The Blood That Was Shed

The Pharisee, let’s call him Jehozadak, was proud of his accomplishments.  He was a businessman, a leader in the synagogue, and a loyal member of the religious sect called the Pharisees.  He was a zealous evangelist, converting or attempting to convert people to Pharisaism.  He had always tithed to the nth degree.  He prayed much in public for a show and in private.  And he was a diligent student of the Old Testament Scriptures, the Torah.  Along with all other Pharisees, he was ardent in defending the Torah, but also elevated oral tradition to equality with the Scriptures in the Torah. If there was a conflict between the two, oral tradition won out. Perhaps Jehozadak could stand right beside Saul (Paul), who wrote, “touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Philippians 3:6).

Jehozadak (along with all the other Pharisees) wanted to preserve the purity of the Jewish faith – in Scripture, behavior, and in compliance with oral tradition.

Then came Jesus!  He exposed their hypocrisy. He didn’t condemn the evangelism, tithing, praying, or study of the Scriptures.  He condemned the hypocrisy – making a prideful show of their piosity, their outward compliance, but inward emptiness. They had a form of godliness, but denied the power.  Every time Jesus answered them, he put them to shame and diminished their prestige and influence.

Jehozadak joined in with all the Pharisees and other groups that incited the crowds to choose to release Barabbas instead of Jesus, and then to clamor, “Crucify him!”

The Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, the chief priests, the elders, and the Romans were all complicit in the crucifixion of Jesus. The crowds were easily persuaded to the ideas and plans of the influencers.  Just before Pilate released Jesus for crucifixion, Pilate washed his hands before the multitude and said, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person.”

Then all the people (the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, chief priests, elders, and the entire crowd) made this horrible confession. “His blood be on us, and on our children.” (Matthew 27:24-25) They had no idea of the horror of that admission, but they should have.  As a nation, Israel had suffered through the many enemy conquests and resultant sufferings in the time of the judges.  They had suffered under Babylon, Persia/Media, under Antioch Epiphanes, and now under Rome: All because of their sin.  They could not foresee the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans and their scattering around the globe.  They could not foresee the countless times of suffering through the centuries and the awful horrors of the holocaust in the 20^th century. Yes, Jesus blood was on them and their children.

But Jews alone were not identified as the “Christ Killers” in the Bible.  Scriptures make it clear that all of us, Jews and Gentiles alike, were responsible for His crucifixion. There is no basis for anti-semitism in the crucifixion of Jesus.

Note this prayer of the early church recorded in Acts 4:26-28. “The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.  For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”

“All the world may become guilty before God.” “for there is no difference:” “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:19,22,23)  “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6). “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

The truth is: All of us put Jesus on that cross to suffer the awful physical humiliation and pain of the cross and the unimaginable spiritual suffering of bearing the burden and guilt of all the sins of all humanity.

The cost of Jesus’ blood and His suffering is incomprehensible.  But He shed His blood because of His love for us.  “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:6-8)

Jesus’ love was ever present in His ministry on earth, in His death, and in His resurrection.  Observe His love for all in these verses: “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:36-38). Ponder His love for the Jews in Matthew 23:37: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Consider His love for His own apostles in John 13:1: “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

Remember His continuing love for all today. “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

His invitation is open to you today.  Will you come to Him?  “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:16-17).

The blood that was shed for you is waiting to cleanse you from sin and give you a new life in Christ.