Jesus Wasn't Killed by the Jews (Jon Sweeney) -- A Review
JESUS WASN’T KILLED BY THE JEWS: Reflections for Christians in Lent. Edited by Jon M. Sweeney. Foreword by Rabbi Abraham Skorka. Afterword by Amy-Jill Levine. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2020. 128 pages.
The question of who killed Jesus is a complicated one. According to the Gospels, the Romans executed him, but they had input from the local religious leaders. There is also the possibility that a mob was stirred up by this consortium, to give the execution the appearance of popular support. There is little to go on beyond the Gospels, and the authors of these books have their own purposes in writing what they do. Why is this relevant for Christians to consider during Lent? One could answer the question with a reminder that Lent is a season of reflection and penitence. Since Christians have a history of condemning Jews as Christ-killers, this might be a good time to consider that legacy. It’s also relevant because Lent leads into Holy Week, and it’s during Holy Week that this issue bec…
The question of who killed Jesus is a complicated one. According to the Gospels, the Romans executed him, but they had input from the local religious leaders. There is also the possibility that a mob was stirred up by this consortium, to give the execution the appearance of popular support. There is little to go on beyond the Gospels, and the authors of these books have their own purposes in writing what they do. Why is this relevant for Christians to consider during Lent? One could answer the question with a reminder that Lent is a season of reflection and penitence. Since Christians have a history of condemning Jews as Christ-killers, this might be a good time to consider that legacy. It’s also relevant because Lent leads into Holy Week, and it’s during Holy Week that this issue bec…
