|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Return To The Online Bulletin
Main PageMatthew 27:11-26
I am sure that Pilate agonized over this question. Jesus had been delivered up to him because of envy. He knew Him to be innocent, but was faced with a crowd who called for His death. He knew what the right answer to the question was, but failed.
The question needs to be asked today. What will we do with Jesus? Paul says, "...we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10) Thus, seeing as we will appear before Jesus, who will be our Judge, it behooves us to respond to the question, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Mob's Answer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Let Him be crucified!" (Matthew 27:22-23) Though He was innocent, they, being stirred by the Jewish leaders asked for a murderer to be released, and the So of God to be crucified.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pilate's Answer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...He took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, 'I am innocent of the blood of thus just Person. You see to it.'" (Matthew 27:24) Pilate, knowing Jesus to be innocent, yet not wanting to see a riot begin among the people conceded to their wishes to have Jesus put to death. However, before delivering Jesus to be crucified, he washed his hands before the people, signifying that he was not responsible for Jesus' death. He attempted to remain neutral.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Soldier's Answer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...They spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head." (Matthew 27:30) The soldiers had some fun at the expense of Jesus. They enjoyed a time of mocking and beating the Son of Man. They dressed Him in scarlet, twisted a crown of thorns and put it onto His head. They placed a reed in His hand, and mockingly hailed Him, "King of the Jews."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter's Answer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...He began to curse and swear, saying, 'I do not know the Man!'" (Matthew 26:74) The disciple who a time before had confessed, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16), now declares that he does not know Him. Though he had sworn faithfulness to Jesus, even to death (Matthew 26:31-35), when the opportunity to live up to his words came, he failed miserably. He denied the Lord.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judas' Answer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" (Matthew 26:15) Judas' greed got the best of him. The Man whom he onced followed as Lord was now a money making venture. This one time faithful disciple became the betrayer. Of his own will, he sold Jesus into the hands of those who clammered for his death, receiving the price of a servant, 30 pieces of silver.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Felix's Answer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Go away for now, when I have a convenient time I will call for you." (Acts 24:25) The apostle Paul, as he appeared before Felix gave his defence. His defence was the gospel of Christ. And thus, he reasoned with Felix "...about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come..." Felix, being afraid of those thigns which Paul said commanded that he go away. Felix didn't send Paul away, he sent Jesus away!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paul's Answer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." (Philippians 3:8) The apostle Paul upon realizing who the Lord was, and being convicted of sin, and submitting to God's will set all else aside. The things of this world were of no consequence to the apostle. His life was no longer his own, but he declared, "...it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me..." (Galatians 2:20)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What then shall YOU do with Jesus who is called Christ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What will you do with Jesus? Will you continue to walk in sinfulness, and thus call out, "Let Him be crucified!" as the Jerusalem mob? Will you try to remain neutral as Pilate. Remember the words of our Lord, "He who is not with Me is against Me..." (Matthew 12:30) Will you ignore His sacrifice for your sins and continue to walk contrary to Him, and thsu beat Him and mock Him as the soldiers did? Will you deny Him before men, even as the apostle Peter? If so, He will deny you in heaven! Will you betray the Son of God as Judas did, selling Him for the riches of this life? Will you set Him off, as Felix did, waiting for a more convenient time to obey? Or will you obey His holy word and leave all behind, that you might gain Christ?
I leave you with the sobering question, "What then shall YOU do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
In this week's Answering The Athiest: Does Genesis 30:39 refer to some strange form of genetic engineering? Is there some type of contradiction? Visit http://AnsweringTheAtheist.faithweb.com/20010708.htm