Who Killed Jesus?

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Who killed Jesus? Yes, who killed Jesus?  

I’m quite serious right now.  This is not a trivial pursuit question.  No, my friends, this question has weight to it.  It demands an answer this evening.  

So let me ask it again, directly this time, not for academic curiosity but for spiritual clarity:

Who. Killed. Jesus?

Let’s begin with the most obvious suspects.

Was it the Roman soldiers?

Certainly, they were the ones who physically carried out the execution. The Roman governor Pilate gave the official order. Roman soldiers arrested Jesus, mocked Jesus, and flogged Jesus. They crowned Him with thorns, clothed Him in a purple robe as a cruel joke, spat on Him, struck Him, and finally drove the nails into His hands and feet.

They were professionals of death—men trained to kill without remorse. To them, Jesus of Nazareth was just one more nameless Jew to crucify, one more troublemaker to deal with before their next shift ended. And yet, while they acted with brutality, they were tools—cogs in a much larger machine.

Yes, the Roman soldiers killed Jesus. But were they the true cause?

* * *

Moving on, was it the Jewish leadership that killed Jesus?

Ah, the religious elite—the Sanhedrin, the scribes, the Pharisees… Jesus exposed their hypocrisy. He threatened their carefully constructed religious power.  He did not bow to their authority.  And so, as you know, these religious leaders conspired against Jesus in the dead of night.  They arrested Him and brought Him before Pilate with false accusations. They stirred the crowds. They wanted blood—not just any blood, but His blood.

Yes, the religious leaders were the architects of Jesus’ death. But were they the ultimate reason for His death?

* * *

Moving on, was it Judas, the betrayer, who killed Jesus?

Let’s not forget that it was Judas who sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Judas—a disciple, a follower, a friend—turned into a traitor.

He greeted Jesus with a kiss, a fake gesture of love masked with deadly intent. His betrayal was personal and chilling.

Yes, Judas played a role. A crucial one. But was his act enough to blame him for the death of Jesus?

* * *

Moving on, was it the disciples, the ones who abandoned Jesus?  Are they responsible for His death?

Just think about it: where were the disciples? They were the ones who swore they would never leave Jesus, even unto death. However, Peter denied Jesus — not once, not twice, but three times. The rest of the disciples scattered like frightened cockroaches.

And so, in His darkest hour, the Good Shepherd – Jesus - stood alone before wolves.

The disciples were cowards.  And so, their fear played a part. But again, is this enough to explain the crucifixion of the Son of God? 

* * *

So who killed Jesus?

The soldiers? Yes, they did. 

The Jewish leaders? Yes, they did.

Judas? Yes, they did.

The disciples? Yes, they did.

They all bear responsibility.

But they are not alone.

* * *

Dear friends, let’s stop pointing the finger at everyone else for a moment.   Let’s do something we would rather not.  Let’s point inward. Let's get painfully honest.

You. Killed. Jesus.

Yes, you are responsible for the death of Jesus.

Now, you might protest, 

“But I wasn’t there! I didn’t drive the nails! I didn’t shout 'Crucify!' I didn’t abandon Him in the garden.”

No, but your sin did.

Your pride. Your lust. Your bitterness. Your idolatry. Your greed. Your failure to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Your failure to love your neighbor as yourself. Your refusal to fear, love, and trust in God above all things is what crucified Christ.  Every nail that pierced His hands and feet was due to your sin.  Your sin is what pounded the spikes.  Every stripe laid upon His back was laid by your sin. 

And so, make no mistake about it!  Jesus did not die because Rome was cruel or Caiaphas was corrupt or Judas was greedy or Peter was a coward. He died because of you.

Listen to the Prophet Isaiah!  

He was pierced for your transgressions.

He was crushed for your iniquities.

The punishment that brought you peace was upon Him.

Dear friends, the cross is not just a historical tragedy. It is a mirror. Look into it.

Do you see?

You cannot hide. You cannot excuse. You cannot escape.

You killed Jesus. That’s the verdict of the Law.  Listen to the Words of Martin Luther about 500 years ago during this very same Holy Week, 

“When you see the nails piercing Christ’s hands, you can be certain that it is your work.  You are the one who should be weeping.  It is your sin that has done this. You must get used to the thought that it is your own doing. You caused Him all this pain.”  (M. Luther, WA 2:692)

* * *

Now that we have let this sink in, let me declare to you a truth that is even greater.  Jesus chose the cross - for you.

That is to say; Jesus was not trapped. He was not manipulated. He was not overcome. No one took His life from Him. He laid it down—willingly, purposefully, and lovingly – for you.

Let the weight of that land on your soul: the very One you crucified is the One who chose to die for you.

Jesus  saw the mocking, and He did not turn away.

He saw the thorns, and He bowed His head.

He saw the nails, and He extended His hands.

He saw the cross, and He walked toward it.

Why?

Because He loves you.  He came to serve, not to be served, and to give His life as a ransom for many—for Roman soldiers, for Jewish leaders, for cowardly disciples, for betrayers and deniers, for sinners like you and especially me.

Yes, you killed Jesus. But He died for you.

Baptized Saints, listen up!  Do not think that the cross was Plan B. Do not imagine that the Father was caught off guard or that Jesus was dragged unwillingly to Golgotha. No, from before the foundation of the world, this was the plan — that the spotless Lamb of God would be slain to take away the sin of the world.

Your Jesus was made to be sin—your sin.  As St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, 

“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

At the cross, there is a divine trade that turned the world upside down. 

Jesus takes your place under wrath, and you take His place in righteousness. 

Jesus drinks the cup of judgment, and He hands you the cup of salvation.

Jesus became the cursed One that you might be blessed.

Jesus bore your guilt that you might be forgiven.

Jesus was forsaken by the Father that you might be adopted as sons and daughters.

And all of this—not because you were lovable, but because He is love.

Let this wash over you tonight: Jesus knew every one of your sins. He knew the secret sins, the repeated sins, the defiant sins. He knew the ways you would doubt Him, deny Him, ignore Him, rebel against Him—and still, He set His gaze upon a cross and then marched to the cross with redeeming love.

As Martin Luther once thundered: 

“[At the cross Christ became] the greatest thief, murderer, adulterer, robber, desecrater, blasphemer, etc., that ever was.” 

Why? Because He took it all from us and made it His own.

And He did it gladly.

But you may say, 

“How could He love us like that?”

Baptized Saints, we cannot comprehend this kind of love that goes to a cross, not out of compulsion, but out of compassion.  We cannot contemplate the kind of love that seeks not to condemn you, but to redeem you.

* * *

And so, tonight, you who are crushed by the Law, you who see your hands bloodied by sin, you who feel the burden of guilt and the shame of failure, hear this clearly and loudly:

It is finished.

The wrath has been spent. The blood has been shed. 

The sacrifice has been accepted. Christ has died for you, and He declares you forgiven, clean, justified—fully, freely, and forever.

This is not a hope based on your performance but a certainty based on His finished work. This is not advice—it is an announcement that you are not the one hanging on that cross. Jesus hung on that cross - and He did it for you. 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.