Who or what caused it?

Isaiah 53:3–6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Beyond the shadow of any doubt, the worse deed ever done was the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised”—literally “crushed”—“for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3–5)

Who Crucified Jesus?

Did the Jews Crucify Jesus?

Indeed, some Jewish people were involved in the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But I also remind you that His early disciples were Jews. Peter, James, and John were Jews. The Apostle Peter, who preached that mighty sermon on Pentecost, was a Jew.

It is true that some Jews were there in His crucifixion; but only ignorance would blame the Jews as a people for the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Any hate, any anti-Semitism, that may arise, does not arise from the cross, but from the wicked hearts of men. And anti-Semitism, like all racism, is a distortion of the truth and needs to be condemned in all of its forms, beyond the shadow of any doubt.

Remember God has said in His Word concerning Israel through Abraham: “Those that bless you I will bless, and those that curse you I will curse.” (Genesis 12:3)

Did the Jews crucify Jesus? Some were there that day.

Did the Romans Crucify Jesus?

It is true that Pilate, the Roman governor, allowed His crucifixion, and compromise, and it was true that the soldiers were the ones who drove those nails in His hands, who held the lash. But the soldiers, for the most part, were only carrying out the orders of those above them. Did the Romans crucify Jesus? Some did.

Our sins were the nails that held Him to the cross. Our hard hearts were the hammers that drove those nails.
It was our sins that nailed Him to the cross. “I am guilty of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.”

What Crucified Jesus?

What were inclinations that are in every human heart that crucified the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 27 there is a panorama of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. God arranged in the crucifixion of Christ that there would be a cross-section of Christianity. There we find not only who but what crucified Christ. What was there in your heart, my heart, the heart of society, that sent Jesus to the cross?

Self-Righteous Religious People Crucified Jesus

Matthew 27:1-2 “When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death.”

These are religious leaders, many of them, doubtless, were Pharisees. They were the strictest of the strict, and very religious.
Have you ever thought what a church full of religious Pharisees would be like? They would attend more faithfully than most of you. They would give their money. They would all work in the church, and they would all die and go to hell, because they never ever repented of sin and self-righteousness. The worst form of badness is human goodness when that human goodness becomes a substitute for the new birth.

What does that mean for us? There are many who are going to go to hell surrounded with baptismal certificates, attendance in Sunday School medals, and receipts for church offerings, but have never submitted their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.
We can not behave ourselves into heaven. If self-righteousness could save, then why did Jesus die?

It does not matter how religious you are, or what church you may belong to, if you have never turned from your sin and trusted Christ, you are probably most ignorant of two things:

You don’t know how holy God is, and you don’t know how sinful you are.

Hardhearted Hypocrisy Crucified Jesus

“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.

Now Judas was a gold-plated hypocrite.

Did you know there are people who don’t come to church because of hypocrites? There are hypocrites in every area of life. In medicine, there are some doctors who are quacks. In law, there are some lawyers who are shysters. In business, there is some money that’s counterfeit.

The counterfeit is only an affirmation of the real. Men tend to counterfeit that which is good.

The other eleven disciples did not quit because of hypocrites. The Bible says that “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not.” (John 6:64) The Bible says Judas “went and hanged himself.” He never really repented. He was filled with remorse, however, and so he threw the money down, wrapped his cloak around him, went out into the darkness eaten up with guilt and remorse.

Cowards Who Compromise Crucified Jesus

Matthew 27: 11-13. “And Jesus stood before the governor:” he’s talking about Pilate, “and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.”

“When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” (Matthew 27:24–26)

Pilate had Jesus on his hands and he didn’t like it, because he had to do something with Jesus Christ. The question in Pilate’s mind was, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22) Pilate was a fence-straddler. He was a typical politician, so he tried to dodge the issue. Pilate had several influence that would help him make the right decision but he failed.

Pilate Heard the Voice of Reason

Pilate “knew that for envy they had delivered him.” (Matthew 27:18) He knew they were jealous of Jesus. His reasoning helped him see this was a scam, he knew better, Jesus should have been set free.

