What Now Shall I Do With Jesus

FIRST PRAY

Matthew 27:22 (CCEPONTVIVI:BT)

Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.

The title of the sermon this morning is “WHAT NOW WILL I DO WITH JESUS”

Before you sit down please repeat after me........That Was Then, This is Now.

Our subject is almost identical to the text as you can see only ONE word was changed from not having the same word as the text. By now if you haven’t figured out what that one word is, ask the person next to you. The text and the subject are separated by 2,000 plus years and one word.

It was Friday morning April 7th A.D. 30 a long sequence of events brought an un expecting knock at the governors door to have him wake up early that morning . The person that they were leading around had been up all night. They are now leading him through the streets there from one place to the other. By the time he ends up at the house of the governor, he has been beaten, face is bruised, he has been tortured so to speak. Now he finds himself early in the morning standing outside of the house of the governor. They could not come any later because the CHURCH FOLK had to do whatever they needed to do before COMMUNION, Called then; The festival of PASSOVER.

Pilate=Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36, serving under Emperor Tiberius. He is most known for his involvement in condemning Jesus to death on a cross.

Despite Jesus' popularity (Matthew 21:10–11), obvious innocence (Matthew 27:18; John 18:33–36), and comparison to a confirmed murderer (Matthew 27:15–16; Mark 15:7), the crowd has asked to release the convicted man (Matthew 27:17–20). Pilate seems surprised. He seems to have thought that if given the choice, the people would surely want Jesus to be freed instead of killed. Records from outside the Bible indicate Pilate showed little respect for Jewish religious leaders, let alone the people themselves. Most likely, he underestimated the influence of Jerusalem's priests among the people. Shocked by the cries to release Barabbas, Pilate calls out to ask the people what should be done with Jesus. They shout back, as they have been coached to do by the members of the Sanhedrin, that Jesus should be crucified. This is an especially shocking demand, as crucifixion was purposefully designed to be humiliating and agonizing. John's account of this moment shows Pilate responding with outrage (John 19:6; Matthew 27:23). Pilate will attempt to ask more questions of the crowd, but you can't have a conversation with a mob. They have made their choice. Pilate's options are dwindling. Jewish religious leaders are taking advantage of Pilate's strained political tenure; the threat of civil unrest will become a deciding factor in the governor's decision (Matthew 27:24).

"Let me share a story with you all. A young man that lived in a large city, living an extravagant life, had broken his mother's heart, and brought her down to the grave in sorrow. Every night he was out partying with his buddies. One day his Mother died, his father's sad and his heart was also broken. A few weeks after the mother's death the young man stopped by to see his father, didn’t stay long, just as he was about to leave his father said, "Son, I want one favor of you. I would like you to stay at home and spend one night with me." The young man said he did not want to stay, because it was so gloomy at the house. "But," his father said, "can you stay and gratify your old father? You know your conduct killed your poor mother. Son, won't you stay?" The old man pleaded with him, and just begged him to stay, but the boy said, "No, I am not going to stay at home." The old father put forth one more effort to save his prodigal son, and he even threw himself down before him in the hall. Now I now you all are wondering what did that boy do? Well he just leaped over his father’s body, and went out to join his buddies. You probably are thinking. "That was an ungrateful wretch, not fit to live."

Ah, family, what would you do with Christ in such a case? If He were to throw Himself down before you and plead with you, would you step right over Him sending back an insulting message that you do not want Christ to rule over you? Or would you tell your buddies you have a new friend and his name is Jesus!!!"

Jesus was brought before Pilate, the Governor of Judah at the time to be judged based on false charges against Him that based on lies.

Pilate, the governor, knew the truth, because prior to questioning Jesus and bringing Him before the religious leaders and the crowd of Jesus haters, Pilate received an URGENT plea message from Mrs. Pilate that read “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him."

Instead of heeding what was revealed by God's Holy Spirit to his wife that she made known to him, Pilate instead proceeded by first asking Jesus “Are You the King of the Jews?”Jesus said to him, “You have said so.”

In a mock trial based on lies, Pilate had Jesus to stand before the chief priests and elders (the church folks) who told one lie after another about Jesus just to see Him dead.

Having told what Pilate know to be lies from the chief priest and elders (church folks) , Pilate proceed by asking Jesus "do you not hear how many testify against You"? Jesus did not answer a mumbling word!

One thing for sure and that is sometimes, SILENCE SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS.

Jesus, the author and finisher of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, knew and saw the evil and unclean hearts and minds of those who was before Him. He knew that their hearts was set to kill Him. But, even with that knowledge, Jesus in all His wisdom, refused to say anything. TALK ABOUT CONTROL! JESUS GOT IT!

What these evildoers did not realize is that they were fulfilling God's plan and purpose in which Christ came to earth and that was to die for the sins of the world.

1 John 2:2-He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The divisive spirit of those enemies of Jesus was a part of God's plan. God was watching the entire earthly scene that took place at Bethlehem, the scene that was currently taking place and that scene that will take place at the cross and on Resurrection Sunday morning.

