I find it interesting that many accuse western Christianity (especially medieval Christianity and Lutheranism) of being anti-Semitic for accusing the Jews of killing Jesus. Many will say that it was the Romans deed for political purposes and that the Jews cannot be blamed because they lived under Roman rule. But what do the scriptures say about these matters?
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Acts 2:22
Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. Acts 3:12
And when they had brought them, they set them before the [Jewish] council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name. . .” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. Acts 5:28
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Acts 7:51
For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind. 1Thessalonians 2:14
Surely it is important to know that the Jews were guilty of murdering Jesus being the Scriptures clearly teach this, and surely it is not anti-Semitic to say so being it was fellow Jews that made that accusation in the first place, and fellow Jews that acknowledged their guilt (Acts 2). The second reason it is also important is because of covenant. The dominate soteriology in Palestinian Judaism was:
- God has graciously chosen Israel as his people
- He gave them the law, which implies …
- God’s promise to maintain the election, and …
- The requirement to obey
- God rewards obedience and punishes transgression
- The law provides for means of atonement, which results in …
- Maintain or re-establishment of the covenantal relationship
- All those who are kept in the covenant by God’s mercy, atonement, and [intended] obedience belong to the group which will be saved.
One of the problems with this soteriology is that it breaks down between 6-7. There are certain covenant sins that cannot be atoned for under the law to maintain covenantal relationship (eg. murder, idolatry, adultry, etc.). There was, for e.g., not a certain sacrifice that a murderer could follow in order to be atoned for; rather under the law the guilty party was to be put to death (cut off from his people—cut off from life/covenant). This shows the weakness of the law ‘as covenant’ for sinful Israel. A ‘new way’ had to be established. Jesus accused National Israel of murder (Matt 23:35). She was guilty, and there was no way of atonement under the law. She had to be ‘born anew’–to make the ‘Jews’ (i.e., national O.C. Israel) not guilty of murder is in a way to take away their need for the New Covenant and place them back under the contentment of the law (The very law that in fact witnesses to the nation that they are ‘cut off’ from life and the covenant).
In their own view of Soteriology proving their guilty sentence for murder shows them the inadequacy of their view (i.e., the salvific mode of Palestinian Judaism) and their need for a new covenant. This is precisely what happened in Acts 2 when 3000 repented of their sin of murder (in full view of the temple, when they asked ‘what can we do’ knowing full well that under the law they could do nothing but be cut off) and were baptized into the new covenant where there is everlasting atonement. Maintaining the accusation of the murder of Jesus by the Jews (i.e., Nationally Israel) is to be both consistent with the historicity of scripture and consistent with the distinction between the covenants.
