Why did they crucify Jesus Christ? History of Christianity

Why did they crucify Jesus Christ? This question can arise from a person who either refers to this event only as a historical fact, or makes the very first steps toward believing in the Savior. In the first case, the most correct decision is to try not to satisfy your idle interest, but to wait for a sincere desire with the mind and heart to come to understand it in time. In the second case, it is of course necessary to begin to search for an answer to this question by reading the Bible.

In the process of reading, there will inevitably arise various own considerations on this matter. Here begins a certain division. Some believe that every person has the right to their own reading of the Holy Scripture and remain at their opinion, even if it differs radically from the opinion of other people. This is the position of the Protestants. Orthodoxy, which is still the main Christian denomination in Russia, relies on the reading of the Bible by the Holy Fathers. This also concerns the question: why did they crucify Jesus Christ? Therefore, the next correct step in trying to understand this topic is an appeal to the creations of the Holy Fathers.

Do not search the answer on the Internet

Why does the Orthodox Church recommend this approach? The fact is that any person who tries to live a spiritual life necessarily thinks about the meaning of events related to the earthly life of Christ, about the meaning of His sermons and apostolic messages. If a person is moving in the right direction, then the meaning, the hidden implication of Scripture, is gradually revealed to him. But the attempts to combine in one single knowledge and understanding accumulated by all spiritual and trying to be people, gave the usual result: how many people - so many opinions. For each, even the most insignificant issue, there were so many understandings and assessments that, as inevitability, there was a need to analyze and summarize all this information. As a result, a picture emerged: several people necessarily covered the same topic absolutely, almost verbatim, the same way. Having traced the pattern, it was easy to notice that the opinions exactly coincided with a certain kind of people. Usually they were saints, theologians who chose monasticism or simply led an especially strict life, were more attentive to their thoughts and deeds than other people. The purity of thoughts and feelings made them open to communion with the Holy Spirit. That is, they all received information from a single source.

The discrepancies arose from the fact that no one is perfect. No one can escape the influence of evil, which will surely tempt, try to mislead a person. Therefore, in Orthodoxy, it is customary to consider the truth confirmed by the majority of the Holy Fathers. Individual estimates, which do not coincide with the majority's vision, can be safely attributed to personal speculation and delusion.

All that is related to religion, it is better to ask the priest

For a person who has just begun to be interested in such issues, the best solution will be to seek help from a priest. He will be able to advise literature that is suitable for the beginner. You can apply for such help to the nearest church or to the spiritual and educational center. In such institutions, the priests have the opportunity to devote sufficient time and attention to the matter. It is more correct to seek an answer to the question "Why did they crucify Jesus Christ?" In this way. A single answer to it simply does not exist, and independent attempts to find explanations from the Fathers are dangerous, since they wrote mainly for monks.

Christ did not crucify

Every Gospel event has two meanings: explicit and hidden (spiritual). If viewed from the point of view of the Savior and Christians, the answer could be this: Christ was not crucified, He voluntarily allowed himself to be crucified for the sins of all mankind - past, present and future. The obvious reason is simple: Christ cast doubt on all the usual views of Jews on piety, undermined the authority of their priesthood.

The worship of God from the Jews, before the coming of the Messiah, consisted in excellent knowledge and exact execution of all laws and rules. The sermons of the Savior made many people think about the falsity of such a view of the relationship with the Creator. In addition, the Jews expected the King promised in the prophecies of the Old Testament. He had to free them from Roman slavery and take charge of the new earthly kingdom. The high priests surely feared an open armed demonstration of the people against their authority and the authority of the Roman emperor. Therefore, it was decided that "it is better for us that one man should die for men than for the whole people to perish" (see John 11, verses 47-53). That's why they crucified Jesus Christ.

Great Friday

On what day did they crucify Jesus Christ? All four Gospels unanimously assert that Jesus was arrested on the night of Thursday to Friday of the pre-Easter week. He spent the whole night in interrogation. The priests betrayed Jesus in the hands of the viceroy of the Roman emperor - the procurator Pontius Pilate. Wishing to avoid responsibility, he sent the prisoner to King Herod. But he, not having found anything dangerous for himself in the person of Christ, wanted to see some miracle from the popular prophet. Since Jesus refused to entertain Herod and his guests, He was again returned to Pilate. On the same day, that is, on Friday, Christ was brutally beaten and, having poured Him the crucifix on his shoulders - the Cross, was taken out of the city and crucified.

The Great Friday, which happens in the week preceding Easter, is the day of especially deep sorrow for Christians. In order not to forget on what day Jesus Christ was crucified, the Orthodox observe the fasting every Friday throughout the year. As a sign of compassion for the Savior, they limit themselves to eating, try to keep a close watch on their mood, do not swear, avoid entertainment.

Calvary

Where did they crucify Jesus Christ? Turning again to the Gospel, one can be sure that all four "biographers" of the Savior unanimously point to one place - Golgotha, or the Place of Execution. It is a hill outside the city walls of Jerusalem.

Another difficult question: who crucified Christ? Is it correct to answer this: the centurion Longinus and his colleagues are Roman soldiers. They drove the nails into the hands and feet of Christ, Longinus pierced the already cooling body of the Lord. But the order was given by Pontius Pilate. So he crucified the Savior? But Pilate tried in every possible way to persuade the Jewish people to let go of Jesus, since he was already punished, being beaten, and there was no "no fault" in him, worthy of terrible execution.

The procurator gave the order on pain of losing not only his place, but also, perhaps, life itself. After all, the accusers claimed that Christ threatened the authority of the Roman emperor. It turns out that the Jewish people crucified their Savior? But the Jews were deceived by the high priests and their false witnesses. So after all, who crucified Christ? Honest is the answer: all these people together executed an innocent person.

Hell, where's your victory ?!

It would seem that the high priests won. Christ accepted the shameful penalty, the angels' shelves did not descend from Heaven to take Him off the cross, the disciples fled. Only the mother, the best friend and several devoted women remained with Him to the end. But it was not the end. An imaginary victory of evil was destroyed by the resurrection of Jesus.

At least see

Trying to erase every memory of Christ, the Gentiles showered the land with Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher. But at the beginning of the IV century the Equal-to-the-Apostles queen Elena arrived in Jerusalem to find the Cross of the Lord. She tried unsuccessfully to find out where they crucified Jesus Christ. Helped her by an old Jew named Judah, who reported that the site of Calvary now houses the Venusian temple.

After the excavations, three similar crosses were found. To find out which of them Christ was crucified, the crosses were alternately attached to the body of the deceased person. From the touch of the Life-giving Cross, this person came to life. A huge number of Christians wished to bow to the shrine, so we had to raise the Cross upwards (to erect) so that people could at least see it from afar. This event occurred in 326 year. In memory of him, Orthodox Christians celebrate on September 27 a holiday, which is called thus: the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord.