OPEN: At the turn of the century, the "Des Moines Register" ran a scathing review of an Iowa singing group named the Cherry Sisters. Their reporter wrote that "Their long skinny arms, equipped with talons at the extremities... waved frantically at the suffering audience. The mouths of their rancid features opened like caverns, and sounds like the wailing of condemned souls issued therefrom."
The sisters sued for libel.
In the resulting trial, the Judge asked the sisters to perform their act for him in court... and then issued a ruling in favor of the newspaper.
APPLY: Pontius Pilate was a man trained and commissioned by Rome to act as a judge. If there was a dispute and a decision was to be made, he was the man. In cases like these he was the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney. And as such, he was trained to ask the kind of questions that would find the truth. Notice what he had already determined
Matthew 27:18 "For (Pilate) knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him."
Luke 23:4 "Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, ’I find no basis for a charge against this man.’"
We can tell by Pilate’s questions that he was well trained. His questions were good questions.
I. Perhaps the most critical question Pilate asked that day was: “What shall I do, then, with Jesus?”
It was a good question. But it seemed no one had an adequate answer.
Pilate himself…
· Who knew the reason Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead because of their jealousy
· Who knew Jesus was innocent
· Who knew that this was not justice, but mob rule
abdicated his responsibility.
Pilate asks the question... and then refuses to answer it himself. He simply washes his hands of the matter.
"Yes," (it seems he says to the crowd) "I’ll make sure He’s crucified – but it’s not my fault. I don’t want to do anything with this Jesus."
The Jewish leaders’ heard Pilate’s question and reacted differently. They KNEW what Pilate should do with Jesus. And to make sure he did so they urged the people to ask for the release of a base criminal named Barabbas instead of Jesus.
The Crowd heard Pilate’s question and (urged on by their leaders) became an irrational mob scene crying: “crucify Him… crucify Him.” It’s in response to their frenzied cry that Pilate calls for the bowl and washes his hands of the matter. They respond by declaring: "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:20)
With that thought in mind, turn with me to Acts 3:11-16
While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.
When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. YOU KILLED THE AUTHOR OF LIFE, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see." (Acts 3:11-16)
Notice, the Gospel message included the fact that the Jesus’ blood was upon them.
It was part of God‘s message and the Jews reacted to it. In Acts 5:25-28 we’re told:
"Then someone came and said, ’Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.’
At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ’We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,’ he said. ’Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are DETERMINED TO MAKE US GUILTY OF THIS MAN’S BLOOD.’"
Let me review. Reacting to the question… What shall I do…”
1. Pilate’s response was inadequate
2. The Jewish leaders were irresponsible
3. And the mob’s behavior was like a Jerry Springer audience: cruel and irrational.
None of their responses, however, undermined the fact that Pilate’s question was a good question. In fact, the question is still good today: "What will you do with this Jesus…”
II. What we do with Jesus will depend on what we think of Jesus
Pilate asked: (vs. 11) Are you the King? Pilate didn’t think so. Neither did the leaders of the Jews. Neither did the crowd. AND unless you think He is the king it will be impossible for you to become a Christian.
ILLUS: Years ago, a young boy named Raymond wanted to be baptized. He was 12 years old, the great grandson of one of the church’s leading elders. To ask him the questions I usually asked others would seem only a formality… but I asked them anyway.
"Raymond, why do you want to get baptized?" I asked
"It will make me feel good," he replied.
That was not quite the answer I was looking for, but hey - he was only a boy. Maybe he was having difficulty expressing himself. So I asked my next question: "What do you think of when you think of Jesus?"
Earnestly, Raymond replied "He was a good man."
Here was a young man, a regular attender at youth group, the great grandson of a leading Elder - and he had no idea of who Jesus was.
No problem though. While I told him I didn’t think he was ready yet to make a decision to become a Christian, I asked him if he’d like to have a class in his home for a few weeks and maybe he’d be ready then. I used an excellent Bible study known as the "Jule Miller Video Series." After the first lesson, he became so excited about what he saw that he invited his friends over to study with us. The end result was that not only was Raymond baptized, but so were two of his friends - and his father.
