28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. Acts 13:28-31

When the Jewish leaders went to Pilate to plea for Jesus’ death, they were washing their hands of the whole matter. In their minds, He was no longer their responsibility. It was now on Pilate. If he killed the son of God, His blood was on Pilate’s hands. Of course they knew what they were doing when they handed Him over to them because they also had three years to stir up the people against Him.

They know the truth now, but what was that first meeting like after they died? Did they tremble or did they still maintain their innocence, even while Jesus handed down their punishment?

The same can be said of millions, if not billions, of people who have escaped punishment in this life for the heinous and vile acts they’ve committed. The perfect righteousness of Christ demands perfect justice. He doesn’t overlook or ignore anything. We may not see the punishment right away, but there’s more to this life than this life.