“And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children.’”— Matthew 27:25 (NKJV) )

When we read this verse, we might shudder at the callous attitude of the Jews as they were so consumed by their unwillingness to believe in the identity of Jesus the Christ. To declare a willingness to have the responsibility for Jesus’ crucifixion placed on them; and not only on themselves but on their children as well speaks of those who are irrational in their thinking and behavior. 

How could right thinking men and women make such a bold and irreverent statement? Of course, right-thinking men and women could not make such a statement; but then right-thinking men and women would have believed the Word concerning Jesus and they would have believed the miracles wrought by His hand. It was a terrible thing to say, made even more terrible by the pledging of the souls of their children. 

Are we who do not honor Him today any better than those who crucified Jesus and boldly took responsibility for the deed? Is not the parent who does not place their faith in Christ and by example, teach their children to do likewise, taking responsibility for their own disobedience and encouraging their children to do the same? Isn’t the father who keeps his son out of church regularly to do other things teaching him that those other things are more important than honoring and worshiping God? What kind of man would knowingly contribute to his son’s separation from God? The answer is of course the same kind of man who would crucify Jesus and take responsibility — an irrational man.

As horrible as it may seem to consider, the fact is that we were all irrational thinking individuals before we surrendered our lives to God through Jesus Christ. Incapable of rational thinking about the things that really matter in life.

In Romans 7:18, the Apostle Paul confesses, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells.” Apart from Jesus Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5) that is, nothing of eternal value to God. To the irrational man: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” [1 Corinthians 1:18].

May His blood be on us and our children for salvation, not for condemnation.

The Rev. Bobby Thornhill is a retired pastor.