All right class, how many of you think the Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus? Now, how many of you think we should endorse anti-Semitic views because of what those bad Jews did to Jesus?

Pardon me for boiling all this controversy over Mel Gibson’s new film about the final hours of Jesus life into such stupid, elementary questions. What is it with some people? Are they looking for a fight or are they just paranoid?

At the risk of being misinterpreted let me answer the questions for you. Are the Jews responsible for the death of Jesus? The answer is both yes and no. Yes, the Jewish leaders at the time of Jesus were afraid of him and plotted along with the Romans to have Jesus removed from the scene. That statement is Biblically correct and correct according to other none Christian historians of the day, namely Josephus. But the answer is also no. Only the Roman government had the power to execute Jesus, which they did. Though most of the Jews of the day hated Jesus, according to scripture and historical accounts, not all Jews participated in the crucifixion.

Now here’s the part I will never understand. How does anyone make the leap from “Jews were partially responsible for the death of Jesus” to “we have a right to hate all Jews?” I also don’t understand how anyone could hold Jews of today responsible for his death. Am I just naive?

As a missionary for a short time in East Africa I was exposed to dozens of different Christian denominations both in the U.S. and around the world. I was and am “a Jesus Freak.” In all my years as a youth worker and worship leader I have never met anyone that used Jesus death as an excuse to hate Jews. The people I have worshipped with and taught all have this general understanding of Jesus death, as recorded in the New Testament. Jesus, a Jew himself, died to take away my sins. My sins are what put Jesus up on the cross. Because of man’s evil nature I could have been one of those in the crowding asking for His death. This was and is God’s plan for the salvation of everyone who responds to His calling. God could have used a bunch of rabbits in a thicket, birds of prey in the air, or even caused the stones on the pavement to jump up and strike Jesus dead. He did not. Instead He choose to use people, some Jews, some Gentiles, some Romans, some politicians of the day to put my Savior to death. It does not matter who put Him to death. It does matter that he died to take away my sins and arose from the grave and now sits on the right hand of the Father in Glory. He has sent the Holy Spirit to guide us unto the truth through the power of the word. He is coming again and I can’t wait. That’s about it. It’s short, sweet, to the point and not anti-Semitic.

Let me be even bolder in my pronouncement. If a Christian is anti-Semitic than that person is not a Christian. According to scripture we are to love the Jew as any other man and we are to pray for the peace of Israel. We may not understand God’s special relationship with the Jewish nation but it exists, it’s outlined in the word, and God will do the judging at the final day. Amen.

Is Gibson’s film anti-Semitic? Absolutely not! Gibson says his intention was “to create a lasting work of art and engender serious thought among audiences of diverse faith backgrounds who have varying familiarity with this story.” (AP 8/12/03)

The majority of the scholars who have seen parts of the film say it is an accurate, beautiful and disturbing depiction of what we believe actually happened more than two thousand years ago. Even Rabbi Eugene Korn, the head of the Anti Defamation league’s interfaith affairs office says, “...this is not a disagreement between Jews and Mr. Gibson.” (AP 8/12/03)

Fear is controlling the reactions now. There is fear this film will turn back the clock on decades of positive progress in interfaith relations. There is a fear that some branches of Christianity will see the film and suddenly say, “hey, let’s go get the Jews for what they did to Jesus.”

Enter my Jewish friend who is now a born again believer in Jesus Christ. He remembers as a child how some older Christians attacked his parents as Jesus killers. Even now he says there are older members in his church that may not like Jews because of the death of Jesus. He says that feeling was much worse 30 years ago but still exists in some circles today.

This is nuts. How can anyone who has read the scriptures or had an encounter with the living God hold these feelings? This is ignorance at its peak! I love my Jewish brothers and sisters for who they are. I don’t love them because I see them as potential conversion targets. And if this film is some how watered down or censored for fear of the reactions from the terminally stupid than we all lose, Christians and Jews alike.

The fact is, anytime someone starts talking about Jesus, a Jew, many in the Jewish faith grow nervous. My born again Jewish friends say that’s the way it is supposed to be when you are confronted with the story and the living presence of the Messiah. Gibson’s film screams that from the highest mountaintops. That’s why they are nervous. We, Christian and Jew, are grafted from the same tree. We serve the same God. Christians believe Jesus was the fruit of that tree made complete through His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. Jews still see Jesus as a teacher and a threat, even as they did two thousand years ago.

But solely responsible for Jesus’ death? Only the bigots and those who refuse to acknowledge man’s sin are foolish enough to draw that conclusion.

Al Ruechel, Copyright 2003, All Rights Reserved

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