Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
January 28, 2001 a.m.
What Will You Do With Jesus?
Pilate Problems
Reading - Matthew 27.11-26
Everyday each of us must make a decision about Jesus.
What will we do with Him?
Just what kind of influence will we allow Him to have in our daily walk?
To what extent will we conform to His image... To His likeness?
To what extent will we say... Lord, not my own, but Thy will be done?
You see church, we have everyday an opportunity that Pilate had only once... RIGHT?
Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of Judea serving from 26 to 36 A.D. Little is known of Pilate’s life before the year 26. The Jewish historian Josephus suggests that he was an Italian born Roman citizen. And that he had served: Faithfully, Bravely, Courageously, in the military before he came to Caesarea. Perhaps in the same famous Italian regiment as Cornelius, as recorded in Acts 10.1.
Pilate’s official title was Pontius Pilate Praefectus... Pilate the perfect. This meant he was the final...military, financial, and judicial authority in the providence. His real job in Palestine was peace keeping. So, Pilate was always in Jerusalem on the Feast Days. This peace keeping responsibility played an important part in the narrative surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was brought to Pilate because the Jews couldn’t take a man’s life. The Sanhedrin could sentence and punish an individual... But not kill him. That authority rested with Rome... and in this case, Pilate. The real issue for Pilate was... What will we do with Jesus?
What I want to do is to transport us back 2000 years and place ourselves in Pilate’s shoes. I want us to examine the problems of Pilate and make application to our lives. I believe we will find that we are struggling with the same problems he struggled with. Pilate’s first problem was that he wanted popularity without principle. As we read the gospel accounts, we don’t see Pilate as an aggressive militant. We don’t find him anxious to harm Jesus. In fact, Scripture seems to indicate that Pilate thought deep down that Jesus was all right, and certainly had done nothing worthy of death by crucifixion.
The crowd shouted Kill Him... Kill Him. They insisted: If you let this man who claims to be king go, then you are no friend of Caesar. Pilate was caught between doing what was right and what was popular. Have you ever been there? What does a man do in a situation like this?
I’ll tell you what he does, he acts upon what his heart is made of... he acts out of his convictions... his faith.
You see Pilate, like many of us, was willing to stand up for Jesus, as long as it didn’t cost him anything... as long as he didn’t have to pay a price. Listen to me church....
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Christianity is a counterculture.
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We are in the world... But must not be of the world.
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His kingdom is an upside-down kingdom.
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We are aliens here.
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We are called to think... talk... act... and react differently.
Like Pilate, this is not always easy to do... IS IT? It’s not always easy to be a Christian. If we think standing up for Jesus... doing the right thing... will always be easy... then we’re on a collision course with God. Living for Jesus is a determinate choice on our part... And that choice will sometimes be difficult and cost us plenty. In a real sense... it will cost us our life.
God... Make us men of principle and conviction...
Like Daniel... Help us be faithful to You in spite of the consequences.
Like David... Give us courage to fight any giant that opposed Your people.
Like John the Baptist... Help us to never compromise Your truth for royalty... or the
religious elite of our day.
Here it is folk... if we please God, it doesn’t matter whom we displease. But, if we displease God, it doesn’t matter how popular we might be with others. Another problem Pilate had was talk without testimony. He only paid lip service to Jesus... Lip service without life, talk without testimony. Talking the talk, without walking the walk. What shall I do with Jesus, which is called the Christ? Let’s notice two attitudes of people today:
First, there are those today who have this attitude... I love Jesus... I just believe all religions are good. If you’re here this morning and think all religions are good... you really don’t understand what Jesus Christ... His Life... Death... Burial... and Resurrection are all about. Universal salvation is not taught in this book. This idea of everybody is heaven bound, just on different roads, is false and soul damning.
Jesus said... Heaven’s road is straight... Narrow... and a minority travel that way. I am the way, the truth and life: no man comes to the Father except by me. Peter told the Sanhedrin... Salvation is found in no one else. There is no other name given among men under heaven whereby we can be saved. Jesus contended that... if we love Him... we will obey His commandments.
Just accepting Jesus as our personal Savior is not enough folk. We must acknowledge Him our Savior... The Lord... And King of our life. Everybody wants a Savior... few are willing to make Him LORD. Making Jesus our Lord and King means that we are willing to submit to His rule in all matters of life... Religious... Moral... Social and Political. Bonhoffer once said... Talk without testimony is cheap grace.
