The Inescapable Question Part Three – What Will You Do With Jesus?
What will you do with Jesus? Enjoy the third in this three part series about Christ from Dennis Purcell taken from the gospels.
What Will You Do With Jesus?
The third question can be found in Matthew 27:22,
Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”
Matthew 27:22
On Trial Before Pontius Pilate
Just before Jesus was crucified, He stood trial before Pontius Pilate to be judged. The sentence would mean life or death. The time had arrived that Christ had been preparing His disciples for back in Matthew 16.
The bogus charges He was arrested under left the Roman governor perplexed as to what to do with Jesus and stir that He had created.
Pilate asks a question of Jesus’ accusers, a question that every person must answer. “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”
An Unavoidable Question
It is an unavoidable, inescapable, inevitable question and how one answers will dictate one’s eternity.
Consider Pilate’s predicament and decision; he found himself in a situation where, as governor of Judea, he would sentence an innocent man to death or set him free and risk local rioting that could end his career and/or his life. What choice was before him.
On one hand an innocent man, on the other a raging mob crying out for that same man’s crucifixion. Reason and justice said, “release Him”. Pilate must decide “What shall I do with Jesus?”
Conflicting Voices
Think of the voices that were assaulting Pilate at this moment:
- Voice of reason (He knew the charges were false (Matt 27:18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy.)
- Voice of loved ones (His wife (Matt 27:19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.”))
- Voice of conscience (“Why what evil hath He done?” Pilate asked the crowd (Matt 27:23).
- Voice of Jesus (declared He was a king – came into the world to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37))
There were many forces fighting against Pilate to make a wise and righteous decision:
- He was fighting against public opinion.He was fighting against his own pride (he held a lofty position that was now threatened).
- He was fighting against the force of covetousness (wealth accompanied the lofty position he had).
- Ultimately these proved more valuable to Pilate. Maybe some find themselves having to choose between Christ and the allurements of this world and having to take a stand that may cost them, faced with the question; “What shall I do with Christ?”
Unable to Avoid the Issue
Pilate tried to ignore the issue. Then he tried to dodge it by passing it off to Herod. Herod declined and sent Jesus back to Pilate who confessed Jesus to be without fault – yet he tried to remain neutral and decided not to decide (which is still a decision).
You cannot be neutral concerning the person of Christ.
See Pilate’s reply in Matt 27:24,
“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
Matt 27:24
At this moment Pilate rejected reason, counsel, his own conscience, he ignored evidence, he submitted to public opinion, succumbed to self interest and made the trial of Jesus the greatest travesty in the history of jurisprudence and condemned an innocent man to death by his neutrality.
Pilate Before Jesus
Pilate could not know it then but one day Pilate will stand before Jesus Christ, the Righteous Judge. Here Pilate had Jesus in his hands but in a coming day Pilate will be in Jesus’ hands. So it is for each and everyone – everyone will either accept or reject, confess or condemn, crown or crucify Jesus Christ.
You cannot wash your hands of Him, neutral you cannot be. Some day we will all stand before Him, either as an unbeliever, an unrepentant sinner at the Great White Throne, where judgement will be meted out for sin, or as a believer, a sinner redeemed by grace whose sins were dealt with at the cross of Calvary, never to be brought against the redeemed of Christ, at the Bema Seat, the Judgement Seat of Christ where one’s service and faithfulness to the Lord is reviewed and rewarded accordingly.
Philippians 2:10-11 states the following
…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:10-11
A Neutral Stance That Condemns
It’s tragic what Pilate did that day – a neutral stance that condemned Jesus Christ to death and thereby condemned himself for all eternity.
We have an opportunity to make a different decision – analyze the evidence from Scripture, witness of the saints we know Jesus to be exactly who He claimed to be.
The witness of God the Father Himself reversed the decision of the Roman court by raising Jesus Christ from the dead -see Romans 1:4:
…and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Romans 1:4
What Will You Do With Christ?
We live in a day where questions are rife all around us – many questions that will occupy our minds and hearts. There is no more important question than the inescapable question concerning the person of Jesus Christ. You must answer this all-important question and your answer will determine your eternal destiny.
Who do you say Jesus Christ is?
What do you think of Jesus Christ?
What will you do with Jesus Christ?
With the many and myriad of questions that face you, in this day, I challenge you to address the most critical question of all and to confess, as Peter did, Christ as Lord and Saviour and to live for Him with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. For his honour and glory. Amen.
What will you do with Christ? Who do you think He is? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Dennis Purcell
Dennis Purcell is a long serving elder at Bethel Chapel in Waterloo, Ontario. Dennis ministers regularly at numerous assemblies and has served, or is serving, on boards and committees of various Christian ministries.
Dennis recently retired from his secular career as a Chief Building Official in the municipal government sector, enabling a wider sphere of itinerant ministry.
Dennis resides with his wife, Yvonne, in Cambridge, Ontario. They have one adult daughter and one married son.
More Podcasts Below:
More Blogs:
The Inescapable Question About Christ
How to Read and Study the Bible: and Pray
Images courtesy of:
Herod to Pilate – Tissot
Voice – Clard
Man Prays – eyetoeyedesignwhitby
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