The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 27:22-25, Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let Him be crucified!”

23 And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”

24 And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”

25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

It was years ago, and I was flying out of Los Angeles to Sydney. I was in

evangelism and was reading our latest team paper. When I finished, I

handed it to a man, who was seated across the aisle. He was Jewish, and

he read it very carefully and thoroughly. Then he handed the paper back

to me and said in a rather gruff tone, “Why does everyone blame the Jews

for crucifying Jesus?” I had learned to reply to Jews in the same tone, so

I replied, “Because you did! –and so did I.”

Mob riots seem common today. People are at such unrest within themselves

that just about anything brings them into the streets yelling and complaining.

Two major groups are the objects of many of these riots: Jews and Christians.

Christians are hated for their support of Israel; and Israel is hated because of

the words of their ancestors to Pilate, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

One commentator writes: “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 (curse)! and how literally fulfilled!”

Be careful always what you say. Words have a way of coming back to haunt

their speaker –even over centuries of time. What we are and say today affects

our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren and on and on. So, be

extremely careful! Live in the Word! Let the Holy Spirit guide you! We have

no right to bring tragedy on future generations!

We love you and pray for you,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”