Dear Christian friends:

From the text we can see that Pontius Pilate failed to do his duty. He knew Jesus was innocent. Here he calls Jesus "a just person." Before he told the Jews, "I find no fault in Him, none!" Pilate should have done his duty and freed Jesus. Why did he fail? He knew the Jews would make a terrible riot. He did not have enough soldiers to conquer them. He could lose his job and maybe his life.

So Pilate washes his hands and says he is not to blame for Jesus' death. He tries to be uninvolved! He saved his life and his job, but God's Son died because he washed his hands, uninvolved. If Pilate does his duty he dies; if he fails to do his duty Jesus must die. Pilate can't avoid Jesus.

Also you and I can't really avoid Jesus. Pilate must choose. You and I must also choose. Which will we choose? Will you choose not to be involved or will you be involved?


If I am uninvolved, Jesus dies because of me. We are often uninvolved in two ways:

First, if we say, "I have no sin." Pilate washed his hands and said, "I am not to blame for the blood of this just person; its your blame." Pilate tried to blame others. But really he had the office to judge. We blame Pilate for Jesus' death. We say in the Creed: "He (Jesus) suffered under Pontius Pilate." When he fell into sin Adam told God that it wasn't his fault. He blamed Eve and he blamed God. Adam said to God, "The women You gave me; she tempted me, and then I ate from the tree."

We also often say that we have no sin and blame others: blame our wife; blame our husband; blame our children; blame the pastor; blame God or make beautiful excuses for our sins.

Yes, we often come to church and join with the pastor and confess our sins, but we don't really mean it or we think, "Everyone else is a sinner, too. Others are worse sinners than me."

Therefore, we excuse ourselves and are uninvolved (hands off, and flick responsibility off our shoulders). And Jesus dies because of our sin. Jesus must die because Pontius Pilate washed his hands of responsibility.

Secondly, we are uninvolved when we fail to love and help our neighbor. If we fail to love and help our neighbor, we also fail to love and help Jesus. On Judgment Day Jesus will say to those on the left hand: "Because you did not help your poor, needy neighbor, you did not help Me."

True, we can make many beautiful excuses for not helping our neighbor. But we are uninvolved and Jesus must die because or our sin. Perhaps we should substitute our name in the Creed, "He suffered under ________ ___________."

But if I involve myself with Jesus, I really die with Jesus. If Pilate accepts his duty and responsibility he dies with Jesus. The same with us! In two ways we involve ourselves with Jesus.

First, we involve ourselves with Jesus when we say and confess, "Christ died for my sin." Don't blame others; don't blame God; don't make beautiful excuses, none! Plainly say, "My blame, my wrong! I am a sinner!" If you can say that and really mean it, then you are involved. Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ." (Galatians 2:20) "We were buried with Jesus by baptism into death." (Romans 6:4)

But that's good, if we die with Jesus. That means our sins are taken away and we will never really die, but live now on earth and forever in heaven. Paul says:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.(Galatians 2:20)

Therefore don't wash your hands like Pilate. Don't confess your sins without thinking and being honest. Don't blame others! Don't make beautiful excuses. Involve yourself with Jesus say, "He died for me!" You will die, your old Adam will die, but a new man, like Jesus, will awake and arise to live a grand new life!

Secondly we become involved when we love and help our neighbor in his need. When we risk our life or our money to help someone in trouble we may die in that deed or else suffer hurt or loss.

A few years ago a man saw someone kidnap a ten year old Mexican girl. The man followed the kidnapper in his car and wrote down the license number and description of the car and then phoned the police. In one hour the police had arrested that kidnapper. That man saw the ten year old Mexican girl in trouble and became involved with her in her need. He risked his life in doing that. That man feels very good because he helped the girl. You also will have joy when you get involved with others in their need.

Today Jesus stands before us. We must choose. Either be involved with Jesus or uninvolved. We can't avoid Jesus. We must decide. I say, "Get involved!"

Amen.