Sometimes we do not understand why God allows what He allows, but He always has a plan where His people are concerned. You church folk know why we’re trying to figure it out, He’s already worked it out. Is there anybody here who know what I’m talking about.? It may look bad, but it will work for the good in the end. Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Pilate, who had the authority to release Jesus by his authority as governor, does not, but instead to please the people, he brought Jesus and a murderer named Barabbas before a mock crowd of jealous haters who wanted to see Jesus dead and asked them "what shell he do with Jesus" to attempt to make himself appear as an innocent man.

Pilate was not innocent for he had received a previous warning from God through his wife, but he chose to proceed with evil after having received the truth of Jesus being an innocent man in a message sent by Mrs. Pilate to him.

To all hateful evildoers and deceivers called Pilate, here is a word from God to you in Hebrews 10:26-If we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.

In other words, if you continue in your sinful way or deeds after you have been told the truth according to the word of God. You are without excuse before God and will suffer the consequences of your evil choices.

What will you do with Jesus? Pilate and his murderous crowd of evildoers told Pilate "Crucify Him, Crucify Him"!

My question to all of you today is what NOW will you do with Jesus? Or, better yet, what are you doing for Jesus?

Who is your choice? Jesus or Barabbas? Right or wrong? Good or evil? Which have you chosen?

Having obeyed the crowd (or in today’s time, running with the crowd) rather than God, Pilate released the murderer Barabbas and handed Jesus over to death on the cross by the hands of His enemies, knowing that Jesus was handed over to them out of jealousy, envy and hate by the religious leaders of His day.

Trust me! Pilate was not an innocent man for the BLOOD OF JESUS was on his hands. He washed his hand after hearing the crowds verdict of the release of Barabbas and the crucifixion of Jesus, but he was just as guilty. His hands may have appeared to be clean, but his heart was dirty.

Pilate looked at his cleaned hands that day, but God saw his dirty, unclean heart.

Pilate compromise his own life for the price of a "clique." Yes, that was the value he put on his life. He would rather be a part of the inner circle than to be known among God and His people as one who would do what was right in spite of the crowd.

Oh, the danger of having other gods, be it, people or anything else. There is a price to pay or the Lord our God says "He is a jealous God and that there should be no other God before Him."

Not only did Pilate have Jesus handed over to his evil haters to be put to death on the cross, but , He even had the nerve to have a sign placed above Jesus head with the charge against Jesus posted on the cross with these words:“THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

We see what Pilate, the religious leaders and elders, the crowd and the Roman Soldiers did to Jesus.

My question to you again is "what now will you do with Jesus"? This question can not be avoided! Your now and your future destination depends on your answer to this question.

Matthew (Ver. 22)

It is far more awful for us than it was for Pilate. We have to answer it with a full knowledge of what Jesus was and is. We have to answer it, aided by the light of centuries streaming upon that Divine face. So long as Christ is popular, so long as being with Him means going on safely with a rejoicing, happy multitude, there is no doubt or difficulty as to what we will do with Christ. We will gladly follow Him. But oh! brothers, there come awful moments in every experience—the Passion Week of each life—when the Christ stands pleading before your soul. A wild, frenzied mob of passions, prejudices, indulgences, sins, raise their murderous clamour, and demand that we shall give Him up; that we shall take into our favour some other popular idol, and each of us has then to answer the question, “What shall I do NOW with Jesus?

Yes, you can ignore answering it now, but with an answer or without one, you will determine your destination by your yea or nay in acceptance of Christ.

Matthew (Ver. 22)

We must do something with Jesus. He is here. What shall it be? . You can let Him stand without a word of recognition. If the Lord has been good to you, you ought to say something, If the Lord has made a way for you, you ought to say something.

Matthew (Ver. 22)

Even Pilate treated Him better than that. III. You can look on Him merely as an optician to help blind eyes, or an aurist to retune deaf ears, a friend, a good friend, a helpful companion, a cheerful passenger on shipboard. Yet what good will all that do you? Surely He is something more. You can take Him into your heart. That is the best thing you can do with Him, and the only safe thing. Trust Him. Love Him. What more could He do, than He has done, for you?

What will I do with Jesus? What I did with Jesus is; I believed Him by faith that He came from God in heaven, he died for my sins on Calvary cross, he was resurrected on the 3rd day and is now seated at the right seat of God the Father in heaven and that He is my Savior and my Redeemer.

He has forgiven me and I have accepted His forgiveness in my heart and I chose to live for Him, even if it means going against the current called the "world" and all it's desires and pleasures and other people's opinion of me.

My concern is with who God says I am, not man!

Matthew (Ver. 22)

The changed question:—The question will, after a while, change, and it will not be any longer, “What NOW shall we do with Jesus?” but “What will Jesus do with us?” Ring all the bells of eternity at the burning of a world! On that day, what do you think Christ will do with us? Why, He will say, “There is that man whom I called, that woman whose soul I importuned; but they would not any of My ways. I gave them innumerable opportunities of salvation. They rejected them all. Depart. I never knew you!” Blessed be God, that day has not come. Halt, ye destinies of eternity, and give one more chance! (Ibid.) What shall we do with Jesus?

I have decided to make Jesus my choice! That is what I have done with Jesus.