Question 1

Why did Pilate wash his hands in front of the crowd?

Accepted Answer

Pilate washed his hands to show the crowd that he did not want to be seen as guilty of killing Jesus. There was a known picture of washing hands to say, “I am clean from this blood.” Pilate saw that he could not calm the crowd and feared a riot, so instead of standing firm as a just judge, he gave in and tried this outward act to shift the blame onto the people. The water did not clear his guilt before God, but it did underline again that Jesus was an innocent man being condemned.

Question 2

What does the phrase his blood be on us and on our children mean?

Accepted Answer

When the people shouted, “His blood be on us, and on our children,” they were taking full responsibility for Jesus’ death. They were not asking to be cleansed by his blood, but saying that if there was any guilt or punishment for killing him, they were willing for it to fall on them and their descendants. It was a rash and blind promise, spoken as if they were sure they were right. Later history shows heavy judgment on that generation, yet God still kept a remnant for himself out of that same people.

Question 3

Why did Pilate release Barabbas instead of Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Pilate offered the crowd a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, a well-known prisoner who had taken part in violent crimes. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent and hoped the people would choose to free him. Instead, stirred up by their leaders, they asked for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be crucified. Pilate gave in to their demand. Barabbas walking free while Jesus is condemned gives a picture of guilty people being released while the innocent one suffers in their place, which fits with Jesus bearing the punishment sinners deserved.

Question 4

What does this passage show about human guilt and God’s plan of salvation?

Accepted Answer

This scene shows how people can fail badly in judgment. Pilate knows Jesus is just, yet still hands him over. The crowd chooses a criminal and willingly takes the blame for Jesus’ death. Their sin is real, and their words bring heavy consequences. At the same time, God is working out his saving plan. The innocent Son is condemned in a formal way by an earthly judge, so that guilty people can be cleared before the heavenly Judge. The very injustice of men becomes the way God lays our punishment on Christ, so believers can come to God without fear.

Question 5

How should believers today think about Pilate’s fear of the crowd?

Accepted Answer

Pilate knew what was right but feared the riot and the anger of the people more than he feared doing wrong. That pushed him to hand over an innocent man. This warns us how dangerous it is to value approval, comfort, or safety above what is right before God. It is better to suffer loss than to go along with clear evil. When we see Pilate’s choice, it should move us to pray for courage to stand by what is true, even when others push the other way, and to remember that pleasing God matters more than pleasing any crowd.

Question 6

Why is the scourging and crucifixion of Jesus mentioned after Barabbas is released?

Accepted Answer

The passage says that after releasing Barabbas, Pilate had Jesus scourged and then delivered him to be crucified. The scourging was a brutal whipping that often went with crucifixion under Roman rule. This sharp suffering shows how heavy the judgment was that Jesus took on himself. He did not just die; he endured harsh pain and shame as someone treated like the worst of criminals. This underlines how serious our sins are and, at the same time, how fully Jesus stepped into the place of those he came to save, bearing what they deserved.

Question 7

What does Pilate calling Jesus this just person tell us about Jesus?

Accepted Answer

When Pilate says, “I am innocent of the blood of this just person,” he is admitting that Jesus has done nothing worthy of death. Even the man who gives the order to crucify him has to say he is just. This fits with the whole picture of Jesus in this scene. He does not answer false charges, he harms no one, and yet he is treated as a criminal. The statement from Pilate, a pagan ruler, becomes another witness that Jesus is the innocent one. This matters because only a sinless one can rightly stand in the place of sinners before God.

Question 8

How does the crowd’s curse on themselves relate to later events for their nation?

Accepted Answer

The crowd’s words, “His blood be on us, and on our children,” show how hardened they had become. They were so sure they were right that they invited any guilt and punishment onto themselves and their families. Later, harsh judgment did fall on that generation: their city and temple were destroyed and many died under Roman hands, including by crucifixion. In that sense, their wish came true. Yet God did not wipe out that people completely. He saved many from among them, showing that, even when sin is great, his mercy and his promises still stand for those he calls.

Question 9

What does this passage teach about responding to Jesus today?

Accepted Answer

In this passage people respond to Jesus in very different ways. Pilate knows he is innocent but chooses safety over truth. The crowd is carried by anger and pressure and shouts for his death. Both responses miss who Jesus really is. Today, this warns us not to treat Jesus lightly or let fear, habit, or the opinions of others decide for us. Instead, we should look carefully at his innocence, his suffering, and the way he took the place of the guilty. The right response is to turn from sin, trust him as the one who died for sinners, and follow him.

Matthew 27:24

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

Pilate Washes His Hands

Cross References

Matthew 27:24

When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.

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Pilate Washes His Hands

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