“then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn” (Zech 12:10, NKJV)
In the previous teaching we pointed out that the unrighteous, evil Pontius Pilate, during the process of condemning Jesus to the cross, acted out of character and functioned as a very righteous man with an exceeding amount of grace. On account of his office he had to listen to the religious leaders of that time, the Sanhedrin, as well as the insistence of the crowd, and adhere to their pleas to have Jesus die on the cross, but his repentance and the washing of his hands ensured his innocence in the decisionmaking. And brought about that the Jews, and wider still, all believers, are guilty of the death of Jesus. Indeed – his blood has come over us and our children (Matt 27:25). Why do we say this?
In Acts 3 the cripple man at the gates of the temple is healed, and Peter makes this remark – “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just … and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” (verses 13-15). In Acts 4 the people who had seen the miracle and listened to Peter and John’s preaching, make this profound proclamation in one voice – ““Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said ‘Why did the nations rage, and the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ.’ For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.’” (verses 24-29). Pontius Pilate here gains a certain clear prototypical significance.
Note the admission of guilt – For truly both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the nations and the peoples of Israel, were assembled against … Jesus” (LITV)!
If you do not perceive, you will not receive. You killed Jesus. His innocent blood is on you and your descendants. When Rev 1:7 states it this clear – “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen” then it is those who perceive the truth that receive Jesus.
As God asks of Zechariah (12:10) – “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”
It is then significant that Pontius Pilate’s name can be translated as armed with a spear. We think that we have washed our hands in innocence, when we have actually armed ourselves with a spear.
- Sela: Ask for the Spirit of grace and supplication.
- Read: Lev 9; Neh 6; Isa 49 (see especially verse 2)
- Memorise: Isa 49:16a
