Matthew 27:24-26 24And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather an uproar was beginning, after taking water he washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; you yourselves see.” 25And in answering all the people said, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26Then he released Barabbas to them, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him in order to be crucified.
The situation deteriorates to the point that Pilate needed to do something. His frustration simmers below the surface of this passage. He was stuck between two unpleasant choices. He knew Jesus to be innocent but he also had a rowdy crowd about to become a riot. He may have thought that the people would surely choose Jesus over a criminal who had caused problems and deserved to be punished. As a careful leader, he was likely quite aware of the events of the week and may even have heard rumors of what Jesus had been doing in Galilee.
Pilate’s washing of his hands was a symbolic act of his innocence concerning Jesus’ fate (see Deuteronomy 21:6–9). Jesus was innocent of any crime, and so Pilate did not want to be blamed for it. At least he had some sense of justice, but he was not willing to stand on his convictions because he had the final authority to crucify Jesus. He puts the choice with the people.
The surprise of this passage is the response the crowd gave back to Pilate. They readily and with a sense of gladness and accomplishment accept the blame on themselves for Jesus’ death. And then sadly, they pass on their guilt to their children. Leave the children out of it. They basically were setting the direction for the Jewish people for the centuries ahead who would reject their Messiah. The problem began at the top, with the chief priests, trickled down to the Sanhedrin, infiltrated the crowds, and would devastate future generations. To have a person’s blood on oneself is a serious matter. They were responsible for taking the life of an innocent man all out of selfish fear that had hardened their hearts. They did not know the ramifications of their foolish and impulsive decision. The cross was inevitable in God’s great plan, but it was sad for those who chose to bring it about.
So, Pilate appeased the riotous crowd by giving them the evil criminal, Barabbas. Barabbas joined them because they were of the same mind. Pilate commanded Jesus to be scourged, which was a whipping with leather tongs with bits of bone or metal tied to the ends. It was enough to kill a person and sped up the death process of crucifixion. Matthew says little about the actual suffering of Jesus, keeping his description brief. His emphasis is more on the identity of Jesus and how people responded to him. Even this short passage gives a reader a choice. Will we go the way of the crowd by embracing evil and rejecting Jesus? Or will we accept his authority and place in our lives as Messiah, Savior, and Lord?
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