They had no idea.
“And all the people said, ‘His blood shall be on us and on our children!’” // Matthew 27:25
2018 has been ‘A Year in the Life of Jesus’ for our church. We’ve been working our way through the gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - all year. The verses for Monday, December 3rd on the Gospel Reading Plan included the one above, and it stopped me in my tracks. The people who shouted those words had no idea the weight and truth of that statement.
The people shouted those words at Pilate - after he told them he thought Jesus was innocent, tried to get them to let Jesus go, realized they weren’t having it and wanted Jesus dead, and then washed his hands and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood, see to that yourselves.”
They wanted Jesus crucified and were proud to be the ones sending him to the cross. They wanted blood, and blood is exactly what they got.
“His blood shall be on us and on our children!”
They were absolutely right. Jesus’ blood was for them, their children, their children’s children, and every single person after them. His blood is for you and for me.
That angry mob didn’t realize the power of his blood. They thought the spilling of Jesus’ blood meant the end, not the beginning. The beginning of life, freedom, salvation, redemption, healing.
They had no idea.
But Jesus knew. And while the people were shouting for his blood, he was looking at them with love, knowing that his blood shed for them was his whole purpose in coming to this earth. Coming to this earth as a precious baby.
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
The cross - and the empty grave! - are why Christmas is so incredible. The blood that was shed for the angry mob, their children, you, and me - that’s why we celebrate. That’s why it matters that this baby was born in a manger because there was no room at the inn.
At his birth, the angels announced his purpose and his plan: “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Great joy for all people. Angry mob included.
A baby born to shed his blood for you and for me. A baby born to die on a cross that would forever connect creation and Creator. Joy to the world, indeed.