Easter – Are you Pilate? or the crowd?

We had a combined service with Covenant OPC for Good Friday service. As pastor Mark Collingridge read from Matthew 27, which gives the account of Jesus being held by Pilate in front the crowd that is shouting, “Let him be crucified!”, my mind wandered (again).

In response to the crowd the passage says that Pilate took some water and washed his hands, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.” To this the crowd answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

Most, when they hear this passage, place themselves in the position of Pilate. They do not want to take responsibility for the consequences of their sin. They do not want to see that it is their rebellion from God that required the death of Christ in order to redeem them.

We also look at the crowd in self-righteous satisfaction. We want to blame the ‘Jews’ for the death of Christ. We imagine that if we were there we would not have participated in the mob. Yet by our daily actions and our personal rebellion we join with them everyday. Our actions cry out and belie our true nature.

Do you see yourself as Pilate? A neutral observer? Think again! You cannot absolve yourself of the responsibility for your actions simply by washing your hands.

This Easter look to the cross. A cross where, to redeem a rebellious people, Christ took upon himself the sins of a people who were crying, “Crucify him, Crucify him”.