How Do You Respond When People Say That “the Jews Killed Jesus”?

For Jewish people, it’s not uncommon to hear comments about penny-pinching frugality. It’s not unusual to be asked abrupt questions about our religious practices or political stances. Sometimes, one is even the recipient of a string of incoherent obscenities. Obviously, none of the above are acceptable.

Sadly, one of the most unacceptable phrases a Jewish person can hear is “The Jews killed Jesus.” That accusation has plagued the Jewish people for much of the last two thousand years, acting as the fuel behind countless antisemitic atrocities throughout history.

These accusations have emerged from the mouths of self-proclaimed Christians as well as from atheists—from those who consider themselves religious and those who do not. So how can we respond?

Four Ways to Respond to Someone Who Accuses the Jews of “Killing Jesus”

1. Jesus was Jewish. All of his first followers were Jewish.

Behind a statement like “The Jews killed Jesus” often lies ignorance. This becomes clear when you consider one simple fact: Jesus was Jewish. In fact, he was a religious, Torah-following Jew. He was born and raised in Israel. His first followers were all Jewish, and it was one of the most prominent ones—Saul of Tarsus, also known as Paul—who brought the message of Jesus beyond the confines of Israel to include Gentiles as well. Today, there are a significant number of Jewish people who believe in Jesus as the Jewish Messiah.

At no point did Jesus ever reject his Jewish background. He attended and taught in the synagogue, observed the Jewish holidays, and in one lively exchange with a Samaritan woman, clearly identified himself with the Jewish people: “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22).

2. It makes no sense to blame an entire people group for something that happened two thousand years ago.

No one would walk up to Mindy Kaling, star of The Mindy Project, and accuse her of murdering Mahatma Gandhi. Nor would anyone call out Robert De Niro for having a hand in the assassination of Julius Caesar. We do not accuse all Indians for Gandhi’s assassination or all Italians for the demise of Caesar. And it makes no sense to lay the blame for Jesus’ death at the feet of all Jewish people—even if some, along with some Romans, played a part in his crucifixion.

3. Jesus is not dead—he is alive.

All four accounts of Jesus’ life in the New Testament—the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—give a clear account of the resurrection of Jesus. Paul wrote that Jesus was seen by more than 500 of his followers after he rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:6). It is the resurrection that provides those who believe in Jesus the hope that they, too, will live forever with him after they die.

Yes, Jesus died, but he also rose from the dead and is now alive, ready to forgive and receive all those who will put their trust in him. Believers in Jesus should recognize that his death also lead to his resurrection from the dead, enabling him to offer eternal life to all his followers!

4. Most importantly, “the Jews” did not kill Jesus—we all did. And he intended to die from the start.

The true meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross lies in its sacrificial nature. Jesus voluntarily laid down his life in order to atone for our sins. Multiple times, Jesus taught his followers that he would die and rise from the dead. He expected to die. He was willing to die in order to fulfill God’s will.

That is why nobody is “responsible” for killing Jesus.

He himself said, “No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it up again” (John 10:18). Jesus’ ultimate purpose in life, paradoxical as it sounds, was to give up his life for all of us—Jewish or not—which means that God allowed Jesus to die because of our sins.

Every human individual is responsible for the death of Jesus. What does that mean? Consider this: it was because of our sin that he willingly succumbed to the death penalty, experiencing the punishment for our fatal mistakes. If no one had ever sinned, Jesus would not have needed to die as anyone’s atonement.

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the Messiah’s atoning death.

He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5–6)

The next time someone remarks to you that “the Jews killed Christ,” you could explain how Romans were involved and how they physically nailed Jesus to the cross. But it will be more thought provoking if you ask them if they know why Jesus died. And then tell them that we all are responsible for his death. And finally, let them know that the death of Jesus was not a tragedy, but the entrée into the greatest story of God’s love ever told.