The Big Question

Matthew 27:11-26

The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just gotten married – for the fourth time.

The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband’s occupation.

“He’s a funeral director,” she answered.

“Interesting,” the newsman thought. He then asked her if she wouldn’t mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living.

She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she’d first married a banker when she was in her early 20s, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40s, later on a preacher when in her 60s, and now in her 80s, a funeral director.

The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.

She smiled and explained, “I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go.”

We ask questions all the time don’t we. Are we there yet??? What time is it? Is Major almost done with his Sermon. In our scripture this morning, there is a very serious question that is asked and this morning I want us to ask ourselves the very same questions. As we look at this important question, I want you to see that this question:

Is a personal question

It’s a question that demands action, and

It’s a question about Jesus

But before we start examining the question, let’s go before the Lord in prayer.

Father, we thank you for the opportunity to gather together and worship. We ask that your spirit come upon us this morning and open our hearts and minds for what you have for us. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be please to you. For we pray this in your Sons name. AMEN

So let’s set the scene, in the preceeding verses, Judas has returned to the Chief priests and elders and says to them, “I have sinned, for I have betrayed innocent blood.” Listen to their response in verse 4, “What is that to us? That is your responsibility.” Judas is so wrought with guilt that he throws the 30 pieces of silver at their feet and ran away and hangs himself. For reference, the 30 pieces of silver that Judas accepted to betray Jesus would be worth about $3000 dollars in today's currency.

So now here we are… verses 11-26. My bible titles this “Jesus before Pilate” and the conversation begins… Matthew 27:11-26

Matthew 27:11–26 NIV84

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor. Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!” Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Poor Pilate, he is in quite the predicament. He has to deal with the attitude of his prisoner - calm, cool and collected. He asks Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” and Jesus just simply responds, “Yes, it is as you say.” Jesus is very passive. Then, poor Pilate has another issue, verse 19 says that his wife sent him a message, “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” So you know what they say, Happy wife, happy life. Here he is, one of the most powerful men in the region and the woman that he loves is telling him that he shouldn’t have anything to do with Jesus because he is innocent. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, now he has to deal with his constituents. There was a large crowd standing outside of his palace and they were becoming more and more agitated.

Have you ever been in a situation where you really didn’t want to make a decision? I remember when ordering coffee was easy. There were really only two decisions—regular or decaf, and black or cream and sugar. Today, ordering coffee at Starbucks feels like applying for a bank loan. There are literally thousands of options available. Did you know that according to the Starbucks website, there are 87,000 confirmed variations for a cup of coffee. Some celebrate this as progress—the market providing more choices to fit each consumer’s taste. Others lament it for contributing to the tyranny of choice which complicates modern life.

To decide requires a death, a dying to a thousand options, the putting aside of a legion of possibilities in order to choose just one. De-cide. Homo-cide. Sui-cide. The root word decidere means “to cut off.” All decisions cut us off, separate us from nearly infinite options as we select just one single path. And every decision we make, earns us the favor of some and the disfavor of others.

It’s a Personal question...

Well, poor Pilate has a decision to make, and so he asks the angry crowd an important question, and it’s a question that is tearing Pilate apart, you see, Pilate’s question is this. And this question, it is a very personal question. We find it in Matthew 27:22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” I’m sure that this is one decision that Pilate would just as soon not make. What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ? Think about the implications of this question. The pressure that he must have been under. He knew that the Chief priests and the Elders were wanting Jesus crucified, they were threatened by what He was teaching. They didn’t like the fact that he was proving them wrong many times. So what do they do, they get the crowd in an uproar and get them all worked up into a frenzy. When Pilate asks this question, the crowds responds with “Crucify Him”!

This must have been a shock to Pilate. There was a notorious prisoner by the name of Barabbas, and so Pilate says to the them, whom shall I release to you, Barabbas or Jesus? He knew there was a significant difference between the two prisoners. One was a career criminal and the other, completely the opposite. He must have struggled with this decision personally. He gives Jesus the opportunity to defend himself, verse 13 says, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” but Jesus remains silent.

On a more personal note, he must also have running through his mind the words of his wife. Now I can tell you personally, I always do what my wife suggests. I find life is better that way, and as a result, she has kept me alive for the 30 years that we have been married… LOL.

But as the Leader, he also needs to make sure that the crowd is happy with his leadership. So many things running through his mind… what’s the phrase that William Shakespeare wrote in King Henry IV, “Heavy is the head that wears the crown”. What it means is that people who have a lot of power or responsibility also have a lot of problems and worries . It is often used to describe the difficulties that come with being a leader or someone in charge.

2. It’s a question that Demands action - DO!

Pilate has to make a choice and so he asks the question, What shall I do with Jesus? The interesting things is what Pilate actually does, look at verse 24, “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!” I have to admit, Pilate has done what a lot of us do from time to time, we try and escape making the decision. He knew that Jesus was innocent but he let the crowd make the decision on what he should DO with Jesus. Crucify him they yelled.

We all have tried to escape making a decision haven’t we? The Bible is full of stories of people that tried to escape a decision, I think of Jonah and his story, he tried to escape the decision to preach to a lost city. But I won’t get into that whale of a story. But as I said, the Bible is full of stories like Jonah. But you see, Pilate was between a rock and a hard place, this was not just some decision that he could toss aside and move on. You see, this question, it’s also a question that you and I must act on as well. It’s a question that you and I must also decide that answer to. We have several options on how to answer, we can decide to receive Him as so many in the bible did, or we can decide to reject Him as many did and have done. We can choose to obey him and follow his leading for our lives, or we can choose to disobey him and we all know where that leads. We can decided to openly confess Him and make Him Lord of our lives or we can deny him and slight him. The question is… what are you going to do with this man named Jesus.

I’m sure that Pilate made many decisions during his reign, however, they were all dwarfed by this one decision to turn have Jesus crucified. The way that I see it this morning, no other decision you make will carry more importance than the decision on how you answer this question. Remember, all other decisions are temporal, what you are going to eat for lunch, what you are going to wear tomorrow, for some of us that’s not much of a decision, but your decision on this question will have eternal consequences. This is a question that not only you have to make, but the entire world. Every person that is outside of our building has to make the same decision. The biggest thing to remember is that this decision is not about some religious ceremony, or about the church, it’s about Jesus.

So I ask you again this morning, what will you do with Jesus. Personally - Will you choose to follow Him and His leading for your life. Action wise, what will you “DO” with this man Jesus? Will you accept him, or reject him? Will you obey or disobey? Will you make Him Lord of your Life, openly confess your love for Him and tell others what He has done for you? If the answer to that is yes, than what are you waiting for? Why don’t you tell others about him and invite them to church where they have an opportunity to have a personal meeting with Jesus. That is our action as Christians, we are to tell others about his Grace, and love and how he demonstrated it that day on the cross. I would challenge you this morning to really ponder your answer to the question, What shall YOU do with this man named Jesus.

Let’s pray.

Father we thank you this morning for your love and grace. We ask that as we go our separate ways this you help us to show your love to those that we come in contact with. Help us to ponder the question this morning, What will we do with this man named Jesus. Help us to share your love with those that we come in contact with and be a shining beacon to those who are lost. Be with us now as we go our separate ways, guide and direct all that we say and do, may it bring honor and glory to you. For we ask this in your Son’s name. AMEN!