As I was talking to them about their decision to become Christians, I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and began talking about "Lordship." That’s what Romans 10:9 addressed when it said "if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Lordship means making Jesus the "King" or controller of your entire life. I explained to Ray and friends that before they decided to become baptized they needed to decide to make Jesus the Lord of their lives. Lordship, I explained, meant giving Him control of everything in the wallet. We should give God a tithe of our earnings… but everything in the wallet was to belong to Him.
I took out a miniature calendar from the wallet and explained that making Jesus their Lord meant that every day of the week belonged to Him. We were to commit ourselves to setting aside Sunday as a day of worship… but every day belonged to Jesus.
Then I showed them pictures in my wallet of my loved ones. I showed them my wife and children and explained that Lordship meant my wife and children belonged to God. They were His. If they died, they would be His. They did not belong to me and I was to treat my wife and my children accordingly.
Romans 10:9 explains to us that the Lordship/ Kingship of Jesus in our lives is not an option. Paul is not talking about just saying “words.” Either Jesus is Lord of all… or He’s not Lord at all.
III. So, what shall I do with this Jesus?
What I do with Jesus will depend on what you and I think of Him… AND it will depend on what you and I are willing to let Jesus do in our lives.
A good example of this is found in I Peter 2:18-25.
"Slaves, SUBMIT yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls"
Submission is key doctrine in Scripture. It governs every aspect and relationship of Christian’s life. If you were to do a study on this concept you’d find that not only was a slave (read "employee") to be master (read "employer)…
Masters were to submit to their slaves
Wives to husbands
Husbands to wives (they are to love them as their own bodies)
Children to their parents
Fathers to their children (don’t exasperate them)
Christians to fellow Christians
And even Christians to their enemies ("do good unto those who hate you. Pray for those who despitefully use you")
What does submission mean? It means becoming a servant of others. Looking out for their best interests. Finding ways of making their lives easier.
Our model of submission is Jesus. He set the example of how we should live. Why should He be our example? Because He is our Lord. This is what He expects of us. If we have made the decision that He is Lord, then our lives will be molded by His example.
His example should be so much a part of us that people should see Jesus because of how we behave.
ILLUS: True story of a Christian baroness, living in Nairobi, Kenya. She hired a local young man as her houseboy. After three months he asked the baroness to give him a letter of reference to a nearby friendly sheik.
The baroness, didn’t want to lose the houseboy – did a good job and had just learned the routine of the household – so she offered to increase his pay.
The young man replied that he was not leaving for higher pay. Rather, he had decided he would become either a Christian or a Mohammedan. He had come to work for the baroness for three months to learn how Christians acted. Now he wanted to work for three months for the sheik to observe the ways of the Mohammedans. Then he would decide which way of life he would follow.
If you haven’t answered the question of "What shall I do with Jesus?" in your life so that it changes your life into humble servanthood/ so that it effects your actions and your words, then a lot of people are going to go to Hell
IV. Lastly, there is one more very important response we can make to the question: "What shall I do with Jesus?"
And oddly, it is the same response the crowd gave on the day Jesus was crucified: "May His blood be upon us and upon our children"
Revelation 1:5 tell us: "Jesus Christ… loves us and has freed us from our sins BY HIS BLOOD,
Peter wrote: "You know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Hebrews 9:14 declares: "the blood of Christ… cleanses our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
The most critical response you can make to God regarding this question of what you can do with Jesus is… "May his blood be upon us…"
The Jewish crowd was calling down Judgment upon themselves… and so are we. By calling for the blood of Jesus we are saying we are guilty, we have sinned, and we need Jesus to our Lord and master.
What will you do with Jesus?
SERMONS IN THIS SERIES
What Will You Do With Jesus? = Matthew 27:11-27:25
Welcome to Golgotha = Matthew 27:32-27:56
Resurrection Power = Matthew 27:62-28:15
