Who Killed Jesus?
On Easter Sunday, 1903 a mob descended on the Jews of Kishinev. 50,000 were murdered. Meir Weissman, a humble grocer blind in one eye from birth begged for his life. His good eye was gouged out, “You will never again look upon a Christian” said his assailant.
“Christian antisemitism” sounds like an oxymoron. Before we begin this section we need to define some terms. Most of us would define Christian as an individual who follows Christ. A person who seeks to understand the life of Jesus and imitate it. In this section when we say Christian we mean more of a cultural, “In Name Only” sense. We are using the term broadly as individuals or nations who bore the name of Christ.
The oldest and least coherent assault on Jews is the claim that, collectively, they killed Christ. Despite making as much sense as “The Americans killed John F Kennedy”, this myth and the legacy of “Christian” antisemitism has done untold harm to Jews over the centuries and has sullied the name of Christ in whose name these crimes were committed.
Now it might be tempting to see this sentiment justified in the Bible, after all Matthew 27:25 reads,
“When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’ All the people answered, ‘His blood is on us and on our children!’”
Centuries later this became known as the Blood Curse upon the Jewish people, a biblical justification to torment them. But such an interpretation made little sense at the time. The early community of Jesus followers was virtually entirely Jewish, they worshiped in Jewish synagogues, spoke Hebrew and they were considered a sect within Judaism. Even the Apostle Paul continued to interact with the Jewish community as a Jew, albeit as one also following Jesus. The passage only makes sense when interpreted as referring only to the Jews present as Jesus’ conviction.
As well, it is clear within the gospel that no man could take his life which Jesus gave up willingly,
“No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” John 10:18
The first major charge of “Deicide”, killing Christ, was in the fourth century, by church leader John Chrysostom. He had been losing some of his parishioners to Christians who preferred to go to local synagogues to connect with Christianity’s Jewish roots and because rabbis were often better educated than Christian clergy. Rather than reaching out to the Jewish community to build bridges or improve his skills as a pastor, he went on a rabid antisemitic attack. Increasing discord and ill will rather than correct his own short comings as a church leader.
He wrote the Adversus Judaeos, a series of attacks on the Jews and Christians who saw 30 Antisemitism 2020 a value in understanding their Jewish roots. “For the Crime of Deicide, no Expiation is Possible” he wrote. In so writing he demonstrated a basic ignorance of the facts. Despite even the Nicene Creed making it clear that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate and the fact that Jesus surrounded himself almost exclusively with Jews this charge became a key weapon in Christian antisemitism.
This kind of thinking allowed corrupt clergy and rulers to spread lies to redirect rage against them whenever it was convenient to do so. Some of the most common false accusations were “Blood Libel”, the charge Jewish people would abduct Christian children to use their blood in the making of Sabbath bread and “Host Desecration”, the idea that they would break into churches to destroy the communion bread.
Unfortunately lies do not exist in a vacuum. These lies led to the persecution and deaths of thousands of Jews throughout Europe.
Combat Antisemitism
Antisemitism is on the Rise, we as Christians must Oppose it!
Antisemitic attacks are the most common hate crime in the United States, and these attacks are spreading around the world. As Christians we must not be silent!
