Fretless

In my Religion 312 New Testament class, the professor very briefly touched on this verse...

Arguably, one of the most controversial Bible verses is Matthew 27:25. In this scene, the chief priests and elders have brought Jesus Christ before the governor, Pontius Pilate. With the help of the frenzied mob, the religious leaders accuse Jesus of blasphemy and demand that He be executed. Pilate tries to dissuade the people, but it is to no use. The governor then washes his hands and tells the mob that Jesus' death will be their responsibility. In verse 25, the mob chillingly replies, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"

This verse has unfortunately been the root of many anti-Semitic sentiments through the years because it depicts the Jews as being directly responsible for Jesus' death. The topic is so touchy that the subtitles for verse 25 were removed from The Passion of the Christ, a film known for not pulling any punches.

What I started thinking was, "How ironic." But in a good way. In a jarringly, graceful way. 1 John 1:7 says, "...and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us all from sin." Ephesians 1:7 says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." In order for all mankind to have the ability to be redeemed, Jesus' blood had to flow - He chose to die. The blood of Jesus is a common symbol used to represent cleansing of our impurities.

So what I'm saying is, the mob and all who maliciously proclaimed, "Let his blood be on us and on our children" were inadvertently welcoming Jesus' forgiveness. They didn't become Christ followers at that moment, and I strongly doubt any had split-second epiphanies; but isn't it ironic? In a good way. In a perfectly, ordained way.

The beauty of it all is that the man's blood they were screaming for was ultimately meant for their own salvation. Their bad intentions were a result of their lack of understanding. Even while they dripped with hatred, Jesus was forgiving them - His blood was the agent for redemption. So I say, "Let His blood be on me."

That's all.