Who killed Jesus?

This might be one of the most interesting acts of vandalism you've never seen. It's called the "Alexamenos graffito." I've attached here a slightly stylized outline. You can use Google image search to find different views. It dates approximately to the 2nd century A.D. and was found near the Circus Maximus in "downtown" Rome.

The text says in Greek, "Alexamenos worshipping a god." Now, we can't be certain what this meant precisely (can you with any graffiti today?), but it seems like Romans making fun of Christians for worshiping a crucified donkey. They associated donkeys with Middle-eastern peoples (the vast majority of early Christians) and associated crucified people with the worst of criminals. That made no sense to anyone.

It still doesn't make sense today that any god would do such a thing. This kind of self-less love doesn't make sense...

With this in mind, check out this story I saw on my Google Reader. I'm seen enough stories and comments like this, with this one being the latest:

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/01/glenn-beck-the-jews-killed-jesus/69715/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+AtlanticNational+(National+:+The+Atlantic)&utm_content=Google+Reader

This is the comment I latched onto: "Just to be clear: It was the Romans. If we could just get that straight, it would be really fantastic for everyone involved."

This is what I posted on my Google Reader:

Just to be clear: It was us...we are all responsible for Jesus' death...my sins, the Romans' sins, the Jews' sins, your sins put Jesus on the cross. There's no blame shifting to be done here.

"To be sure, HE carried OUR sicknesses. HE carried OUR pains. YET we considered HIM to be beaten, struck down by God, and humiliated. But it was HE who was pierced BECAUSE OF OUR rebellious acts, crushed BECAUSE OF OUR punishable and guilt-bearing acts. The punishment that makes us complete was laid on him. And through his wounds we are healed! ALL OF US like sheep have wandered. EACH ONE OF US has turned to their own way. But Yahweh has let him be hurt for the punishable and guilt-bearing acts of us ALL. (Isaiah 53:4-6) [my rendering]

Because Jesus himself bore the guilt that all my evil thoughts, words, and acts bring and was punished for all of them, I'm healed because God has dealt with evil and death once and for all! I'm made whole and have peace through trusting and following Jesus.

We don't want just Romans or Jews having all this, do we?

The crucifixion of Jesus is the pivotal moment in history where God's abounding love and his perfect justice collide and provide for you and me a solution to the problem of evil and death that only God could think of. Centuries of prophecy and God working in history to form his kingdom and restore his creation through Israel find fulfillment on the cross and in the empty tomb (and the entire life of Jesus, but that could be another post...). On the cross God condemned evil and death by punishing Jesus, the God-Man in your place. Since evil and death are now condemned, we are set free, released, forgiven to live new holy lives since nothing is holding us back. The chosen anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah, accomplished his mission to save.

And Jesus promised to come again and raise to never-ending life those who trust and follow him, just like Jesus' Father did for him. And Jesus has given us his Word in the Bible, his Spirit and seal in Baptism, and his body and blood in the Lord's Supper to kindle this trust in our dead and evil selves.

Ok, I'm done. Just remember this when anyone talks about who killed Jesus. And while you're at it, remember this always! It's the good news in the smallest "nutshell" I can put it in! It's the "Gospel."