Rector’s Daily Reflections
Thursday 28th March 2024
Why was Jesus Crucified?
In the previous reflections, we have seen that Jesus was crucified because it suited the Roman authorities to do so, and that the Jewish religious authorities were in agreement with this course of action. Such was the attitude of those who were in power at the time. But what of Jesus’ followers? Why did they do nothing to stop the crucifixion from happening? Why did they not attempt to rescue him?
There are many possible explanations for the disciples’ failure to protect their leader from being crucified by the Romans. In part, they might simply have been too few in number to hope to stand up to the might of the Roman army, and too poor to have access to sufficient weapons and armour. But they may also have respected Jesus’ focus on non-violence: after all, did not Jesus say, “Blessed are the peacemakers”? And according to Matthew’s gospel, when one of Jesus’ disciples struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear, Jesus replied: “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
But perhaps the simplest and fullest explanation of the disciples’ behaviour is that they were frightened. Why were they frightened? They might have been frightened that if the Romans had arrested Jesus, they would be next in line. The Romans would surely not rest content at merely removing the leader of the movement: they would want to go after as many of Jesus’ followers as possible.
But the disciples might also have been frightened at a deeper level. They had focussed their lives on the person and teaching of Jesus. They had believed what he had said, and they had given their lives to him. Now he had been arrested and his fate seemed to be sealed. What would happen next? Did this mean that God had abandoned Jesus? Might it mean that Jesus was n’t God’s Son after all? Was this the end of all their hopes and dreams?
And so, for whatever reason or combination of reasons, the disciples were frightened, and in their fear, they abandoned Jesus. They left him to his fate.
As I write these words, I am reminded of one of the most powerful stories in the whole of the New Testament: the story of Peter’s three-fold denial of Jesus. So let me finish this reflection with Mark’s account of this incident:
“The guards also took [Jesus] over and beat him. While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high-priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man form Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about”. And he went out into the forecourt, Then the cock crowed, And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them”. But again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are on of them; for you are a Galilean”. But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about.” At that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Jesus remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”
Even Peter had abandoned Jesus. Such is the power of fear.
But, as we shall see, fear does not have the final victory. Fear will be defeated by love.