Was Jesus murdered?

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. But was Jesus murdered?

The dictionary meaning of the word murder is ‘the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.’

So, was the killing of Jesus unlawful?

The trial of Jesus Christ was without legal precedent. Jesus was subjected to a secret preliminary examination at night.

Jewish law permitted only daylight proceedings. Also, trials in capital cases could be held only at the temple and in public.

The court illegally switched the charges from blasphemy to treason before Pilate, which was a Roman crime, so the Romans would be responsible for the death of Jesus. Even though no evidence was presented and Pilate saw that Jesus was not guilty, he allowed the crucifixion of an innocent man, without even pronouncing Him guilty!

But was it premeditated?

Normally, the word premeditated fits into the context of a murderer planning out the murder before actually pulling it off. That certainly happened with Jesus all throughout the Gospels; you can read about the Jews planning to kill Jesus. In fact, the conspiracy was so well planned that the scribes and the elders were already assembled at Caiaphas’s house and ready to try Jesus, even though it was in the middle of the night, and the same ones who had conspired against Him were the ones who tried Him!

Was it premeditated by man or God?

There’s something even more intriguing. It’s the fact that God the Father and Jesus, His Son, also had it all planned out, it didn’t take them by surprise as a normal murder would.

Jesus said in John 10:18, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."

In John 10:18, Jesus declares his death and resurrection are entirely voluntary acts of obedience, not forced by his persecutors. He asserts his authority to lay down his life and take it up again (resurrection), fulfilling a mandate from his Father to show love for his people as the Good Shepherd.

From the moment of Jesus' birth, we find that He was born to die. The angels even announced Him as the Saviour. The Bible says in Revelation 13:8 that the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world.

So, was Jesus murdered?

No, He willingly gave Himself for us.