The Blood of the Lamb

Matthew 27:24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; [10] see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged [11] Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
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Long before this day, during the time of the Israelites' enslavement in Egypt, God delivered them through a sacrifice of firstborn children. Anyone who had the blood of the lamb on their doorpost was saved from the plague and their children were spared. Here we see that God is again delivering his people by putting his own firstborn to death. The people, not knowing what they are doing, ask for Jesus' blood to be on them and their children. What an amazing fulfilment of the passover! Later, on the cross, Jesus prays for them, saying that they don't know what they are doing. Contrast this with Pilate, who seems to know what he is doing and wash himself of the guilt. In both cases, Jesus is the only one entitled to grant forgiveness. He is innocent and yet held accountable for sin. This answers the ancient word given by God in Genesis 9:
5 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,by man shall his blood be shed,for God made man in his own image. There is an ancient rule of justice knit into the fabric of the world and Jesus had to die in order to "reckon" for our sin because the wages of sin is death. So now we are like the Israelites who have just been told by Pharaoh that we may leave Egypt. There is still a desert ahead before we get to Canaan, but the Promised Land is still promised, and our Deliverer is leading the way.