In the name + of Jesus.
The Bible makes it very clear how the world and everyone in it have become
corrupt. “Sin came into the world through one man, and death
through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”
(Romans 5:12). All mankind fell in Adam’s fall. One common sin infects us all. But sinners do not want to be held
accountable to God. So, our sinful
reasoning kicks in and argues: “If Adam rebelled against God, then he is at
fault. I should not be held accountable
for Adam’s sin. I am innocent. I expect to be judged that way.” This is how we seek to excuse ourselves from judgment.
Sinful mankind desires to be
free from God. To achieve that, more
corrupted logic springs forth: “I reject the Ten Commandments. They do not apply to me.” This is how people seek to excuse themselves from
accountability. You may as well decree: “I
reject death. Therefore, I am no longer going
to die.” Bold words, but foolish and
unrealistic. You cannot simply renounce death. Nor can you renounce the reason you will die. You cannot renounce your sin, your accountability,
or your judgment. You are a sinner. Your hands are dirty. There is blood on them. No legal or logical arguments will exonerate
you from your guilt or its consequences. You cannot fix yourself by blaming Adam or
change your status by rejecting God’s word.
Pontius Pilate wanted to wash the blood off
his hands in the trial of Jesus. Pilate’s
hands were devoted to self-preservation.
He did everything he could to dodge being accountable. Of course, Pilate had good reasons to avoid
this case. He had the warning from his
wife, “Have nothing to do
with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him
today in a dream” (Matthew 27:19). It does not seem that Pilate’s wife would have
had any connection with Jesus that she should have a dream about him. Nevertheless, her torment and terror from
this dream was enough to alert her that Jesus should not be trifled with. In addition, Pilate “knew that it was
out of envy that they had delivered him up” (Matthew 27:18). He knew this trial was a farce to satisfy
bitter leaders. He was waiting for a
real charge against Jesus, demanding to know, “What evil has he done” (Matthew
27:23)? Pontius Pilate was no
idiot. He knew that Jesus was innocent. Clearly disliked, but not deserving of death.
At first, Pilate
tried to evade this trial. He tried to
pawn Jesus off on Herod, tetrarch of Galilee.
But Herod sent him back. Pilate
had Jesus beaten, hoping that roughing him up would be enough to gain pity from
the crowd. Having beaten Jesus into a
bloody mess, he presented him to the crowd and announced, “Behold the man”
(John 19:5). But Jesus’ blood only made
the crowds more bloodthirsty. Pilate had
decreed Jesus innocent no less than three times, but that was met by questioning
Pilate’s loyalty to Rome. Pilate thought
he could get Jesus freed by stacking the deck in his favor. It was the custom at Passover for Pilate to
release a prisoner to the Jews. So,
Pilate presented their options: Jesus or Barabbas, a notorious criminal and
murder. Which one do you want free on the
streets of your city? To Pilate’s shock,
the crowd which had been assembled by the chief priests and scribes demanded Barabbas. Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do
with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified” (Matthew
27:22)!
Pilate was in a tough
spot. He had already been rebuked by the
Roman government for provoking the Jewish people previously. Then came the charge that Jesus claimed to be
a king. The Jewish leaders threatened
him, “If you
release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself
a king opposes Caesar” (John 19:12). The title “Friend of Caesar” was a special
status bestowed on faithful servants of the state. The only way to lose it would be to engage in
treason. That was the threat the Jewish
leaders made. So, it came down to this: “Who
is going to die over this, me or Jesus?”
Pilate chose what was expedient, dedicating his hands to self-preservation.
When Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather
that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before
the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it
yourselves” (Matthew 27:24). When push came to shove, Pilate opted for self-preservation. He simply decreed that he was no longer accountable. Nevertheless, it was Pilate who gave the official
sentence and sponsored the crucifixion. We
confess rightly: “He suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Pilate is accountable no matter how much he
washed his hands over it.
Self-preservation
is by no means limited to Pilate. What
is it that you want to preserve?
Whatever it is, you do it because you are convinced that it makes you look
or feel good. What beliefs will you forfeit
when they cost you money? What behaviors
will you change when they cost you popularity?
