You Cannot Just Wash Off the Blood Matt. 27: 20-25 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
In our passage the chief priest and elders of the Jews have persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus. Pilate knows this is wrong but he compromises to keep the peace. But in his response note that he has a tumult prepared and he washes his hands saying that he is innocent of the blood of this just person.
In doing this Pilate show that he knows the Jewish Law and he is telling them that they are about to kill and innocent man and that he will not be guilty of this blood. This is taken from the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 21:1-9.
When it comes to blood God is serious about blood from the very beginning of the book. Let us look at some of the things about blood in the word of God.
1) Blood from the beginning is connected with sin (Genesis 3:21)
- When God clothed Adam and Eve he did it with coats of skins. This would have been the first time that they had seen blood and it is connected directly with covering their sin.
- Most likely the animal killed was a lamb (Proverbs 27:26)
2) Blood is required in a sacrifice (Genesis 4:1-6)
- Cain’s sacrifice is rejected because there is no blood in it.
- As a result he kills Able.
- If the animal God killed to make Adam and Eve’s clothes was a lamb, then the first animal killed on the earth was a lamb and the first person killed was a Shepherd. This is a perfect type of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29) and he is the good shepherd that giveth his life for the sheep (John 10:14-15).
3) Blood is forbidden to eat or drink in the word of God.
- This is shown before the law (Genesis 9:4), under the law (Leviticus 17:11-14) and after the law (Acts 15:29).
- The reason for this is because blood was given to make atonement for soul (Leviticus 17:11-14).
4) Blood was required to enter the most Holy place (Leviticus 16:1-14).
- The High Priest could only enter into the most holy place with the blood. If he did not God would have killed him.
5) Blood defiles the land (Numbers 35:33)
- This should be a scary thought that God requires blood of the person who shed it to cleanse the land in light of all the innocent babies that America has killed.
6) One day the earth will disclose her blood (Isaiah 26:21)
- This is a reference to the second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth. And when he comes the blood of the people he destroys will run for 176 miles as deep as a horses bridle (Revelation 14:14-20 ; Revelation 19:11-16).
Going back to Matthew 27:25 the Jews tell Pilate to let Jesus’ blood be upon them and their children. Then in Acts 4:28 they do not want the blood anymore. This is one of the greatest proofs that the word of God is true. From this time until today the Jews has been one of the most persecuted and slaughtered races on the face of the earth.
Even though in the Old Testament under the law there was always a washing connected with being cleansed from sin. There is a new problem when they crucify Jesus. This wasn’t just man’s blood it was God’s blood (Acts 20:28).
What about us today?
The word of God says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Therefore all guilty of sin and from what we have seen so far God requires blood to make atonement for sin.
This is why Jesus Christ shed his blood was to take away your sin. In Colossians 1:14 the word of God says that we are redeemed and forgiven by his blood. In Colossians 1:20 we have peace through his blood.
The problem is that just like Pilate people today are trying to wash away the blood with water this is why many different religions require baptism to get to heaven. But in Revelations 1:5 we see that the only way to wash away sin is with the blood of Jesus Christ.
Last of all the only way to be saved from wrath is by the blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 5:9). If you are lost and you are trying to get to heaven through baptism or good works you will not make it, you must go by the blood.