A Basin of Water, A River of Blood

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, stood before the crowd and declared, "I find no fault in this man" (Luke 23:4). He knew Jesus was innocent. He saw through the schemes of the Jewish leaders, recognizing that they had handed Him over out of envy (Matthew 27:18). Pilate tried multiple times to release Jesus, saying, "I have found in him no guilt deserving death" (Luke 23:22).

In a final act of protest, he washed his hands before the people, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood" (Matthew 27:24). Yet, despite his words, he ultimately sentenced Jesus to be crucified.

Was this a cruel injustice? From a human standpoint, absolutely. The sinless One was condemned as a criminal. Roman soldiers mocked Him, beat Him, and nailed Him to a cross—an execution reserved for the worst offenders. It was the ultimate miscarriage of justice.

But behind this apparent tragedy, the hidden hand of God was at work to fulfill his Sovereign plan. Long before, Isaiah had prophesied, "It was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief" (Isaiah 53:10). The crucifixion was no accident of history; it was the fulfillment of God’s eternal purpose. For us who believe in him, Jesus bore our sins, our guilt, and our punishment.

The Governor of the Universe gave his Son as a sin-offering so that we might be set free. The cross, the darkest moment in history, was in reality the greatest act of justice and mercy ever known – for the shed blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin!