WITH OUR MOUTH WE CONFESS
Matthew 27:25 All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and our children!”
Jesus has been taken by the Sanhedrin to Pilate the governor stationed in Jerusalem. He was Roman, and sent to keep the peace in Israel at all cost. The Romans were an occupying army, and didn't really like the Jews or cared what they thought of them. They ruled over Israel and their entire empire by intimidation. One of their best methods was crucification. It was a terrible way to die, and reserved for the more serious crimes. A person would be nailed to a cross and left there as long as the Romans saw fit. Sometimes the flesh would rot, and animals would come to eat the corpse. It was terribly painful as the nails were driven in close to nerves. Every time a person would try to move terrible pain would shoot through their body. The death process could last a few days or longer. It all depended on the mood of the Romans. If they wanted to string out the torture and death, they could make a seat for the person to sit on and they would starve themselves to death. Since usually the person die from no longer being able to push themselves up to breathe, they would end up suffocating themselves to death. If they wanted to speed things up they could beat the person to weaken them so they would die more quickly. Anyway they did it, crucification was a terrible way to die, and not just for the person on the cross but for their loved ones that had to watch the long suffering. So when the Chief priests and Sanhedrin wanted Pilate to crucify Jesus, they knew exactly what was in store for Jesus. And I am sure that they hoped that this would send a message to any of Jesus’ followers that if they were smart they would no longer follow his teachings.
Pilate was certainly no fool. No doubt he had his spies observing Jesus for several years. He already knew all he needed to know to make a just decision regarding Jesus’ guilt or innocence. He certainly knew that Jesus was not intending to overthrow Roman rule. If he would have wanted to do that he had many opportunities for three years. Pilate knew that Jesus was only interested in spiritual matters, and that was at the heart of the reason why the religious leaders had brought Jesus to him. Even Pilate’s plea to the crowd was an attempt to bypass the Sanhedrin. It was obvious that they wanted Jesus dead, but Pilate also knew that the people loved Jesus. To crucify Jesus he ran the risk of causing the people to rise up in revolt. To get the religious leaders mad at him could cause problems for him back in Rome. Very wittingly Pilate let the Jews make their own bed or decision regarding Jesus. If the people rejected setting Jesus free they couldn’t revolt because of it, and the Sanhedrin wouldn’t care if Jesus was crucified because they brought Jesus to him to be crucified. The Jewish people were about to make a profound judgment that would impact them for generations spiritually and physically.
When the Jews not only yelled crucify Jesus, they placed a curse of God on themself and their descendants that could only be removed by becoming a Christian, a follower of the very one that they had unjustly killed. God took this free will act on their part very seriously and still does. To this day down and through the years the Jewish people have known no peace. The reason is of course is that they don’t know the only one that can give them peace and that is Jesus. They have no one to blame but themselves. God did not make them reject Jesus or to have him killed. Their free will could have received him just like so many other did, and became his disciples. Their sin of rejecting Jesus, and their other sins committed rest squarely on them.
Jesus said that no one can come to the Father but by him, and that he is the way, the truth and the life. (Jn 14:6) They like all the world have scripture showing how he fulfilled their own prophecy regarding their Messiah. There is enough proof for anyone to believe that Jesus is God’s son and the Savior of the world. The problem is they do not want to believe. Well, God will not make anyone believe and trust in Jesus. God did much more than he should have in providing for our forgiveness and reconciliation with him. The blame for anyone going to hell rests squarely on the person. People go to hell, because they don’t want to go to heaven to be with Jesus!
Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
Just as with their mouth the Jews put a curse on themselves and their descendants, they like everyone else can find forgiveness and reconciliation with God through Jesus with their mouth. If you are not a Christian you can’t expect God to welcome you into heaven after rejecting his Son. If you are a parent and not a Christian, you are putting a curse on your children as well. You may not say it in so many words, but your children know if you love Jesus and they want to be like you!
It is a sobering thing to think, but it is true just the same. There is power in the tongue just look to the Jewish race. Why should such a small group of people for thousands of years face such persecution and sorrow? The Jewish people are a witness in themselves as to the reality of Jesus Christ and that salvation and peace only through him and him alone!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for loving us so much to provide for us forgiveness and reconciliation with you, the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. Please give us the courage to always be quick to confess you as not only our Lord and Savior, but our hope for eternity. We ask this in your holy name.
