Sermon Tone Analysis

\\ "/ 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./"

(Matthew 27:11-26, NIV) [1]

 

1.

Many people waste time, energy and talent fighting secondary battles & skirmishes.

Henry David Thoreau wrote:  “For every thousand people hacking at the branches of evil there is one striking at the root.”

Ill.

Battle for Richmond

 

And we seem to have abundant energy to fight them.

If the issue makes us mad there is motivation for us to resist.

If the issue encroaches on our lifestyle or our rights there is energy to fight the battle.

If it’s just a matter of fact that there are people leaving this city every day of life headed for a Christless eternity then there is no need to get too excited about that.

We are busy people after all.

We have commitments to our civic involvements.

We volunteer here and there.

Most of us in any given week find time to deliberately devote to lesser causes and find our limits just short of involvement in efforts that may make life more palatable in the here and now but have little impact relative to the next world.

It takes a singular focus to stay away from life’s skirmishes and secondary pursuits.

I have discovered that I don’t have time to attend every argument that I am invited to.

Pastor Buckingham used to say, “Never wrestle with a pig because when you do you both get dirty and the pig likes it.”

Fred Moore a godly Sr. Pastor who chose his battles wisely offered me similar advice.

He said, “If you argue with a fool you have two fools arguing.”

Jesus knew his mission.

He was not on earth to win arguments nor to defend himself.

He refused wrestle with the pigs.

The scripture records Pilate’s reaction to this.

 

/“But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor”/

 

This was not his battle.

He was not on this earth to vindicate himself but to redeem lost, guilty souls.

*/This is the real battle/*.

The mission was not to stay alive but to die with purpose.

You can waste your life so quickly if you squander it in living for your own self centered interests and purposes.

Or you can just refuse to invest your energies properly and you can give it for good things that matter here and now but things that count for nothing as far as God’s interests are concerned.

/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?”/

 

2.

When we fight the wrong battles, guilty men go free.

In God’s providence the tendency of mankind to identify the wrong enemies and fight the wrong battles was part of the plan as He offered up His innocent Son.

The Pharisees orchestrated the execution of Christ, their promised Redeemer.

We just can’t imagine that can we?

Most of us are consistently offended when we hear of people who walk away from the consequence of their actions due to legal maneuvering.

Barabbas was released!

The scripture says that he was a notorious prisoner.

When I was in Presque Isle ME, my first pastorate, I was baptized into the ministry one night by a man named Philip Carmichael.

I never met him before that night – it was app.

2:00 in the morning.

He staggered in a drunken state through the front door of the parsonage carrying a box of Dunkin Doughnuts.

My wife saw him first, crouched at the foot of our bed and smelled the stench of sweat and stale alcohol.

In the moments that followed, I was stabbed twice.

They caught him a few days later and subsequently charged him with aggravated assault.

He was incarcerated until trial dates were set.

His attorney defended his actions on the basis of the fact that he was inebriated and therefore not responsible for his actions.

In the words of the prosecuting attorney when all was said and done, they gave him 3 months in jail which he had already served and basically he walked out of the court a free man.

My wife relives the emotion of this story every time I mention it.

The end result of the trial has caused her more concern over the years than the stabbing itself – in many ways.

We see justice as a travesty when we review it in our minds.

But you know something, ever since Jesus laid his life down on Calvary, taking the penalty of our sin, guilty people go free.

It’s the victory that we celebrate at Easter each year.

The guilty ones go free

 

3.

This conflict was driven by simple envy.

It was plain enough to Pilate.

Often our high causes are fueled poorly.

The source of most lofty disputes are simple human issues.

THE BUILDING

 

Ten Little Christians, standing in a line, One disliked the pastor, then there were nine.

Nine little Christians stayed up very late, One slept too late on Sunday, then there were eight.

Eight little Christians on their way to Heaven, One took the low road, then there were seven.

Seven little Christians chirping like some chicks, One disliked the music, then there were six.

Six little Christians seemed very much alive, but one lost his interest then there were five.

Five little Christians pulling for heaven's shore, but one stopped to rest, then there were only four.

Four little Christians, each busy as a bee One got her feelings hurt, then there were three.

Three little Christians knew not what to do, One joined the sporting crowd, then there were two.

Two little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done, differed with each other, then there was one.

One little Christian, can't do much 'tis true; brought his friend to Bible study -- then there were two.

Two earnest Christians, each won one more, that doubled the number, then there were four.

Four sincere Christians worked early and worked late,

Each won another, then there were eight.

Eight splendid Christians, if they doubled as before, In just a few short weeks, we'd have 1,024

 

In this little jingle, there is a lesson true, You either belong to The Building, Or to the wrecking crew!

The greater the cause that we represent the greater the level of justification that we feel for ungodly attitudes and actions.

There is another problem that we need to be aware of.

Some Christians find it very tempting to be so very certain about what is right that they start laying down the law.

Often it is difficult to be both firm and loving.