Accountable for Our Actions

February 17

Exodus 37-38

Psalm 22:22-26

Proverbs 5:15-17

Matthew 27:24-44

Accountable for Our Actions

“Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”  Matthew 27:24 LSB

Pilate knew Jesus was not guilty of anything.  Verse 18 says that he knew they had turned him over because of envy.  In addition to his own convictions, his wife told him she had a dream about Jesus and that He was a righteous man so Pilate should not convict Him.  He tried to get the crowd to choose Jesus as the one who would be released, but they insisted on releasing Barabbas and sentencing Jesus to death.  Instead of doing the right thing releasing Jesus because he was innocent, Pilate gave in to political pressure.  He tried to push off the responsibility by washing his hands and telling the crowd that Jesus’ blood was on their hands.  Unfortunately, we cannot get rid of our responsibility by pushing it off on someone else.  We are responsible to God for our actions.  When we know the right thing to do and we do not do it, we will face the consequences.  

            God is patient and faithful with us.  He convicts our hearts and helps us know what is right and wrong. He will also bring other people into our lives to help guide us.  He can send them at just the right time to give us the message we need to hear so that we know what we need to do.  But we can choose to ignore the convictions in our hearts and the advice of others.  It is our natural tendency to rationalize and blame others for our actions.  We can all come up with excuses to do what we want to do.  And if we are caught doing something we shouldn’t, we deflect and push the blame off on someone else.  This started in the garden.  When Adam ate the forbidden fruit, he blamed Eve and she blamed the serpent.  When we sin, our best option is to confess and ask for forgiveness.  God is faithful and just and He will forgive us when we ask.  (I John 1:9) 

Pilate was the one in charge. He was responsible for sentencing Jesus and he will one day be judged for his actions. The Jews in the crowd that day will also be judged for their actions.  They were responsible for choosing Barabbas to be released.  They will be held responsible individually for denying that Jesus was the Messiah and refusing to accept Him.  When each person stands before Jesus one day in judgment they will not be able to blame anyone else because they did not accept Him.  God gives each of us everything we need to know the truth and to believe in and accept him.  If we choose to deny it, we will be held accountable.