Who Crucified Jesus?

Each year on Good Friday, people deliver eulogies in memory of Jesus, reflecting on the seven final statements He spoke while hanging on the cross. This day is marked by mourning His brutal death, much like the disciples who grieved in confusion and sorrow. Ironically, eulogies are traditionally reserved for the deceased, and on Good Friday, Jesus is often remembered as though He remains in the grave.

In focusing on His suffering, we may unintentionally overlook those responsible for His crucifixion. Historically, blame has been placed on Roman authorities, while theological studies point to the Chief Priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees. The Romans acted to maintain control, whereas the religious leaders—motivated by jealousy and spiritual ignorance—allowed their deep knowledge of Scripture to become a barrier rather than a light. The very texts that should have revealed God’s redemptive plan ended up obscuring their vision of the long-awaited Messiah.

The fault was not in the Scriptures but in their flawed interpretation. Regardless, both the Roman officials and religious leaders are remembered as key figures in the crucifixion of Jesus.

The Instigators

It’s ironic that many animal lovers still consume meat. In essence, they express affection for animals yet also enjoy eating them. This contradiction is made possible because someone else carries out the unpleasant task—killing the animals and preparing the meat—while they simply enjoy the outcome.

Similarly, we say we love God, acknowledge Jesus as His Son, and claim to love Him too. Yet, we continue to embrace sin, unconsciously playing a role in His crucifixion, all while blaming others for His death. Just as the demand for meat keeps the butcher in business, our love for sin is what made the crucifixion necessary in the first place. If everyone truly loved truth and righteousness, there would have been no need for Jesus to be sacrificed, and no one would have taken part in the act of execution.

Ultimately, it wasn’t just the Roman officials or the religious leaders who crucified Jesus—it was us. We are the silent instigators, and instead of owning that truth, we often shift the blame onto others. It was a crowd that cried out for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified, but in spirit, are we not part of that same crowd?

“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor “Barabbas,” they answered. “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” – Matthew 27:21-22 (NIV)

Every Good Friday, we should reflect on two deeply personal questions. First: If we had lived during the time of Jesus, under peer pressure, would we have sided with the Roman authorities or the religious leaders? Second: If not with either, would we have had the courage to stand at the foot of the cross—or would we have run away like most of His followers did?

Most likely, we would have either joined the executioners or stayed away altogether. Yet today, free from such pressure, we attend Good Friday services and honor the risen Lord—as if He were still lying in the tomb.

The Deads Are Deemed Holy

No matter how unrighteous a person’s life may have been, it has become customary to speak well of them after their death—even if they were never truly worthy of such praise. This practice continues, perhaps to comfort grieving family members or out of a lingering fear of the departed’s spirit. Whatever the reason, society has developed a habit: of speaking kindly of the dead and often harshly of the living.

On Good Friday, people mourn the death of Jesus and reflect with deep reverence on the final words He spoke from the cross. In the Old Testament, God commanded His people to observe the Passover annually, but in the New Testament, there is no such directive to commemorate Christ’s death on the cross. Despite this, we do it—often missing the deeper meaning. In doing so, many continue to view good and evil as distinct and opposing forces, neglecting the incredible truth that Jesus, in obedience to His Father, bridged that divide. He took upon Himself the weight of evil and, in doing so, transformed agape love into a lifelong offer of forgiveness.

Good Friday is not just a day of mourning—it’s the day our chains to sin were broken. It marks the moment God set us free, not to return to our old ways, but to become His children and walk in the newness of life.

So why are we still sorrowful on Good Friday? Perhaps because we remain distant from the cross—we grieve the death of Christ without having truly died with Him, or risen with Him, as Paul writes in Colossians 2:12 and Romans 8:11. Without experiencing that transformation, we continue to cling to our sins, choosing again and again to release the offense and crucify Jesus in our place. We were set free to walk in God’s light, yet we often misuse that freedom as a license to sin repeatedly.

Sinning is easy. But Christ will not die again for our recurring sins. Scripture clearly warns that for those who persist in willful sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no further sacrifice remains (Hebrews 10:26). This is a sobering reminder of the disgrace of forgiven sinners who return to their old ways.

