"Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?  They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor said, Why what evil hath he done?"        Matthew 27: 22-23  

      This question is recorded with the exact same words in Mark 15:14 and Luke 23:22. John records it as "What accusation will ye bring against this man"? (Jn 18:29). A good principal to follow in understanding any event is to ask, WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and WHY. Pilate covered the Who, What and Why in this one question. Pilate did not ask this question because he knew who Jesus was. Pilate had to ask Jesus "Art thou the King of the Jews"?  Pilate did not ask this question because he was a Jew and knew the prophets, for he asked,  "Am I a Jew ? Thine own nation and the chief priest have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done"? He did not ask this question because he knew the truth, for he asked Jesus,   "What is truth"?

      Pilate asked the question based on   physical evidence. Pilate told the chief priest and rulers of the people: "Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him--" (Lk 23:13-14). Pilate said at least three (3) times, "I find no fault in him". Nevertheless, they cried, "Let him be crucified". Pilate said, "Shall I crucify your King"? But the apostate Jews answered, "We have no king but Ceasar". How sad it is,  but sometimes God's people would rather bow to the kings of this world than to obey God and His word.  How sad it is, but sometimes God's people ignore the obvious evidence of justice.   

    Pilate followed a Jewish custom to indicate he was innocent of the crime and "took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person, see ye to it".  But for the apostate Jews it was an opportunity for them to pervert another of God's laws (Deut. 21:1-9). And so they said, "His blood be on us, and on our children". -- Crucify him, crucify him !  Let him be crucified !

     Why, what evil hath HE done? He who was in the beginning with God and was [Greek word ito, meaning existed with] God. He who made all things and without him was not any thing made that was made. He who, in the fullness of time, was born of a virgin. He who began his earthly ministry by being baptized by John the Baptist. He who healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, cured lepers, fed the hungry, cast out demons, raised the dead, walked on the water, calmed the storms and spake as no man ever spake. He "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (I Pet. 1:22). So, Why crucify him, what evil hath he done ?

     There was no need for Pilate to ask When or Where, because there was no What ! Jesus Christ was without sin. He did no sin because He could not sin. He was God manifest in the flesh (I Tim.3:16).He and his Father are one. In him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col.2:9). They that had seem Him had seen the Father. He who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. They that had seem Him and touched Him could say with Thomas, "My Lord and My God" (Jn. 20:28).

     Bible denying liberals have for a long time denied that Jesus was (IS) The Christ and have always taught that Jesus was just a good man and at best just another prophet (see Matt. 16:13-18). The Promise Keepers, an ungodly inter-denominational organization, use a hand-book that claims Jesus had all the phallic passions of man (including homosexual) and could have sinned had he wanted. That is blasphemy ! I have even heard that some of the liberals among our ranks preach that Jesus could have sinned had he wanted to.

    If Jesus had a nature that could have sinned, he could not have been our Saviour, for he would himself have been a child of wrath by nature. That was impossible ! Christ was both God and Man. God can not be tempted with sin (James 1:13). The man Christ had to be a perfect, righteous sacrifice without spot and without blemish. As man he was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:14-15) - because he could not sin. So, What evil hath he done ?   

     Had this question been asked of any other person, any one born of man and woman in the natural way, the answer would be, As it is written, "There is none righteous, no not one" (exclusive). Speaking of the human race, God says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (inclusive). "Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin;  and so death passed upon all men (generically used to speak of the human race), for that ( also rendered  in whom, speaking of Adam) all have sinned ".

    Contrary to what modern man teaches, the human race, all of mankind; man, woman, boy, girl, and infant, are all sinners by nature. The word of God testifies to this truth and death bears witness. Show me a natural person who will never die and I will show you some one who is not a sinner. Enoch (Gen 5:24) and Elijah were both translated, but their vile, corruptible bodies had to be changed before entering God's presence. "The wages of sin is death" and no natural human being can escape it. Even those who are alive at the coming of Christ must be changed from corruption to incorruption and from mortal to immortality (I Cor. 15:51-57).

    While most parents do not like to think about it, those precious little babies are sinners by nature. God said of David "I have found David -- a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will" (Acts 13:22). We can believe David who said, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Ps 51:5). David  was not saying his mother was living in a state of adultery when she conceived him (as is the case with many births in this adulterous generation of our days), but rather that he was conceived in a nature of sin.  Paul confirms this in Eph. 2:1-3 when he says, "And you hath he quickened {made alive} who were dead in trespasses and sins - and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others". 

     The sin nature may not be evident while the child is in the womb or while he/she is a suckling. But the nature is there and it does not take long for sin to rear it's ugly head. David said, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies". I remember well our toddlers getting caught with their hands in the cookie jar, and then lying about having taken a cookie. Children do not have to be taught to lie, they do it naturally, because they are naturally sinners. Satan is the father of all lies (Jn 8:44) ! 

