What shall I do with Jesus?

Trying to please people leads to compromise (Matt 27:23)

Explanation: The Jewish religious leaders were carrying out their plan to rid themselves of Jesus. They arranged for His betrayal, put Him through a fake trial, and brought him to the Roman governor to have Him executed (Matt 27:1-2). Pilate realizes the controversy between Jesus and the leaders is religious, so he tries to send Jesus back to the Jews, but they push for Pilate to charge Jesus with a crime (John 18:29-32). Pilate then sends Jesus to King Herod, but Herod can’t do much either and sends Jesus back (Luke 23:7-11).

Pilate knew Jesus was being handed over on false charges, but if he set Jesus free on his authority as governor he would be out of disfavor with the Jewish leaders. That could get him in political trouble with the Roman authorities. So Pilate came up with another plan: The Passover festival was happening at the same time, and Pilate decided to use a local custom to get himself out of a sticky situation. It was customary for the governor to let one condemned criminal to be set free during the festival as a gesture of goodwill from the government. There were more than two prisoners to choose between, but Pilate chose Jesus and a murderous rebel named Barabbas. Pilate must have been sure the crowd would choose Jesus to be set free and his problem of having to condemn an innocent man would be over.

Illustrate: Appointment process of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme court in March 2022. When asked to define what a woman is, Judge Jackson would not give one. She said she could not because she was not a biologist.

Argument: Trying to please people is a dangerous game and is seldom, if ever, works out. Pilate knew the Jews were trying to frame Jesus (Matt 27:18) and his wife had told him to avoid doing anything to Jesus because He was righteous (Matt. 27:19). Pilate knew enough to do the right thing. If Pilate had been a man of conviction and principle, he would have set Jesus free on his own authority due to lack of charges. Instead, Pilate compromised himself in an effort to please others.

Proverbs 25:26 KJV 1900

A righteous man falling down before the wicked Is as a troubled fountain, and a corrupt spring.

Application: Doing the right thing is seldom popular, but we are called to convictional living. God does not call His children to “check the wind” before making decisions. Believers are to stand firm on the truth of God’s word, regardless of the personal cost. This is especially true in relation to Jesus. We are called to stand firm on the revealed truth of Jesus as the 2nd person of the Trinity and the ONLY means of Salvation.

Individuals bear personal responsibility for their choices (Matt 27:24)

Explanation: Pilate miscalculated the hatred of the Jewish leaders for Jesus and the fickle nature of the crowds. The chief priests and the leaders were agitators in the crowd, actively working to ramp up the mob to call for the death of Jesus (Matt 27:20). A mob will always choose lawlessness over what is right and good and they easily joined in calling for Jesus’ death.

In his frustration, Pilate has a bowl of water brought out and he washes his hands in front of the crowd. It was a symbolic gesture that meant he was free of the decision. The phrase to “wash one’s hands of something” is a popular idiom in our language and the Cambridge online dictionary defines it as: to refuse to have anything more to do with someone or something.

Argument: The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t accomplish anything. Making a statement doesn’t change reality. Pilate made a gesture and he proclaimed his innocence. He also said, “see to it yourselves,” but he was still the official governor. Jesus went to the Cross on the authority of Pilate, not on the crowd.

NOTE: the crowd was also responsible for their choice as well. They, unlike Pilate, accepted full responsibility for the crime of sending Jesus to the Cross (Matt 27:25). A very chilling decision that carried serious consequences!

Application: Each person, regardless of status, geographic location or gender, will one day stand before God and give an account of his or her actions. Telling God that “I washed my hands of Jesus” is NOT going to be a valid excuse for escaping condemnation. Nor will a person be able to blame someone or something else. As image-bearers, each human is accountable for giving an answer to Pilate’s one question: What will I do with Jesus?” (Matt 27:22)

Concluding Thoughts

Jesus’ death on the Cross was NOT the result of Pilate’s lack of spine and moral compromise. When Pilate was boasting of his “authority” to have Jesus crucified, Jesus informed Pilate, “you would have no authority over Me at all … if it hadn’t been given you from above” (John 19:11). Death of the Messiah by crucifixion had always been the plan from Eternity Past (cf Acts 4:26-28). The sovereignty of God, however, does not wipe out personal responsibility of our actions as free moral agents.

This focus of this message has been on the actions of Pilate as governor. We see him presented as a man of weak convictions who attempted to evade personal responsibility by continuing to pass the buck. Pilate does not come out well in this portrayal.

Let us not forget, however, another character in this passage: the person of Barabbas. He was a condemned criminal who was guilty of his crimes. He deserved death, but he was set free, but he was only set free only because Jesus took his place.

That physical exchange illustrates the spiritual reality that took place on the Cross. All of us are condemned sinners who deserve death and eternal separation from God (Romans 3:23). It is only because Jesus went to the Cross to pay the sin debt of humanity, that any of us can be made right with God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

That Jesus has paid the debt is an accomplished reality in history - the Crucifixion occurred 2,000 years ago. The transfer of the debt is only valid for those who are IN Christ; humanity as a whole was not redeemed automatically. The gift is for those who bow the knee to Christ as Lord and Savior