The second group involves more of us here this morning. Isn’t it time we stopped talking about Jesus and started... Trusting Him... Obeying Him.... Living daily for Him? Isn’t it time we stopped JUST talking the talk... and started walking with Him? We want to talk... We want more information. We want to warm a church pew and listen to sermons. Like Pilate we cry... Who is this Jesus... Called the Christ?... Give us more information. It’s not more information we need... but more activity. Listen church... when we really... genuinely know who Jesus is... we will automatically know what to do with Him.
Indeed... If Pilate had of known who Jesus really was... he would have set Him free... RIGHT?
When we really know who Jesus is... we will set Him free. Set him free:
Over all religious matters...
Free in our marriages... in our businesses...
In our day-to-day routine...
Over our money... time... talents...
Is Jesus set free in this church? Paul said... It is not me you see... but it is Christ living in me.
Paul had set Jesus free in his life. Unlike Pilate... Paul’s talk was not without living testimony.
Thirdly... Pilate desired forgiveness without repentance. Guilt without grief. Pilate was guilty... but had no sense of guilt. We never see Pilate grieving... weeping, saying... Oh what have I done? Audience, contrast Pilate to those on Pentecost in Acts 2.37. When they were convinced of who Jesus really was they cried out in fear... Men and brethren, what must we do? Pilate had... No fear... No remorse... No shame... No guilt... No repentance. Right and wrong was defined by what was best for him in this his current circumstance.
Today, we struggle with the same problem.
-Church membership is selected on the basis of what is best for me and my business.
-Our stand on abortion and other social issues is defined upon what is best for me in my
current circumstance.
-Business integrity is defined by whatever it takes for us to compete and be successful.
-Entertainment choices are made upon what I personally want to read and view.
It’s a Pilate problem known as, guilt without grief.
Church... We must see ourselves as sinners... Sinners in need of perpetual... Continual forgiveness. You see, as long as our sins:
Keep us up at night.
Put a little gray on our temples.
Etch a furrow on our brow.
Cause us to walk the church aisle.
Weep before Jesus our Savior,
Burden our heart,
There is hope, David said... God wants a contrite broken heart. But when we know we are guilty... and have no sense of guilt... we are in serious trouble.
The story is told about a little boy who accompanied his mother to church. The sermon was on the death of Christ; and, as the preacher described the crucifixion scene, the boy began to cry and was soon sobbing aloud. The mother was embarrassed and whispered, son, don’t take it so seriously!!... Is this our trouble?... Guilty with no grief? Like Pilate, we want to just wash our hands of this whole Jesus commitment thing and be free. We desire forgiveness without repentance.
Pilate had a problem of ritual without heart... Ritual without reality. Pilate took a basin of water and washed his hands before the people. However... this ritual didn’t forgive Pilate the reality of his sins... Neither will it us!
Sunday after Sunday... Service after service, we go through the ritual...
Singing... Praying... Communion... Listening to the sermon... Giving our money... Being Baptized... Walking church aisles. Have these things become ONLY a ritual... Are they like Pilate’s hand washing? Or are they real heart conditions?
Pilate’s problem was... He believed he had a ritual of forgiveness...But he didn’t know the reality of forgiveness. You see, the problem was this... his heart had never been changed... he never submitted to Jesus. It’s called subjective religion... I feel saved because I have gone through some rituals. Here’s truth: Every time we involve ourselves in ritual without reality, we crucify our Jesus afresh and put Him to open shame. Jesus said... God seeks worshipers who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth... in Reality and in Truth... Are we willing?... Are we??
It’s true isn’t it?... Everyday we stand in Pilate’s hall and the question is the same... What will you do with Jesus...
Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall-
Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all:
Harken!... What meaneth the sudden call!
What will you do with Jesus?
Jesus is standing on trial still,
You can be false to Him if you will,
You can be faithful thru good or ill:
What will you do with Jesus?
Will you evade Him as Pilate tried?
Or will you choose Him, what’er betide?
Vainly you struggle from Him to hide:
What will you do with Jesus?
What will you do with Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be;
Someday your heart will be asking,
“What will He do with Me?”
What will you do with the Jesus? You cannot remain neutral. Will you accept him as your personal Savior... LORD & KING? Obey His every command:
Unless you believe I am He... You will die in your sins.
Unless you repent you will also perish.
Confess Me before men and I’ll confess you before the Father in heaven.
He that believes and is baptized will be saved.
Or, perhaps we have done this... but our daily life is more talk than testimony.
Make this right with God and with others. Choose Jesus, as we stand and sing this invitation song with Charley... Will you come?
