Sermon Index
Palm Sunday, April 13, 2014
There are four Gospel Books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They tell the same story about the death and resurrection of Jesus, but sometimes one book gives a detail that is not in the others. This year we read the Passion Account according to St. Matthew. So I got out my “Gospel Synopsis” book which writes the four Gospels in parallel columns, and I found a passage that was only in St. Matthew. In all four Gospels, Pilate tries to free Jesus, but because of pressure from the Jews, Pilate allows Jesus to be crucified. But in the Gospel of Matthew, in order to escape responsibility, Pilate washes his hands. Let’s read that passage again. Matthew 27:24-26.
“Mt. 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
Mt. 27:25 All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”
Mt. 27:26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.” [NIV]
There are many, many comments that can be made about this passage, and I am going to make a few.
First Pilate said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your responsibility!” Well, it was his responsibly as a judge to set an innocent man free. Therefore he is guilty of that man’s blood.
Washing his hands did not wash away his sin. Only the blood of Jesus can do that, or the water of baptism which is the work of Jesus forgiving sin. And the washing of his hands did not make people forget his sin, because it reminded every time we say the Apostles’ Creed.
Pilate wanted to put all the responsibility and guilt on the Jews. And the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” It is outrageous that the Jews would make their children suffer for their murder. Perhaps this was a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem which would happen in about 40 years, in the time of their children? At the same time, their words are a very true theological statement about what was happening here in the crucifixion of Jesus. Why was Jesus crucified? It was to take away the sin of the world. At the Last Supper Jesus was talking about his death when he said, Matthew 26:27-28, “And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” So, who is really responsible for the death of Jesus? It was not just Pilate or the Jews, it was all the people of the world who have committed sin that needed to be forgiven! And so when the crowd answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children,” please realize that you and I are in that crowd, too. We, too, are responsible for the death of Jesus. We, too, should join them, confess our sin, and say, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”
And then, as Jesus died and rose again, our cry of confession becomes a prayer of faith. “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” That is, O Lord, let your holy blood wash away our sins and the sins of our children! Let the water of baptism unite us with your death and resurrection and wash away our sin. May the blood of the New Covenant which we receive in the Holy Communion forgive our sin.
Amen.
Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church