Sunday 29 March 2026
- Bible Book:
- Matthew
So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves." (v. 24)
Background
To help make sense of this confrontation between Pilate, Jesus and the onlookers, it is useful to know something about the audience for whom Matthew was writing, and about Pilate.
It is largely accepted that Matthew's Gospel was written for a community of predominantly Jewish Christians, probably located in Antioch in Syria. At the time, this city had a large Greek-speaking Judean population. This assumption is based on things such as the many references in the gospel that reinforce the connection between Jesus' life and ministry and the Hebrew Scriptures, the family tree given at the start of Matthew's Gospel, and the fact that Matthew alone refers to the kingdom of heaven rather than the kingdom of ‘God’ – respecting Judaism’s reverence for the name of the Lord. This community would have been rejected by both the Jewish community (because it included Gentiles, ie people who were not Jews) and the Gentile community (because it was Jewish).
Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of the province, appointed by the emperor. He had considerable legal entitlements and was responsible for military peacekeeping, tax collecting and significant judicial matters, such as sentencing someone to death. He had a reputation for brutality and ruthlessness. He also appears to have been an astute politician.
In Matthew 27:18-19 the writer informs us that Pilate knows that Jesus is being accused to satisfy the honour of his accusers. It is only because of envy and resentment that Jesus is being vilified and shamed. To make the point even more strongly we are informed of the dream of Pilate’s wife, which would have been understood as a divine communication informing her of Jesus’ innocence of all evil. Consequently, Pilate performs a symbolic action (he washes his hands) to highlight that he is not to blame for Jesus’ death.
To Ponder:
- Put yourself in Pilates shoes. What would you have done?
- To this day we use the expression ‘I wash my hands of…’ to indicate that we do not accept responsibility for the consequences. What would help you to take responsibility, particularly to protect the innocent or vulnerable in the face of hostility?
Prayer
God of all humankind, give us the courage to challenge the mistreatment of others, in spite of the clamour of those around. us. Amen.
Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Sheryl Anderson
Sheryl is a supernumerary presbyter in the West Herts and Borders Circuit. In retirement she continues to preach and be a supervisor. She is also learning to keep bees.