Matthew 27:24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.”
Pilate could have washed his hands till they were raw, but it would not have absolved him from responsibility for Jesus’ death. He knew Jesus was not guilty of the trumped-up charges. And he had the power to stop the crucifixion. But he responded to the pressure of the crowd rather than truth. Ironically, he declares his own innocence while sealing the fate of a truly innocent man. His response defined who he was then and for eternity.
Responsibility—the ability to respond—marks our identity as humans.
God created us in his image with this somewhat outlandish capacity. Our ability to respond to people and circumstances gets messy, but our Creator designed us for more than a robotic charade. The choices and responses we make determine who we become, just as they defined Pilate.
Just as they defined Jesus.
Jesus always responded with his Father’s will, not his own (Luke 22:42). When Pilate washed his hands of him, when the soldiers mocked him, and when he anguished in Gethsemane, he could have reacted in anger or self-pity, but he chose God’s will. Remarkably, when the sky grew dark and the earth quaked at his death, even the centurion acknowledged his identity. “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matt. 27:54).
I’m profoundly grateful God made us with free will, with the ability to respond. Although we sometimes regard our responsibilities as burdensome, God will always provide the grace we need to help carry them out. Whether we’re facing the responsibility to forgive, resist temptation, or carry out a tough assignment, grace meets us. God would have provided Pilate with the grace not to give in to the crowd, but he didn’t ask.
Friend, the most defining responsibility you will ever have lies in how you respond to Jesus. You can try to wash your hands of it. But it won’t work for you any more than it did for Pilate. Let God’s grace show you how to respond to his call. Who you are and who you become depends on it. Your response-ability not only determines who you become, but your eternal destiny.