LIFE’S MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION
Matthew 27 v. 1 & 2 & v. 11 - 26
v22 " What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?"
1. It’s a Personal Question - i.e. v. 22 "what shall I do" you alone must decide
Here Pilate tried to :-
(a) Disclaim the issue v. 17 "whom will ye that I release?"
(b) Dismiss the issue Luke 23 v. 7 "and as soon as Pilate knew that Jesus belonged unto Herod’s jurisdication, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time."
(c) Discuss the issue v. 13 "hearest thou not?" v. 14 "but Jesus answered to never a word"
(d) Distract from the issue v. 17 "whom will ye that I release?" - Barabbas or Jesus?
(e) Disown the issue v. 24 "He washed his hands before the multitude",
He failed - it is a personal question and it can’t be evaded. So what have you done?
2. It’s a Particular Question - "with Jesus, which is called Christ"
Before Pilate stood :-
(a) The guiltless Christ v. 23 "why, what evil hath He done?"
(b) The glorious Christ v. 19 "have thou nothing to do with that just man"
(c) The gracious Christ v. 11 "art thou king of the Jews?" - "thou sayest"
"He could have called ten thousand angels, to destroy the world and set him free."
3. It’s a Pertinent Question v. 22 "then"
(a) Your standing before God depends on it - i.e.you are either in condemnation John 3 v. 18 "he that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already" or in justification - Romans 8 v. 1 "there is therefore now no condemnation to them.which are in Christ Jesus."
(b) Your state in life depends on it - "he that hath the Son, hath life"
(c) Your status in eternity depends on it - i.e. heaven or hell - all rests on what you do then with Jesus who is called Christ.
4. It’s a Pressing Question "what?" - Pilate was on the spot, it was decision time - He had the opportunity to receive or to reject Christ - He would do one or the other John 1 v. 11 & 12 "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" - v. 2 "but as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name"
-Pilate would decide:-
(a) Personally
(b) Particularly
(c) Pertinantly
(d) Promptly, and
(e) Permanently - decision time had arrived
5. It’s a Pitiful Question - in the light of what Pilate did i.e. Pilate Rejected Jesus :-
(a) Carelessly - He treated his opportunity with disdain
(b) Consciously - Pilate could record before the world that this was :- "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" John 19 v. 19 - when disputed he stated "what I have written, I have written" v. 22
(c) Callously - v. 19 -he also rejected his wife’s warning
(d) Cunningly - Herod failed , scourging failed, bargaining failed (Barabbas), washing hands also failed. It was still Pilate’s own decision.
(e) Cowardly - for the love of position and the fear of man " thou art not Caeser’s friend."
(f) Contritely - Pilate was responsible for the suffering caused and was sorry afterwards, when it was too late.
(h) Calamatiously - John 3 v. 36 "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."
