Though The Passion of Christ, will not be released until Spring of 2004, it is interesting to see the controversy that this movie has already generated.  Opponents are declaring the movie could incite hatred against the Jews, because the movie portrays Jews as having a part in killing Jesus. In a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in some parts of the world, we can understand why a Jewish person may be concerned. Though anti-Semitic slurs such as "Christ killer" have been used to incite persecution against the Jews for centuries, these were done by ignorant people who were deceived.   Today the Christian church has recognized this terrible evil committed by our ancestors.  We grieve over the atrocities that have been done to Jews in the name of Christ.  Such actions do not bear the character of Jesus Christ, who was Himself a Jew. 

Regardless of the how the facts have been twisted in the past to incite racism and persecution against the Jews, the fact does remain that certain Jews--along with the Romans--were indeed involved in the death of Christ. However, true Christians know that not only were the evil Jews of that day responsible for Christ's murder, but they also know that it was also all of mankind's sin that sent Him to the cross. 

Matthew 27:22-26:
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

In fact, the Gospels also bear record that some of the Jews were friends of Jesus -- they loved Him. Not all wanted to kill Him. It was a rich Jewish man (Joseph of Aramethea) who provided his own tomb for Jesus after He died. In every people group, there are good people and evil people. The Jews are no different than anyone else in this regard, and their own history as recorded in the Bible proves this to be true. The Old Testament scriptures record the success and failures of their heroes and their villains without sugar-coating the truth. In the same way the New testament writers (who were for the most part also Jewish) also did not sugar coat the truth when it came to their own people. 

This message of the cross is hated by the devil as it brings life to those who accept Jesus as their Savior.  The Passion of Christ is a movie that depicts the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus which took place in Jerusalem, the home of the Jews. Therefore, the Jewish people were highly involved in this story historically. If the setting was another country, the nationality of those people would be a part of the record. In this story, it is the Jews. However, they are not the only people involved. As we mentioned earlier, the Roman rulers and soldiers were also a part of the story too. 

So Who Killed Jesus Christ?

^{1 Corinthians 1:18-24 (Amplified Bible):}

"For the story and message of the cross is sheer absurdity and folly to those who are perishing and on their way to perdition, but to us who are being saved it is the [manifestation of] the power of God.  For it is written, I will baffle and render useless and destroy the learning of the learned and the philosophy of the philosophers and the cleverness of the clever and the discernment of the discerning; I will frustrate and nullify [them] and bring [them] to nothing.

Where is the wise man (the philosopher)? Where is the scribe (the scholar)? Where is the investigator (the logician, the debater) of this present time and age? Has not God shown up the nonsense and the folly of this world's wisdom?

For when the world with all its earthly wisdom failed to perceive and recognize and know God by means of its own philosophy, God in His wisdom was pleased through the foolishness of preaching [salvation, procured by Christ and to be had through Him], to save those who believed (who clung to and trusted in and relied on Him).

For while Jews [demandingly] ask for signs and miracles and Greeks pursue philosophy and wisdom,  We preach Christ (the Messiah) crucified, [preaching which] to the Jews is a scandal and an offensive stumbling block [that springs a snare or trap], and to the Gentiles it is absurd and utterly unphilosophical nonsense.

But to those who are called, whether Jew or Greek (Gentile), Christ [is] the Power of God and the Wisdom of God."

The bottom line to this controversy is that this is not an issue of anti-Semitism, but rather an issue of belief.  The Jewish faith believes only in the Old Testament of the Bible, while the Christian faith believes in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.  Historically the Jewish people had a part in sending Jesus to the cross; however, the true Christian knows that all are guilty of sending Him there by our sins. The good news is that Jesus went there willingly to pay the price for our sins. He was buried and then rose on the third day and lives forevermore and all who put their trust in Him will also have eternal life. Mel Gibson and all who are true Christians can never deny this truth.
 

More on this topic: BASHED BUT STILL STANDING, MEL GIBSON'S FAITH SHINES By Bruce Isacson