[24] So 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
On Sunday, Andrew preached on Jesus trial by Pilate. While John does not include it, the other gospels have this very memorable scene in which Pilate washes his hands and declares himself innocent of Jesus’ blood. This scene is not only memorable because it is Pilate’s declaration that he believes Jesus to be innocent, but also because he believes that he can separate himself from the results of his actions.
This hand-washing is a very common human response to Jesus. To wash your hands is to think that you can side-step the wrath of God. It is the belief that there is something that can be done to put you on God’s good side despite the fact that your actions are a rejection of Him. Washing your hands is believing that if you ignore Jesus, you don’t have to deal with Him. Many have bought into the lie that if they just avoid the problem, it will go away.
The Bible paints a different picture for us, where every person is implicated in the death of Jesus by nature of their sin. It isn’t just that every person has sinned, but this means that every person is ‘under sin:’ part of the problem that Jesus has come to solve. Paul reminds us of this, saying:
For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.” | Romans 3:9–12
Being human makes our hands dirty. We don’t just get to pretend that we are clean; we also have no way of cleansing ourselves. We can’t actually wash our hands. Sin puts us in a place where we are all implicated and we have no way to justify ourselves. This means that we all play a role in the death of Jesus. It is for sin that He came to die, as sinners, we are part of this. A few weeks ago we sang the song: How deep the Father’s Love for us, which speaks of the role our sin plays in His death:
Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.
The good news of the gospel is that while we are guilty of our part in His death; that same death accomplishes our redemption. We both see the ultimate evil of our sin at the cross and are freed from the consequences of this evil. The cross is where we recognize that we can’t wash our hands, but also the place where the blood of Jesus washes us clean.
This coming Sunday, we will be looking at the crucifixion of Jesus. As we do, we should follow the words of the song above: Behold the man upon a cross. Looking at ourselves is not the answer, nor is ignoring the problem. The only way that you will experience the freedom of having your hands clean is by trusting in the finished work of Jesus. As Jonathan Edwards famously stated:
You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.
Jesus has done the work to cleanse you of all unrighteousness.