Washing Hands or Washing Feet (Saved People serve 4)

Text:  Matthew 27:23-25

A study of the two lives that crossed on one Passover Day.  One wanted to change the world the other actually did.

So far in the series:

Pilate tried to rule

Jesus actually does

CIT: The difference between Pilate and Christ was that while one wanted to remove his responsibility for others Jesus embraced it.

Fallen Condition Focus: We are prone to cover our inconsistency instead of addressing our inconsistency.

Illustration:

Recap the story

Jesus Brought to Pilate for fear of the Jews. The Chief priest off load Jesus on his steps. Pilate tries to do the same thing to Herod the tetriarch. A few hours later Herod has had his fun and sends Jesus back.

Jesus is bound and beaten for several hours now. It is left to Pilate to judge him to discern innocence or guilt. Pilate discerns innocence “I find no fault” but is stuck to do the will of the Jewish leaders.

We want to understand what Pilate is up against.  The truth is it is not all that different than what we face from time to time.

Quickly get the idea of Pilates drama and then move to the washing.

Everyone has had their conscience tear them up

Explanation: The interest to me is that Pilate is described as one who really wanted to be anywhere other than he was at the moment. Before Pilate was placed as governor of Jerusalem it is said that Pilate was a war hero.  He wasn't the beuracratic type.  If he had a problem the best way to solve it was cut it with a sword.  And this ramrod way of leading had been his M.O.

There have been apocryphal letters of one kind or another surface through the generations that allege Pilate of authorship.  Whether the letters are genuine or not they all agree that Pilate had no intention of laying a hand on Jesus.  His plan the whole time was to whip him and send him home.  Let the thugs of Jerusalem take him out or something.  And we can even see this truth through the gospels.

What of the statement I find no fault in this man.  If Pilate only had a cursory understanding of what was going on in his city then he would have know of  a few of the good that Jesus had done.

•A widow’s son is miraculously called from the casket.

•The bride whose wedding almost went bad had more wine than she bargained for.

•The cripple who walked out of the house with his bed.

•The parents who rejoiced over their daughter’s restoration to life.

•The thousands who were fed with just a small amount of fish and bread.

•The sermons, the parables, and the teaching.

Consider what Pilate knew and is addressed in this passage.

•His wife was warning him behind the scenes (19)

•He seeks an account of his wrong doing (23)

•“Why what evil hath he done?” (Mark 15:14)

•“I find no fault in this man” (Luke 23:4)

•“because he made himself the Son of God.  When Pilate therfore herd that saying, he was the more afraid;... And saith unto Jesus “Whence art thou?” (John 19:7-8)

•In all four Gospels, Pilate is a reluctant participant stuck and you can seek this coming out in his conscience.

Illustration:

Back to the difference between these two Jesus and Pilate…

Explanation:  You could not find two men more different.  Even here in the room of judgment Pilate sits on a throne as Jesus stands in his own blood.  They were as distinct as:

Pain vs. Luxury

Selfishness vs. Generosity

Arrogance vs. Humility

Sin vs. Holiness

Power vs. Weakness

A Leader who abandoned his responsibility for the lives he was meant to lead.

When I’m trying to protect my self instead of looking for ways to live for others.

Explanation:  About six months before this, Pilate again attempted to decorate his Jerusalem residence with golden shields. Unlike at the first, this time they did not bear pagan images but they did bear inscriptions which promoted Caesar-worship.

King Herod Agrippa and the Jewish authorities formally protested this act directly to Caesar Tiberius. Tiberius, wishing to maintain the submission of the Jews to Roman authority, sent a blistering letter of rebuke to Pontius Pilate ordering him to remove the shields to Caesarea AND to up-hold all the religious and political customs of his Jewish subjects.

The message was clear - For his own survival, Pilate must not unnecessarily offend the Jewish ruling authorities and the people. Rome would be monitoring Pilate’s conduct closely. His rule would be under a magnifying glass.

The chief priests knew that Pilate’s position was fragile. They knew they had leverage over Pilate and they used it to achieve their evil aims. They successfully threatened Pilate into submission to their will.

Note in John 19 that the Jewish authorities pretended their loyalty to Caesar and called Pilate’s into question - verses 12-16:

John 19:12–16 KJV 1900

And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

Mark 15:15 KJV 1900

And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

Illustration:

A devastating call is made

It was here that things began to go wrong for Pilate. He violates the voice of his conscience. Instead he orders Jesus to be whipped. The Sanhedrin gets tattered nerves and lacerated muscles and blood but that is not enough. They want Him crucified.

Pontius Pilate tried to evade his responsibility by washing his hands:

The Sacrifice of Deuteronomy 21:1-9

In the Old Testament Law (Deuteronomy 21:1-9), if someone was slain and there was no one who witnessed the crime and the murderer was not found, a sacrifice was to be offered.

In this process of the sacrifice being offered, the hands of the elders of the city were to be washed. Hand-washing was a particular ritual among the Jews. The Mishna gave specific orders on the order of hand washing:

MOVE TO WATER BOWL AND WASH HANDS

The hands had to be thrust into the water three times up to the wrist.

The palm of each hand had to be rubbed with the closed fist of the other.

By doing this, the elders were cleansing themselves symbolically of any guilt on their own part. As they washed their hands they would state: "Our hands have not shed this blood and our eyes have not seen. Grant forgiveness to thy People and give not innocent blood in the midst of thy people Israel and the blood shall be forgiven them."

This act of washing hands did not make Pilate clean

Matthew 27:24 KJV 1900

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.

But Christ Jesus makes it quite clear that the washing of hands did not absolve Pilate of his guilt in this matter.

John 19:11 KJV 1900

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

There are literally millions of people who use inadequate wash basins in an effort to remove the responsibility for other from their hands.

CIT: The difference between Pilate and Christ was that while one wanted to remove his responsibility for others Jesus embraced it.

There is another basin of water mentioned.

MOVE TO WATER BOWL AND BEGIN WASHING FEET

An incident that happened just 24 hours before when the Son of God took a basin and a towel and washed the disciples feet.  This basin had no fan fare.  The only servant was the Savior.  As each and every disciple sat in stunned silence.

That is until Peter.  Peter stops Jesus in John 13:8 "...Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thous hast no part with me."

Peter tries to go beyond the work of Jesus by saying vs 9.  "...Lord not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

Jesus answered back vs 10 "...He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit and ye are clean..."

It is here that we find that what Jesus secures is real washing that is to say that the clear conscience, strong image, and lasting position are found in Him.

•He has washed my conscience clean.

•He affirms my image in Christ

Consider this lesson taken from John 13.

John 13:12–20 KJV 1900

So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

CIT: The difference between Pilate and Christ was that while one wanted to remove his responsibility for others Jesus embraced it.

The question is: will you take responsibility for the lives around you or will you keep washing your hands clean of it.