acim

Imagine that a very kind father has a beloved son—his firstborn. Now,Guest Posting some criminals in a far away land have committed an offence deserving of death. This good man purposely sends his son to die for these criminals so that they would be saved. When his beloved son arrives, one of his friends takes money from some of these condemned criminals who had trumped up charges against the son. They take the son to their king, who instead of freeing him, hand him over to the hangman to be executed.

 

Now, who really caused the death of this son? Is the father not guilty of first-degree murder or at lest manslaughter? Can the son not be charged for second-degree suicide? Is the son's friend who betrayed him to blame. What about the criminals who framed up the charges against the son? Or is the king who played safe to be held accountable? Or do we blame the executioner who finished the dastardly act?

 

The kind man in this illustration is God, the son is acim, while his friend who betrayed him is Judas Ischariot. The criminals who framed up the charges against him are the Jewish leaders, the cowardly king is Pontius Pilate and the executioner represents the Roman soldiers.

 

Passion stories of Christ, the greatest man, who ever lived, have always generated interest. But Mel Gibson's recent movie, "The Passion of the Christ," has ignited a controversy. Not only because of all the brutality but because it has resurrected the old question: Who really killed Jesus?

 

First, could it be that God killed him? Adam and Eve had sinned by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and bad in the Garden of Eden. Their sin constituted a rebellion against God and condemned their offspring to death. But God in his infinite mercy sent an equivalent of Adam, Jesus Christ, to redeem the world of mankind from death. So is God guilty of murder, manslaughter or conspiracy?

 

Next is Jesus Christ. He himself had admitted that he came to give his soul as a ransom for many. So he knew that he was sent to die, yet he accepted the assignment. He even personally chose Judas Ischariot and dismissed him to go and get his job done just before he instituted the commemoration of the Last Supper. So is Jesus to blame?

 

But what about this apostle, Judas Ischariot, who betrayed his master to the wicked Jewish leaders for thirty pieces of silver? Ought he to have done so? If he had to sell his master for us to be free, then did he do wrong?