What friendships would you forfeit rather than admit you sinned against someone? Even marriages are sacrificed for that. We always want to preserve our pride, the
reputation that we are the good guy. We
want to preserve our lives, thinking that discipleship should never have a
cost. And when it does have a cost, it
is more expedient to compromise our faith than to suffer for it. Like Pilate’s, these hands are also devoted
to self-preservation.
“Sin
came into the world through one man”
(Romans 5:12). As soon as Adam sinned, he cast the blame onto
his bride. When Eve was thrown under the
bus, she blamed the serpent. Neither would
let themselves be held accountable. We have
learned this from our parents. It is not
just that we learned it; it is our default setting. We avoid blame and hope to escape consequences. But simply renouncing accountability and
judgment will not help us escape it. This
kind of self-preservation only heaps up judgment higher. Repent.
Annas, Caiaphas, and the entire Sanhedrin were working overtime to
preserve their power and prominence. Pontius
Pilate was struggling to preserve peace in Jerusalem so that he could preserve his
life in Rome. Everyone had their own
agenda. So did Jesus.
Jesus was, indeed, the righteous man, as Pilate’s wife noted. Jesus was, indeed, innocent of all charges,
as Pilate himself attested. Jesus is,
indeed, the Son of God, as Caiaphas accused him. Jesus is righteous, innocent, and divine, but
he is not like us. Jesus did not seek to
preserve his life, his reputation, or his freedom. Rather, he suffered humiliation, brutality,
and even an unjust death. It cost him
everything. He was not seeking to preserve
himself. He was laboring to save us.
Jesus’ hands were tied to a post so that his back could be exposed to the
scourge of the Roman soldiers. Jesus’
hands took hold of a cross beam which he carried out to Golgotha so that the sentence
against him could be carried out. Jesus’
hands were spread apart so that the nails could be driven through his wrists into
the cross. For us who have loved our reputations,
Jesus was vilified. For us who have sought
to avoid accountability for our sins, Jesus made himself accountable to his heavenly
Father. For us who have tried to escape
judgment by finding someone else to blame, Jesus received the blame and bore
the judgment and the hell. For us who
have loved our lives, Jesus willingly gave up his life and submitted to cruel death.
Jesus did not present legal or logical arguments why we are not
accountable to the word of God. Rather,
he presented himself as the ransom. Justice
was carried out against him. The Law was
fulfilled. Just as the innocent one took
the place of the guilty Barabbas, so Jesus took our place and set us free and
has even rendered us innocent. Jesus did
all this for our good. He gave up his spirit
into death so that our souls would be preserved from hell. Jesus made himself the victim of death in
order to become the victor over death.
Therefore, even though we go to a grave, our bodies are set apart for a
glorious resurrection to life everlasting.
Pontius Pilate schemed in several ways to preserve himself from having
to deal with Jesus. Finally, when he saw
he had no choice, he washed his hands and declared himself innocent. He wasn’t, but at the very least he
recognized this bloodthirst of the Jewish leaders for what it was. While Pilate wanted to be branded as
innocent, the Jewish leaders were more than willing to accept the responsibility,
convinced they were doing the right thing.
“All the people
answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children’” (Matthew 27:25)!
Their rebellion against the Christ and his Church continued until the
Lord’s judgment was finally handed down.
The Romans shed their blood and the blood of their children when they
destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.
The plea of
these people, however, is ironically the very plea that would have saved
them. It is still the plea of the godly. For “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies
us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). By
this blood being sprinkled upon us through Holy Baptism, Jesus cleanses us from
all sin. By his blood being delivered to
us in Holy Communion, Jesus renders upon us a favorable judgment—forgiven of
all guilt and free to live without fear.
Yes, his blood be upon us and our children; for, by his wounds we are healed. In this way, he delivers us from death and judgment. He has accounted us as innocent and blameless. His blood be upon us and our children; for this is how he strengthens and preserves us in the true faith unto life everlasting.
In the name of the Father and of the Son +
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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