The first time I read through Matthew's account of Jesus's life, ministry, death, and resurrection, I audibly gasped at one point in Chapter 27.
Pontius Pilate had set before the crowd two choices: release either Barabbas (an insurrectionist), or Jesus. But the chief priests and elders had convinced the crowd to demand Barabbas's release, and when Pilate asked what, then, they wanted him to do with Jesus, they yelled out, "Crucify him!"
He tried to dissuade them - but they screamed it even louder: "Crucify him!"
I can only assume Pilate was baffled, and even disgusted. The crowd was getting so rowdy, it seemed a riot would soon start. In full view of them all, he washed his hands, and said, "I am innocent of this man's blood. It is your responsibility."
And here's where I gasped:
They answered, "His blood is on us and on our children!"
I can try to reason it out - maybe they really believed that Jesus was a heretic who deserved death, as I'm sure the priests and elders told them. Maybe they didn't believe the power of their words, and spoke as flippantly as we do today. I don't know. But regardless, that's a pretty strong statement.
Hold that thought.
Let's rewind history, back to the very first book of the Old Testament - the first book of the entire Bible. In Genesis, Chapter 50 (yeah, there are a lot of chapters in Genesis - but it's a great read) -- we find Joseph in his early 30s / late 40s. (This is the same Joseph whose brothers beat him up and sold him, after he paraded Daddy's gift of a technicolor coat in front of them.)
He'd lived a pretty rough life. Getting beat up and sold into slavery by his own family, doing well in his work and kind of making it before having the boss's wife hit on him, then getting thrown into prison because she falsely accused him of coming on to her. In prison, he interprets the dreams of two of Pharaoh's servants - and the one who regains the Pharaoh's favor and gets his position back forgets about Joseph for two whole years! So Joseph's sitting in prison for years, for a crime of which he's innocent.
When the cupbearer finally remembers Joseph, and recommends him to Pharaoh as someone to interpret his dreams, Joseph catches a break. But that's a good two or three decades of tragedy and mishap for a boy whose only documented sin had been showing off to his big brothers. And when he has a chance to rake them over the coals (and he does, a little bit), his ultimate response to them is heartbreakingly loving; he weeps and throws his arms around them and embraces them. They bring their father (Jacob) to Egypt to be with Joseph, and Jacob dies there, having the whole family together again.
When their father dies, Joseph's brothers worry that maybe his love was all a show; perhaps it was only a way to see their father again. Would he now hold a grudge, and hurt them somehow? But Joseph reassures them, saying (in Genesis 50:20), "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
Okay. Un-hold that prior thought. Here's the big idea:
When those people screamed out for Christ's crucifixion, and said they'd take any consequence that their demands brought - that Christ's blood was on their heads - on both theirs and even their children's - God heard and honored that request.
Christ's death on that cross paid the death penalty that their sins deserved, and it paid the death penalty that their children's sins deserved, and that which their children's children's sins deserved, all the way down to us. His crucifixion paid the death penalty that my sins deserved, and yours as well.
Jesus's blood is on their heads, and it covers every sin and curse we've brought upon ourselves. Praise God that what they meant to be a curse has blessed us beyond what anyone could have ever imagined!
They intended to harm Him, but God intended it for good, to accomplish was is still today being done - the saving of many souls.
