What does Matthew 27:25 mean?
This verse is at once terrifying, thoughtless, and sad. It is also deeply controversial due to its abuse by those promoting "antisemitism:" a hatred of Jewish people. Given that twisted perspective, and nearly twenty centuries of worldwide persecution of the people of Israel, a modern reader might well wince when reading these words.Jesus was clearly innocent and declared so multiple times by the Roman governor (John 19:4; Luke 23:4, 22). Still, in response to incitement by religious leaders, an assembled mob demanded Jesus be crucified (Matthew 27:22–23). Pilate, the governor, gave in to that pressure with a laughable attempt to avoid taking responsibility (Matthew 27:24). In response to this, the near-rioting crowd makes a dismissive, careless remark about their willingness to bear that blame.
In some ways, all the people of Israel, not merely those present when Jesus was condemned, have suffered terribly ever since the moment depicted in this Scripture. In 70 AD, Rome would bring slaughter and desecration to Jerusalem. The twenty centuries since have included anti-Jewish persecution on every conceivable scale, up to and including the horrors of the holocaust. Scripture nowhere indicates Israel's historic troubles have been a result of their condemnation of Jesus. However, shortly before being arrested, Christ did predict catastrophic judgment was about to fall (Matthew 23:37—24:2). He will make a similar prediction on His way to the execution site (Luke 23:27–31).
The Bible is clear, however, that God has not abandoned His chosen people (Romans 11:1–2). They are still part of God's plan of salvation (Romans 11:26). Nothing in the Bible—implicitly or explicitly—suggests Jewish people are collectively to be blamed for the death of Christ. No part of Scripture supports hatred, persecution, derision, or prejudice against Israel on account of these events. Matthew records a painfully careless remark shouted by a frenzied mob—this has never been any sort of mandate for future generations to follow.