     Samuel spoke of man, woman, infants and sucklings of the Amalekites as all being sinners (I Sam. 15:3 & 18). This may sound like a "hard saying" but please keep in mind, we are not talking about the eternal destiny of any one.  We are talking about the depraved sinful nature of mankind compared to the sinless nature of Christ.  Most people like to talk about the love of God, but few want to talk about the reasons WHY Christ had to be crucified. It was not just a turn of events that could have been avoided ! Christ died for the ungodly! "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Rom 5:10) .  If Christ died for you, then you are/were an ungodly sinner. If Christ died for infants and little children, then they are/were ungodly sinners. Christ died only for sinners !  He came to save his people from their sin !

    Paul said, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners -" (I Tim. 1:15). Anyone who is saved by Christ, is or was a sinner. All infants and little children saved by Christ, are/were sinners.   John said, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation {satisfying sacrifice} for our sins" (I Jn 4:10).  If God loves you, he sent his Son to be the satisfying sacrifice for your sins. God sent his Son to be the satisfying sacrifice for the sins of each one he loves; each and  every one whom he saves.

    We can not have it both ways ! No one can claim that any man, woman, boy, girl, infant or suckling is loved of God and saved by Christ and in the same breath claim they are not sinners. Christ died for sinners  (but not all sinners as we will see shortly) !

     The Word of God does not teach the popular man-made doctrine of an "Age Of Accountability".  There is no period of time in which God gives everyone an opportunity to decide whether they are going to be sinners or not. There is no safety net of love in which God holds everyone until they reach a certain age, and then drops them into impending danger of spending eternity in hell fire unless they do certain works of righteousness. No one goes to hell or heaven because of what he does or has.  No one goes to hell or heaven because of what he does with what he has ! 

    The law God gave Moses was never intended to give life, but rather to reveal sin. "For by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Rom 3:20). "God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily  righteousness should have been by the law" (Gal 3:21). If only those who keep the law given to Moses (as re- corded in Exodus 20) are going to make it to heaven, only Jesus Christ will be there. The law says "Thou shalt not kill". Moses and Paul are out. The law says "Thou shalt not commit adultery". David and millions of others are out. The law says "Thou shalt not make unto thee any grave image - Thou shalt not bow down thyself  to them". Aaron, almost all of national Israel,  everyone who has a statue, picture or image of Christ or Angels , etc. -- they are all out.  Need I go any further to illustrate this truth ?

   When considering infants and little children with re-gards to their being sinners by nature we might ask the same question that was asked by Pilate of Christ. What evil have they done ?  The answer may well be none that we have seen or heard ! But we must remember that eternal life is not given to God's elect based on what good they have done or what evil they have not done. It is "Not by works of righteousness we have done {or evil works we have not done }, but according to his mercy he saved us --" (Titus 3:5).

    Whenever I have trouble understanding this truth, I dial the emergency number, 911. That is Romans 9:11 where God disproves all works heresies in the birth of the twins, Jacob and Esau. Note carefully what is said:  "For the children being not yet born {still in the womb} neither having done any good or evil {with the sin nature, but not having done any good or wicked works}, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth -- As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. God told Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion". "So then it is {eternal destiny} not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy".

    The election in this text is to eternal glory, not some timely event, such as seeing or entering the kingdom, the church of God.  While it is true that all things are  foreknown and certain events are predetermined or foreordained by God, such as the Virgin Birth; the Death, Burial and Resurrection of Christ; His eternal reign as King over an everlasting kingdom without end, the doctrine of election applies to people not things. Predestination is a subject that generally applies to those whom God has chosen in Christ Jesus before the world began.

    "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son - Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we say then to these things ?  If God be for us, who can be against us.  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that con-  demneth ? It is Christ that died, yea rather is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God ------- "       Romans 8:28-34

     Some preachers are guilty of preaching some people into hell and others into heaven based on their nationality, or age, or what they have or have not done. All Jews are not heaven bound because they are natural born Jews. There is no age of accountability. Election is not based on having done good or evil. God did not elect categories of people! God elected individuals ! God has never given man the privilege or the authority to determine where any one spends eternity - not for himself or another. Man brought sin and death  into the world, but righteousness and eternal life comes by God through Christ to as many as have been ordained to eternal life (Acts 13:48).

     Jesus said before going to the cross, "Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him" (John 17:1-3). All that have been given to Christ by  the Father  will  be  in heaven, no more and no less. 

     Jesus said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out -- And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing,  but raise him up again at the last day -  No man {no one} can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day" -- "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,   will draw all men {the Elect of God} unto me. This he said, signi-fying what death he should die"  (Jn. 6:37-39,  44,   10:32-33).

    Why Crucify Him even though he had done no evil and was without sin ? Because it was foreordained before the foundation of the world that he would shed his precious blood for the redemption of his people (see I Peter 1:18-21). Because it was written in the law of Moses, foretold by the prophets and in the Psalms in the Old Testament Scriptures that he must suffer and rise from the dead  (Luke 24: 25-27,   44-47  and  I Cor 15:14). Because the Angel proclaimed  "He shall save his people from their sin". Because Christ declared "For this cause came I unto this hour". Because it was according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God (see  Acts 2:22-24). Because He came willingly to this world of sin and sorrow to lay down his life for his sheep. He said "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father"  (John 10:14-18).  WHY? Because herein is the eternal purpose and the love of God made manifest for an elect people whom He chose in Christ before the foundation of the world .  (BA)