“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”” (Mat 27:24)

In this section of scripture we encounter a man wrestling with his conscience. Pilate is the Roman Governor who is presiding over the trial of Christ. He is under pressure from the crowd to condemn Christ to death, but he knows that He is entirely innocent. Pilate attempts to absolve himself of responsibility by standing before the crowd and washing his hands. Of course, in the eyes of God he remained responsible for his actions.

The human conscience is a reality. We all have one. Its function is to allow us to discern right from wrong. Have you ever wondered why we have this sense of right and wrong? The Bible teaches that it is because there is an absolute standard of what is right. God defines that standard, and He has given us a conscience so that we know, within ourselves, the difference between right and wrong (Romans 2:15).

However, we can choose how to respond to our conscience. We can ignore our conscience when we feel guilt about some wrong thought, word, or action. This results in a conscience which is ‘seared’ and no longer as sensitive as it used to be (1 Timothy 4:2). We can do things that are wrong, and no longer feel guilty about it.

The alternative is to listen to our conscience. When we do this, we soon realise that we constantly do things that are wrong. God’s standard is perfection. A single sin makes us guilty before Him (James 2:10). Indeed the whole world is guilty before God (Romans 3:19). All of us are sinners who fall short of God’s standard (Romans 3:23).

The good news however is that although we fall short of God’s perfect standard, in infinite love God gave His sinless Son as a sacrifice for sin. The Lord Jesus Christ made it possible for God to righteously forgive our sins. We can come into the good of that by trusting Him for forgiveness (John 3:16). We can’t do anything ourselves. We can’t ‘wash our hands’ of our guilt. But we can “believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and… be saved” (Acts 16:21).

In the space of just four verses (Luke 9:18-21) Jesus poses two questions to his disciples:

‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’

‘But who do you say that I am?’

The crowds had various theories as to who Jesus was: John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the old prophets (Luke 9:19). Even in the 21^st century people continue to have various theories about who Jesus was: perhaps just another religious leader, a prophet, even a good man.

It’s important for each one of us however to consider not only what people in general think of the Lord Jesus, but also the second, personal question, and to come to a personal decision about Him.

Peter’s answer was clear and unambiguous:

‘The Christ of God.’

Peter confessed Jesus as the promised Messiah, sent by God. In the account of this same incident in Matthew 16:16 Peter is recorded as saying

‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’

Jesus is God the Son. He became the only sinless Man ever to live on earth. He willingly gave His life on a cross where He suffered, bled and died. He rose again proving His power over death and demonstrating that His sacrifice is acceptable to God. To all who confess Him as Lord and Saviour He gives eternal life.

In a world where there are so many notions about who Jesus is, it is vitally important that each of us confronts the question

‘Who do you say that I am?’

and comes to the conclusion based on the teaching of the Bible that He is who He claimed to be, the promised Messiah, God become sinless Man, Lord and Saviour.

When a Jerusalem beggar who had been born blind was spotted walking about and, for the first time in his life able to see, it created more than a little stir. The explanation he gave for his cure was simple: “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” (John 9:11).

Some of the Jewish leaders had already decided that Jesus was not to be accepted, and threatened any who did (John 9:22). As news of the miracle spread like wildfire, their position fast became difficult to hold and they were faced with two options: accept Jesus as genuinely from God, or find a reason to discredit Him.

Despite both the beggar and his parents confirming beyond doubt that the miracle was genuine, they chose the ‘discredit Jesus’ option. They accused Him of being a sinner (John 9:24) because He had performed the miracle on the Jewish Sabbath, their weekly day of rest.

The newly seeing beggar exposed the folly of their position with withering sarcasm (John 9:30-34), but the Jewish leaders were unmoved, and on another occasion went so far as to attribute the miracles of the Lord to the power of Satan (Luke 11:15-18).

The great irony is that when it came to the Lord Jesus’ trial before Pilate, they couldn’t get a single accusation – true or false – to stick. Jesus had even invited scrutiny on this point, asking them, “which of you convicts me of sin?” (John 8:46). Some were prepared to accuse Him of being a sinner, but not one could back it up. The Bible asserts that the Lord Jesus committed no sin, knew no sin, and that in Him there is no sin (1 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 3:5). And it is exactly this which makes His death purposeful – to all who believe that Jesus is the sinless Son of God, who died sacrificially on behalf of sinners, God offers free and total forgiveness.

We know little of Simeon who uttered the words: “For my eyes have seen Your Salvation” (Luke 2:30, 25-33). We don’t know his age or marital status or occupation, but we do know that he was a very godly man. Luke uses a cluster of words that we would use of few men then or now. Luke the writer chose “upright and devout”, and it was such a man that was convinced that God would bless Israel with a great “consolation” (Luke 2:25) – the nation being restored to favour with the God against whom they had sinned.

Simeon had not been invited to join Mary and Joseph, who had come to the temple in Jerusalem for their eight-day-old child Jesus to be circumcised, a ceremony that every Jewish baby boy went through. We learn at Luke 2:26 that God had revealed to Simeon that he would see Lord’s Christ, the Lord and Saviour that Israel had been promised. Without express permission from Joseph, Simeon took the Chlid in his arms and blessed God for sending the Saviour. God had revealed to him that he would see the Messiah before he died. It was then that he said: “My eyes have seen Your salvation.” He knew that the salvation that his nation needed would be provided by this Child Jesus once He grew up. The salvation was not by the efforts of the Child’s godly parents; it would be solely the work of that Child in later life. We cannot be certain that Simeon knew this Child would die at Calvary, although Prophets like Isaiah had prophesied the nature and purpose of Christ’s death; see Isa 53. Only on account of that death would He be able to bless Gentiles and bring glory to Israel.

The Child Simeon saw is now exalted in heaven – a Prince and Saviour (Acts 5:31) – upon whom men and women, boys and girls can call for salvation. The Jesus Simeon had in his arms can forgive sin and assure those who come to Him by faith that they will be with Him in heaven for all eternity.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been botn King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” (Matthew 2:1-8)

The New Testament begins with a king terrified at the thought of any rival to his throne. Herod the Great had been placed in office by the Roman authorities who ruled the province of Judea. But Herod – a notoriously cruel and despotic man – dreaded opposition. So paranoid was he in ruthlessly stamping out competition from his own family that the emperor Augustus said ‘It is better to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son’. Therefore, when distinguished eastern travellers brought news to Jerusalem that a genuine ‘king of the Jews’ had been born, panic swept through his heart. With crafty duplicity, he pretended a religious interest in the event, seeking precise details of the birthplace so that he might exterminate his rival.

Herod’s pledge to worship the new king was a cover for murderous hatred. But he could not halt God’s programme. The Lord Jesus was not just another king of the Jews, He was the Christ, the long-promised future ruler of Israel – and the whole world. When He comes back to this earth in public glory and power He will seize the reins of universal government, ruling in perfect justice and peace. The amazing good news for us right now, however, is that this great King first of all gave Himself as a sacrifice for sinners, to rescue us from the terrible eternal death penalty we deserve. When a sinner trusts the Saviour his life comes under the control of the Lord Jesus, who reigns in the hearts of all who surrender to Him.

Herod’s promise of worship was a fraud, and exposed a wicked heart. But even the sincerest religious ritual cannot make somebody right with God. Only through faith in the One who died for sinners can anyone be saved. Once saved, wise men and women gladly worship Christ, for in Him dwells all the fulness of Godhead. He’s the living God, the Creator of the universe, the coming King of the Jews – and the personal Saviour of all who trust Him. Is He yours?