What is the blood of Abel to Zacharias?

Question:      In Luke 11:49-51, what does it mean when it say that the blood of Abel to Zacharias will be required of this generation?

Answer: The religious leaders of the last generation in the Old Testament are responsible for the death of all of the Old Testament prophets. Scripture referenced all prophets from Abel to Zacharias, but this also includes Jesus, because he was a prophet and he was the last prophet do die under the Old Testament. Although this is recorded in the New Testament, actually the New Testament did not begin until Jesus’ death on the cross. The blood of the last prophet (Jesus) was sacrificed to atone for the sins of all men that ever lived on earth and Jesus was the culmination of all the former prophets. It was the Jewish religious hierarchy in authority during Jesus’ final days on earth that initiated and demanded the death of Jesus. Pilate did not want to sentence Jesus to death, but the religious leaders insisted that Jesus be crucified. Pilate eventually relented, but he first took a basin of water and washed his hands, signifying he was acting against his better judgment; Mat.27:24, “…saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person…” Because Pilate acted upon the will of the Jewish religious hierarchy, the shedding of the innocent blood of Jesus’ was required of that generation; Mat.27:25, “then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”