Who crucified Jesus?
The Romans carried out the execution, but under which law? Jews did not have the authority to crucify anyone under Roman rule. Such a punishment was solely within Roman jurisdiction. So, under whose law was Jesus crucified? “They all asked, Are you the son of God?’ He replied, “You are right in saying I am.” Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard from his own lips.” (Luke 22:70, 71).
When the Jews arrested Jesus, they took him to Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest Caiaphas. Annas sent Jesus to Caiaphas to decide the punishment. The leaders called several witnesses who gave false testimony (Matthew 26:59). The high priest could not find enough evidence to charge Jesus under Roman law, so he decided to charge him under the temple law for blasphemy. The high priest demanded that Jesus swear under oath whether he was the Son of God. When Jesus answered affirmatively, they officially found him guilty of blasphemy (Matthew 26:63, 65).
The Jewish leaders chose to crucify Jesus to serve their purpose. They sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion for blasphemy, even though stoning was the prescribed punishment for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:13, 14). Why? They wanted to invoke the law reserved for a capital crime, one that required death by hanging on a tree. Deuteronomy 21:22 states that anyone guilty of an offense requiring death by hanging on a tree is cursed by God. Accordingly, the Jewish leaders reasoned that God would curse Jesus if they hung him on a tree, thereby preventing any chance of resurrection. For the Jews, being crucified on a wooden cross was considered the same as being hung on a tree (Acts 5:30). However, because the Jews did not have the authority under Roman law to physically crucify anyone, they took Jesus to the Roman Governor, Pilate.
Under Roman law, Pilate found no reason to crucify Jesus because there was no evidence to support the Jewish charges. The Jewish leaders told Pilate, “We have the law. He claims to be the Son of God; therefore, he must die.” Under pressure from the Jewish leaders, Pilate handed Jesus over to the Jews for crucifixion (John 19:16). The Jews believed that Jesus would not rise because God would curse him. Was Jesus cursed?
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” (Galatians 3:13). Why was Jesus cursed on our behalf? “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God placed our sinful life and our sin on the body of Jesus on the cross at Golgotha. Therefore, our sinful life died forever in the body of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ perfect life returned to his body on the morning of the resurrection. “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” (2 Corinthians 5:14).