Matthew 27:24–25 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

 I heard these words read again last week at the Good Friday service. The Jewish leaders had whipped the crowd up into a frenzy, and they were all intent on getting rid of Jesus, the one they hailed as “the Son of David” a few days before.

Allow me to share the thoughts that occurred to me as I listened to these words. The first was how ridiculous a scene it was to have Pilate try to wash himself clean of his misdeeds. He did not have the power to wash his sins away, and neither do we.

Another thought I had was how damning the words of the crowd were, not just for themselves, but for their descendants as well. “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” It reminded me of what Luther called “The Close of the Commandments” that actually is between the first two commandments:

Exodus 20:5 …I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me…

When parents don’t believe and keep their children from believing, that is damning. Putting the Son of God to death is a damnable offense. They said they were willing to accept the guilt. They would have the blood of an innocent man on their hands.

But the main thought I had last Friday when thinking about these words was that they are in fact a description of the Good News for those who do believe in Jesus. He was taking the guilt of all those present that day, along with the guilt of the entire world, on Himself. That is why He was willing to die and did not put up a fight.

And His blood being on us is exactly what we need, just not in the way the mob meant it. Their statement said they would take the blame for the death of Jesus. But the blood of Jesus being on the faithful means that He has taken our guilt, our punishment and our death on Himself.

1 John 1:7 … the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

That is the only way we can be clean, the only way our sin is washed away. Thanks be to God. He has given us the victory over sin and death and the grave by the blood of Jesus. May His blood be on us and on our children.