Sermon Central
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Cavorting With Cowardice
Contributed by Douglas Phillips on Apr 10, 2018 (message contributor)
Summary: THIS IS THE THIRD OF A FOUR PART SERIES ON THE CHARACTERS OF EASTER. PILATE WAS PLACED IN THE SITUATION WHERE TO ACT COURAGEOUSLY AND RELEASE JESUS COULD COST HIM HIS POSITION. HE CHOSE THE COWARDLY WAY AND BOWED TO THE CROWD AND ALLOWED JESUS' DEATH.
THE JEWS WERE LOOKING TO JESUS TO DECLARE HIMSELF A PHYSICAL KING WHO WOULD LEAD THEM AGAINST THE ROMANS AND RETURN THEIR KINGDOM TO THEM. WHEN HE DID NOT DO THIS HE WAS LESS THAN NOTHING TO THEM AND HIS DEATH THEY WELCOMED. THE KING THEY WELCOMED INTO JERUSALEM WITH PALMS THE WEEK BEFORE, THEY WERE NOW READY TO EXPELL FROM JERUSALEM TO BE KILLED. REASON WOULD NOT WORK.
PILATE IN AN ACT OF ULTIMATE COWARDICE, SINCE HE CANNOT HIDE THE TRUTH, GAVE IN TO THE PRESSURE OF THE CROWD BY DENYING THE TRUTH AND ALSO HIS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEATH OF JESUS.
BRINGING OUT THE BASIN OF WATER AND WASHING HIS HANDS OF THE MATTER, HE IS DECLARING AN INNOCENT VERDICT, BUT GIVING THE CROWD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMIT A LEGAL MURDER. IT WAS HIS ATTEMPT TO CLEANSE HIS OWN CONSCIENCE OF THE MATTER. THE DEATH OF ONE MAN WOULD APPEASE THE CROWD, PREVENT A RIOT, AND NOT SEND BAD REPORTS BACK TO ROME THAT COULD CAUSE HIM TO LOSE HIS POSITION.
WE KNOW MORE ABOUT PILATE THAN WE DO ABOUT ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE CRUFIXION. WHY? BECAUSE EACH TIME WE LOOK IN THE MIRROR WE SEE PILATE LOOKING BACK AT US. THE QUESTIONS HE WAS FORCED TO DEAL WITH ARE THE QUESTIONS WE ARE FORCED TO DEAL WITH. WHAT IS TRUTH TO YOU? IS JESUS YOUR KING?
1. IF WE MAKE JESUS OUR KING, THEN WE MUST ALSO SACRIFICE SELF. PILATE WAS MAKING A CHOICE BETWEEN HIS CAREER AND JESUS. IN THE WORLD AROUND US TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BE PLACED IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE MUST CHOOSE BETWEEN COMPROMISE WITH THE WORLD AS PILATE DID, AND SACRIFICE OUR STANDING IN THE WORLD AND CHOOSE CHRIST.
ROMANS 12:2: DO NOT CONFORM TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD’S WILL IS—HIS GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL.
2. IF WE MAKE JESUS OUR KING, THEN WE MUST GIVE TOTAL ALLEGIANCE TO THE KING. PILATE COULDN’T PLEASE BOTH THE CROWD AND JESUS, AND NEITHER CAN WE. WE CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT IS RIGHT. EITHER THE BIBLE IS RIGHT OR THE WORLD IS, YOU CANNOT PICK AND CHOOSE.
LUKE 16:13: “NO ONE CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS. EITHER YOU WILL HATE THE ONE AND LOVE THE OTHER, OR YOU WILL BE DEVOTED TO THE ONE AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YOU CANNOT SERVE BOTH GOD AND MONEY.
3. IF WE MAKE JESUS OUR KING, OUR DECISION WILL BECOME A REWARD, A REWARD THAT ONLY THE COURAGEOUS WILL KNOW. A DECISION FOR CHRIST MEANS A FRESH START AND ETERNAL SATISFACTION.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17: THEREFORE, IF ANYONE IS IN CHRIST, THE NEW CREATION HAS COME: THE OLD HAS GONE, THE NEW IS HERE!
PILATES FINAL VERDICT REGARDING JESUS CAME AT THE TIME OF THE CRUCIFIXION. HE FOLLOWED A COMMON TRADITION AND POSTED THE CRIME THE CONDEMNED MAN WAS FOUND GUILTY OF.
IN JESUS’ CASE THOUGH I SUGGEST IT WAS NOT THE CHARGE BUT HIS DECISION. HE KNEW THE TRUTH, AND HE POSTED THE TRUTH. THAT IS WHY WHEN THE JEWS ASKED HIM TO CHANGE THE WORDING HE DID NOT.
THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH. PILATE SHOWED YOU CAN’T HIDE IT, YOU CAN’T DENY IT AND YOU CAN’T CHANGE IT. THE TRUTH IS JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE JEWS. NOW YOU MUST DECIDE FOR YOURSELF, IS HE YOUR KING?