And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a cry of anger; it’s a desperate, self-inflicted curse, echoing ancient laws where a community would disclaim responsibility for an unknown murder. They are essentially saying, "If Jesus is innocent and we condemn him, let the divine judgment for this crime fall squarely on our heads and our descendants."
And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
English Standard Version (ESV)
As Pilate washes his hands, trying to absolve himself of responsibility for Jesus' impending execution, the crowd erupts with a desperate and chilling cry. They defiantly accept the guilt for Jesus' death, invoking divine judgment upon themselves and their descendants. This dramatic moment seals Jesus' fate and sets the stage for the profound and tragic consequences of their rejection, which would echo through generations.
In the frenzy of the crowd, a decision is made not just for Jesus, but for generations to come. What did this cry truly mean in the moment, and how did it echo through history?
As Jesus stands before Pilate, the crowd is given a choice between Barabbas, a known criminal, and Jesus, the Son of God. Driven by religious leaders, their collective voice chooses Barabbas and demands Jesus' crucifixion.
Their fateful words, “His blood be on us and on our children!”, are a profound act of self-imprecation. It's not merely a statement of guilt, but a desperate, defiant embrace of responsibility for Jesus' impending death. They are essentially saying, 'If this man is innocent and deserves death, let the consequences fall on us and our descendants.' This cry seals their rejection of Jesus and invites divine judgment upon themselves.
This declaration wasn't just a fleeting moment of anger; it had devastating, long-lasting consequences. How did God's justice respond to such a potent curse?
The cry of the crowd was met with a severe and literal fulfillment. The destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD, and the subsequent suffering of the Jewish people over centuries, is seen by many as a direct and tragic consequence of this collective curse.
While God's justice can be terrifying, it also operates within His overarching plan. Even in judgment, there's a testament to His truth and faithfulness. The suffering of the Jewish people in their rejection of Christ served as a stark, historical witness to the reality of their choice and the divine consequences. Yet, as the Scriptures remind us, the individual son does not bear the father's iniquity unless he consents to it and perpetuates it. The judgment was both collective and individual, a terrifying display of the gravity of rejecting God's Son.
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This verse captures a moment of profound, self-inflicted judgment. The crowd's cry for Jesus' blood to be on them and their children echoes across centuries, finding a chilling fulfillment in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent historical suffering of the Jewish people, demonstrating the weighty consequences of rejecting the Messiah.
c. 33 AD— this verse
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus of Nazareth is tried, condemned by Pilate under pressure from Jewish leaders, crucified, and then, according to Christian belief, resurrected.
c. 40s-60s AD
Early Christian Evangelism
The apostles and early followers of Jesus begin to spread the Christian message throughout the Roman Empire, including to Jewish communities.
c. 66 AD
Outbreak of the First Jewish-Roman War
Jewish rebellion against Roman rule begins, leading to widespread conflict and devastation.
70 AD
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Roman forces under Titus conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Second Temple, and brutally suppress the Jewish revolt, fulfilling Jesus' prophecies of judgment.
c. 132-135 AD
Bar Kokhba Revolt
A second major Jewish revolt against Rome, led by Simon bar Kokhba, is crushed, resulting in further devastation and the renaming of Jerusalem.
David, upon hearing of the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, cries out in despair, 'So David said to him, “How is it that you were not afraid to put forth your hand against the Lord’s anointed?”' This echoes the people's rejection of God's anointed, Jesus, and their willingness to take responsibility for the consequences.
Deuteronomy 21:7-8In this passage, the elders of a slain man whose killer is unknown must declare, 'Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed.' The people in Matthew 27:25 invert this by claiming responsibility, 'His blood be on us,' essentially taking on the curse that the Mosaic Law sought to avert.
Luke 23:28Jesus himself tells the weeping women of Jerusalem, 'Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.' This directly addresses the future sorrow and devastation that the people's cry in Matthew 27:25 would bring upon them and their descendants.
Acts 5:28Peter rebukes the Sanhedrin, stating, 'for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.' The people's defiant cry shows a similar, though tragically misguided, conviction about their actions, a conviction that would lead to severe judgment for rejecting the very ones they were warned against.
Revelation 6:16-17The cry for mountains to fall on them and cover them from the face of God and the Lamb reflects the ultimate terror and judgment that awaits those who reject Christ, a terror the people in Matthew are unknowingly invoking upon themselves and their children.
henryMatthew 27:11-25: "And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest."
27:11-25 Having no malice against Jesus, Pilate urged him to clear himself, and laboured to get him discharged. The message from his wife was a warning. God has many ways of giving checks to sinners, in their sinful pursuits, and it is a great mercy to have such checks from Providence, from faithful friends, and from our own conscience…
clarkeMatthew 27:25: "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children."
His blood be on us and on our children - If this man be innocent, and we put him to death as a guilty person, may the punishment due to such a crime be visited upon us, and upon our children after us! What a dreadful imprecation! and how literally fulfilled! The notes on chap. 24, will show how they fell victims to their own imprecation, being visited with a series of calamities unexampled in the h…
This isn't just a cry of anger; it’s a desperate, self-inflicted curse, echoing ancient laws where a community would disclaim responsibility for an unknown murder. They are essentially saying, "If Jesus is innocent and we condemn him, let the divine judgment for this crime fall squarely on our heads and our descendants."
As Pilate washes his hands, trying to absolve himself of responsibility for Jesus' impending execution, the crowd erupts with a desperate and chilling cry. They defiantly accept the guilt for Jesus' death, invoking divine judgment upon themselves and their descendants. This dramatic moment seals Jesus' fate and sets the stage for the profound and tragic consequences of their rejection, which would echo through generations.
As Pilate washes his hands, trying to absolve himself of responsibility for Jesus' impending execution, the crowd erupts with a desperate and chilling cry. They defiantly accept the guilt for Jesus' death, invoking divine judgment upon themselves and their descendants. This dramatic moment seals Jesus' fate and sets the stage for the profound and tragic consequences of their rejection, which would echo through generations.
"And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”" — This isn't just a cry of anger; it’s a desperate, self-inflicted curse, echoing ancient laws where a community would disclaim responsibility for an unknown murder. They are essentially saying, "If Je…
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Last reviewed October 2026