Yes, the Jews demanded Rome crucify Christ because God's sovereign plan and prophecy required both Jews and Gentiles to participate in His death, and specifically a crucifixion.
Les Feldick teaches that Psalms 2:1-2 prophesied that both heathen (Gentiles) and the people (Jews) would counsel together to put the Messiah to death. If the Jews had stoned Jesus as was their custom for religious offenses, His death would have been by Jewish hands only, not fulfilling that prophecy. Moreover, Jesus had to be 'lifted up' (crucified) as prophesied in John 3:14, and Rome provided that method, so the Jews turned Him over to the Romans.
Psalms 2:1-2 — This passage directly answers the question by showing that both Gentiles (heathen) and Jews (people) would together conspire to kill the Messiah, which is why Rome had to be involved.
Deuteronomy 21:23 — This verse explains that one hanged on a tree is accursed of God, which is why the Jews were eager for Jesus to be crucified and then removed quickly, as they knew this law.
Psalms chapter 2, verse 1 asks, "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" The 'heathen' refer to Gentiles, and 'the people' refer to the Jews. Verse 2 continues, "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed." This prophecy indicates that both Gentile rulers (Rome) and Jewish leaders (the Sanhedrin) would conspire together to reject and kill the Messiah. Deuteronomy 21:23 states, "His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God:)" This law required that anyone executed by hanging on a tree be buried the same day because they were considered cursed by God. This is why the Jews were in a hurry to take Jesus down from the cross, as noted in the gospel accounts.
Les Feldick explains that the crucifixion of Christ was not an accident but part of God's sovereign plan revealed in Psalms 2. The prophecy required that both Jews and Gentiles be involved in the death of the Messiah. He points out that the high priest and Jewish leaders could have had Jesus stoned, as that was their customary method of capital punishment for religious offenses (as seen with Stephen). However, stoning would have been a purely Jewish execution, which would not have fulfilled the prophecy. Instead, the Jewish leaders 'demanded' that Rome carry out the execution, even though they could have stoned Jesus themselves. Rome's involvement satisfied the prophecy of Gentiles participating, and crucifixion provided the 'lifting up' that Jesus referenced in John 3:14. Les emphasizes that although Peter and others frequently accused Israel of crucifying Christ, it was actually 'Jew and Gentile together' who were guilty, as Psalms 2 had foretold. Furthermore, Les notes that the Romans allowed the Jews to handle their own religious affairs, permitting them to stone their own people for religious infractions. But for Jesus, this was not the death He had to die. He had to be crucified, which only Rome could do, and this also fulfilled the curse of the tree mentioned in Deuteronomy 21.
Les Feldick teaches that under the Roman government, the Jews were allowed to carry out capital punishment for their own religious matters, as evidenced by the stoning of Stephen. So they could have stoned Jesus. But stoning would not have been the death Jesus had to die. He had to be crucified, which involved being lifted up on a cross, a method that only Rome could perform. This was necessary to fulfill prophecy, as Jesus Himself referred to being 'lifted up' like the serpent in the wilderness (John 3:14).
Psalms 2:1-2 prophecies that the heathen (Gentiles) and the people (Jews) would 'take counsel together' against the Lord and His Anointed. Les Feldick points out that this is exactly what happened at the crucifixion: the Jewish leaders conspired with the Roman authorities to put Jesus to death. This joint participation had to happen to fulfill God's sovereign plan. So the Jews had to involve Rome, and they demanded that Pilate crucify Him.
Les Feldick clarifies that while Peter often accused Israel of killing their Messiah, the full blame cannot rest on the Jews alone. He emphasizes that 'Jew and Gentile together' put Christ to death, as prophesied. The Jews precipitated it by demanding crucifixion, but Rome carried it out. Thus, both parties were guilty, and it was all part of God's foreknown plan, which He revealed to the Twelve in detail before it happened.
Why Israel Rejected the Gospel — Acts 8 Explained
Now when it says here that they preached the word, my land, we're seven years after Pentecost. Has the New Testament been written? No. So what word are they preaching? Old Testament. Old Testament. That's all they've got. And what was the Old Testament used for? To prove that the One that Israel crucified was the Christ. That's been the message all the way through here. And it hasn't changed.
Sovereign Plan Requires Gentiles
In God's sovereign plan, Christ had to be put to death by both Jews and Gentiles, as Psalms 2 foretold. The Jews alone would not have fulfilled the prophecy.
Jews Permitted to Stone Their Own
The Romans allowed the Jews to carry out their own religious capital punishment, as seen in the stoning of Stephen. This shows the Jews could have stoned Jesus, but that wasn't the required death.
Jew and Gentile Together
The rulers of Israel and the kings of the earth (Rome) counseled together against the Lord and His Anointed, fulfilling Psalms 2. Both were guilty.
God's Foreknowledge
God was not caught by surprise. He foreknew that the rulers of Israel and the kings of the earth would consort together to put the Messiah to death, as prophesied.
Rome Done the Dirty Work
The Jewish leaders demanded it but had Rome do the dirty work, because stoning was not the death Jesus had to die; He had to be crucified, which only Rome could perform.
Jew Precipitated, Rome Carried Out
The Jew precipitated Christ's death and demanded it, but Rome carried it out. This fulfilled Psalms 2's forecast that Jew and Gentile together would reject and put Him to death.
Curse of the Tree
Les explains Deuteronomy 21:23, which says that one hanged on a tree is accursed of God. This is why the Jews were eager to get Jesus off the cross quickly.
Psalms 2:1-2: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
This verse prophesies that both Gentiles (heathen) and Jews (people) would conspire together against the Messiah, which explains why both were involved in His death.
Deuteronomy 21:23: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God:) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
This law explains that anyone hanged on a tree is cursed by God, which is why the Jews urgently sought to bury Jesus before sundown on the day of His crucifixion.
Les Feldick explains that although the Jews could have stoned Jesus (as they did Stephen), that death would not have fulfilled prophecy. Jesus had to be crucified, and that required Roman involvement. Stoning would have been a purely Jewish execution, but Psalms 2 required both Jews and Gentiles to participate.
No, Les teaches that Jew and Gentile together put Christ to death. The Jews demanded it and precipitated it, but Rome carried out the crucifixion. This is exactly what Psalms 2 foretold: 'the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing.' So both are guilty.
Because Jesus had to be 'lifted up' on a cross, not stoned. This method of death was required to fulfill the prophecy of being 'lifted up' as in John 3:14. Only Rome could perform crucifixion, so the Jews had to turn Jesus over to them.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Rejected the Gospel — Acts 8 Explained