Who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. – Hebrews 6:5-6 (NIV)

The Holy Spirit, through the Word of God, continues to remind us that Jesus died once and for all for our sins. As affirmed in 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 6:10, Hebrews 7:26–27, and Hebrews 10:26, the cross is not a place for repeated sacrifice—but a call to a once-for-all transformation.

The Empty Grave

When we clear out a dilapidated house, a ruined room, or an old container, we often describe them as “empty.” Sometimes these spaces or items are renovated or cleaned and reused. But if they are no longer deemed useful, they are discarded and forgotten. Yet, the empty tomb of Jesus still holds deep meaning—even after two thousand years.

Ironically, this significance is often highlighted by those who have not spiritually died with Christ. The empty tomb becomes a symbol of Jesus’ resurrection, yet it is mostly treated as a physical sign rather than a transformative truth. In response to the growing desire for tangible proof of His resurrection, replicas of Jesus’ tomb have been constructed across the world. Many people flock to these sites, hoping that standing before an empty grave will help affirm their belief that Jesus is alive.

Similarly, the modern practice of altar calls—where people are invited to come forward and accept Jesus—became popular in the mid to late 1700s, especially during the Second Great Awakening. Evangelists like Charles Finney helped spread this method, and it is still used by well-known preachers today. Large crowds often respond emotionally and walk to the front, moved by the preacher’s words. But the deeper question remains: how many truly receive Jesus into their hearts and begin to live a Spirit-filled life?

Do they make space in their lives to be united with Jesus in His death and resurrection, as described in Colossians 2:12? More often than not, the answer is no. The response is driven by emotion, not conviction. Once the moment passes and they return home, their faith rests not on a personal transformation but on the symbolism of the empty tomb. And so, they become the most faithful mourners each Good Friday.

But they do not grow in spiritual maturity. Jesus once said, “Let the dead bury their own dead” (Luke 9:60), urging a higher calling than just mourning or ritual observance. People may honor the dead by pouring milk on graves or lighting candles on anniversaries or All Souls Day—but Jesus never instructed us to do any of these things.

True discipleship is not about memorials or emotional responses. It’s about dying with Christ, rising with Him, and living in the power of the resurrection daily.

Jesus Is The Way

Jesus never claimed to be the founder of a religious group called “Christians.” Yet, today many follow Him as though He were just another religious leader. To address this misunderstanding, Jesus responded to one of His own disciples—Thomas—who was unsure about why he was following Him or where that path was leading.

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:5-6 (NIV)

God the Father offered Jesus as an atoning sacrifice to redeem mankind. Jesus didn’t die so that people could build monuments over His grave. In fact, He left the tomb empty to prevent such a misunderstanding—yet many still erected shrines around the empty tomb. The purpose of His death and resurrection was not to establish a religion, but to make each believer’s body His temple.

Before His departure, Jesus explained to His disciples that He had to go so He could send the Holy Spirit to dwell within them:

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.- John 16:7 (NIV)

This reveals a deeper truth: Jesus and the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) are one in purpose and presence. From the empty tomb, Jesus now enters the hearts of those who believe in Him, transforming their lives and making their bodies His temple.

That’s why the writer of Hebrews urges believers to move beyond the basic elements of religious practice and grow into spiritual maturity:

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. – Hebrews 6:1-2 (NIV)

Sadly, many remain stuck in the same place they began—going through the motions of ritual without transformation. The next verse offers a sobering reflection on this spiritual stagnation:

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit.. – Hebrews 6:4 (NIV)

God makes it clear that those still anchored in religious routine—worshipping buildings more than Him—have not truly encountered the fullness of His Spirit.

Some even misapply the parable of the Good Samaritan, likening the “Inn” to the modern-day church. Ironically, the Samaritan himself didn’t stay at the inn—he continued on his journey. Yet today, people who begin walking with Jesus, the Way, are often stopped and placed in “spiritual inns” where they are expected to follow human leadership instead of God’s voice. They’re asked to hand over what they’ve carried for the journey and to remain there, rather than continuing to follow Christ.

Centuries before, the prophet Isaiah warned of such leaders:

My people, your guides lead you astray;
they turn you from the path. – Isaiah 3:12b

This Good Friday can be a new beginning—a moment to leave behind empty traditions and truly follow Jesus. He alone grants us access to the Father, leading us to eternal life. Though it was we who crucified Him, God, in His mercy transformed that act into the very path that leads us to redemption.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. – Hebrews 10:19-22 (NIV)