Pilate Heard a Voice of Revelation

God sent to his wife a dream, and his wife came to him and said, “Now, Pilate, don’t you have anything to do with the death of this just man. I’ve suffered many things in a dream because of Him.” (Matthew 27:19) God spoke to him through this revelation in this dream.

What has God told you about what you should do through someone else, did you listen?

Pilate Had the Voice of Conscience Speaking to Him

Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent. He said, “I have nothing to do with the death of this just man.” Matthew 27:24
So Pilate, trying to excuse himself, took a basin of water and washed his lily-white hands and held them up and said, “I’m innocent.” Pilate had to make a decision, do you want to keep your job? Do you want to remain here with this cushy, soft job that you have? The Jews threated to tell Caeser on him, so, Pilate out of fear, compromises.

People say, Well, a man has got to live. No, but he has to die, and after he dies, he has to face the Judgment. Pilate was a coward. He does not stand for the truth, and he assumes that he will be neutral. He says, I will not make a decision. You Jews decide. But his indecision was the worst decision, and his decision not to decide was a decision.

Matthew 12:30—Jesus said, “He that is not with me is against me.”

Don’t let the devil intimidate you. Don’t be a coward, don’t compromise.

Peer Pressure Led to Conformity that Crucified Jesus

Matthew 27:20: “But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.” Pilate had given the people a choice. The people said, “Release Barabbas.” “What? Barabbas? Well, what should I do with Jesus?” “Let him be crucified.”

This is insane, Jesus goes about healing, and Barabbas goes about killing.

Still today, people would rather have a lot of things that will hurt them than Jesus.
Why are you doing this, why do we always have to follow someone else and not make our own decision? Well, our leaders say we ought to do it. I mean, it’s the thing to do. Everybody is doing it” conformity. You know, the biggest religion in

America is the cult of conformity.

“Narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life.” (Matthew 7:14)

We want all to like us and not point a finger at us, so we compromise and go along to get along. We want to be just like everyone else.

The chief religion in America is the cult of conformity.

The god of that religion is the crowd. The chief sin is to be different, the code is obey the latest fad. The family worship center is entertainment, and the favorite hymn is “Everybody’s doing it, doing it, doing it.”

Be not conformed to this world: but be transformed.” Romans 12:2

They say we want to be different and they all end up being just alike.

Will you think for yourself? Are you going to let God speak to you? You see, these people did not know. But the point is, they could have known, and they should have known. There were others that knew. God has no favorites. Do you want to know?

Thoughtless conformity crucified the Lord Jesus. He will reveal Himself to you if you want Him to.

Hard Cruelty Crucified Jesus

The soldiers brutalized Him. Matthew 27:27: “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.”

He was brutalized, while He is suffering and dying, they are gambling at the foot of the cross.

We live in a world like that, the brutality, the terrorism, the arson, the murders, the pillage, the brutality. The hard heart of men is unbelievable, even to the cross.

Indifference Crucified Jesus

Matthew 27:36 “And sitting down they watched him there. They just sat and watched him die, not a big deal, just indifferent.

Skepticism Crucified Jesus

The skeptics were there in that day just as they are in our day and in our age.

They say, If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Matthew 27:39–44

They mocked His deity: “If you are the Son of God …”

Cynics and skeptics look down their intellectual nose at those of us who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Unbelief doesn’t come out of the head. It may show up in the head, but it comes out of the heart.

“Take heed … lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:12

What we believe is not contrary to reason; it is beyond reason. God will reveal it to you. Faith is rooted in reason and goes beyond reason.

If you want to know, you can know. John 7:16–17—Jesus said, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know the doctrine, whether it be of God.”

These things crucified the Son of God, and they are in human hearts still today.
Now I thank God that Jesus died on the cross. He didn’t have to die. He was not a martyr, not a victim. This is not an accident.

“No man taketh [my life] from me,”—He said—“but I lay it down of myself.” John 10:18

God the Father could have stopped the crucifixion had He wanted, but the Bible says “he … spared not his own Son.” Romans 8:32

God “spared not his own Son.” It is grace at its fullest. God “spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

You and I crucified Jesus, but God will forgive us, and proves it with the Resurrection.

The question is, will we repent and commit our lives to Him?

What crucified Jesus? Sin!

Whos’ sin crucified Jesus? Mine!