before Pilate with the charge of claiming to be a king.  Pilate questioned Him and found no fault in Him.  The members of the Sanhedrin were insistent that Jesus be put to death.  Pilate brings Jesus out before the crowd along with another prisoner named Barabbas.  He gives them a choice between the two for release according to the custom at Passover.  The crowd, encouraged by members of the Sanhedrin, called for the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus.  Pilate attempts to satisfy the crowd by having Jesus beaten.  The crowd will not be satisfied.  Finally Pilate gives in to the crowd and hands Jesus over to the soldiers to be crucified.

Another response was:  all of us.  Someone had obviously been listening in Sunday School.  Jesus went to the cross in order that we might be saved from the consequences of our sin.  Therefore, in a way, we are all guilty of killing Jesus because of our sinfulness.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16)

The final response was surprising:  no one.  While Jesus was on the cross, the crowd yelled, “he saved others why not save himself.  If you are the Christ, come down from the cross and we will believe.”  Indeed, Jesus is the Christ and He died on that cross in order to fulfill the plan of God.  He willingly chose to stay on that cross.  He could have chosen to come down.  He could have saved himself but He chose to save all of us instead.  “When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”  (John 19:30)  Jesus gave up His spirit.  He willingly sacrificed His life so that we might have His life.

The real answer is:  all of the above!  Jesus died on the cross for all of us.  He said, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”  He died so that we could be forgiven.  He rose from the grave three days later so that we might also rise to live a new and eternal life.  Jesus gained victory over sin and death.  He gives us the ability to do the same as we trust in Him and call upon His name.  As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, remember that Jesus died to give all of us the victory of Resurrection.

Pastor Alan Thomas <><