23:13-26 Who was really guilty of killing Jesus?
23:13-26 Who was really guilty of killing Jesus?
The Jews delivered Jesus up to Pilate demanding that He be put to death, and Pilate ordered that Jesus be crucified. But the Jews were held culpable by God - their sin was the greater - for rejecting Jesus and delivering Him up to death in the first place (cp Jn 19:10-11; Ac 2:22-23; 3:13-15; 13:27-28).
Pilate wanted to release Jesus but he capitulated to the Jews for political expediency - they threatened to report him to Caesar if he did not execute Jesus (cp Jn 19:12-16).
This does not detract from Pilate's guilt though. He was convinced by his conscience of Jesus' innocence, but he still condemned Him to death. Thus both Pilate and the Jews were guilty of killing Jesus. God permitted it, for Jesus was the redeeming sacrifice God had predestinated to die for mankind's sins (cp Gen 3:14-15; Isa 53:1-12; Mt 26:24; Jn 1:29; Ac 4:26-28; Eph 1:4; Rev 13:8).
There is a sense in which it could also be said that all mankind killed Jesus too because of their sins for which He died. We may not have been physically involved in His death as were Pilate and the Jews, but we were the reason for it (cp 2 Cor 5:19, 21; 1 Ti 2:5-6; 1Jn 2:2). See also comments on Mt 27:24-25, Jn 19:11, Ac 2:22-23, 1Th 2:14-15.