Why did they kill Jesus?

During some three years of wandering the land of the Jews Jesus had many discussions with the Jewish authorities, the Pharisees, the Sadducees and other officials. With many demonstrations, arguments and declarations Jesus made it plain that he was God in human form.

Most of these discussions ended with the authorities angry and increasingly seeking ways to justify killing him.

Eventually they arrested him and took him for a trial before their religious court.

‘The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.’

You have said so,’ Jesus replied. ‘But I say to all of you: from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.’

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66What do you think?’

‘He is worthy of death,’ they answered.’ (Matthew 26:63-66)

The Jewish court understood Jesus language, his terminology. They understood that he was saying that he was God on earth and in their presence and to them this was taking God’s name in a way that could only be called blasphemy, a crime deserving death.

At his conception Mary was told that she was bearing the Son of the Most High, the Son of God and that he should be named Jesus (Luke 1) and that he would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us”.

John’s gospel begins with the words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-4,14)

This declaration of the deity of Jesus Christ at the very beginning of John’s record of Jesus life was just the introduction.  Through the rest of this record John shows Jesus to be God incarnate, God in the flesh, God with us.

Jesus gave demonstrations of his power as God by miracles such as turning water to wine, feeding five thousand with a few loaves and fish, walking on the lake in a storm, ordering the storm to abate and healing the blind and the lame.  No one else had done such things and so he demonstrated that Jesus is God.

The Jews challenged him and he answered them in clear language like “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” (John 7:16-17) the authorities could not understand because “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.” (John 8:42-44)

As these demonstrations and discussions continued the Jews worked out what he meant although they could not believe him. “Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’

We are not stoning you for any good work,’ they replied, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’” (John 10:31-33)

During one of his last times with his disciples he told them of his concern for their welfare when he had left them as a man among them and told them how he would provide for them.  

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:16-20)

He could not remain with them, or with us, in his physical form so he would, instead, be with them in the presence of his Holy Spirit.  He was going to ask his Father God to send his Holy Spirit and when this happened it would mean Jesus does not leave them or us as orphans. When the Holy Spirit comes to you Jesus says “I will come to you”. 

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are one being.

The absolute supremacy of Jesus is made clear in Colossians 1:15-20

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

[See Colossians 1:15-20]