The Bible is clear that the early Jewish religious leaders were foremost in condemning Jesus to death at his trial on trumped-up charges, and they brought him before the Roman governors to request the death penalty (because that right had been taken from them when the Romans took over.) Technically, it was the Romans who crucified Christ, not the Jews.
However, from God’s perspective, the crucifixion of the Son of God by the Jews and Romans was representative of mankind’s wholesale rejection of Christ. For example, when Paul the apostle preached in Athens, he said, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31). If only the Jews were responsible, then why is God calling all the world to repentance? Why will Jesus judge the whole earth if only the Jews were guilty?
Furthermore, God has not cast out the Jews forever. Paul wrote, “I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:1). If God had a vendetta against the Jews for killing his Son, then why did he save the apostle Paul and commission him to preach the good news? Why would he save Jesus’ disciple, a Jew named Peter, and commission him as an evangelist to the Jews (Galatians 2:7-8)?
When Jesus comes again, he will come to Israel and save the Jews in their moment of greatest need (Zechariah 12), at the battle of Armageddon. They will look on him who they had pierced, and will sorrow. Jesus will even appoint Jews as rulers over Israel in his future, eternal government (Matthew 19:28).
Paul also wrote, “… that hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: ‘The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob'” (Romans 11:25b-26).
What Do You Think?
a. Is anti-Semitism appropriate, since God has not cast off the Jews, and has called all to repent of their sins?
b. When Peter preached to the Jews in Acts 2, the Jews believed and repented, and 3,000 souls were saved. Does this show that God prefers preaching repentance over violent acts toward the Jews?
