The Depth of Our Decision (Part II)

Context

Good morning Church!

If you have your Bibles, I would ask you to be finding the book of Matthew 27:15.

We have been working our way through a series leading us up to Easter, and today we have made it to the point of looking at the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Before we get into the text, i want to do a quick recap of where we have been:

The Nature of God

We have examined the trinitarian nature of God: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

We also looked at how this trinitarian God created man in His own image, which is to say that His trinitarian nature was passed on to us in creation: body, soul, and spirit.

The Purpose of Man

We were able to see that through this trinitarian design, we were given something that the rest of creation did not get: a longing for God. Through our spirit, we have a longing to be a part of God and live in His presence. Therefore, our God-given purpose was to glorify Him in our lives as we bear His image.

The Fall of Man

We were also able to see that through our trinitarian nature, there is another part of us that longs to be a part of the world. Our bodies are fleshly, worldly, and therefore draw us to the things of the world. Initially, this was ok, because the world that God created was good. He said so Himself. But when sin entered this place, the world was cursed because of it and therefore offers nothing but heartache, pain, and suffering.

Man therefore, has a choice. We have a fleshly side that draws us to the things of the world and a spiritual side that draws us to the things of God. We must decide which we lean on. The decision is ours to make.

Throughout history, the decision that man has made has been consistent. We will see that today. Mankind has consistently chosen the things of the world, and that has lead us to where we are today in scripture:

The Death of Jesus Christ

Content

The Decision of Pilate

To follow tradition or to do something different. (vs. 15)

Pilate could have decided that because of Barabbas history, he was not going to be cut loose. He also could have said that he would not kill Jesus for their own selfish ways.

Use his authority for good or evil (vs. 16-18)

Listen to his wife or the crowd (vs. 19-20)

Listen to his own conscience or the crowd (vs. 22-24)

The Decision of the Religious Rulers

Choose between a notorious murderer or a notorious miracle worker (vs. 17)

Last chance to choose to accept Christ (Jesus Ministry)

Whether to listen to Pilate or their own jealous thoughts (Vs. 23-25)

Whether to listen to the crowds or not (vs. 20)

The Decision of the Crowd

Remember what the religious rulers had done, or remember what Jesus had done.

Do what is right or be persuaded by evil men to do what is wrong. (vs. 20)

The Decision of Jesus

Plead His case (vs. 12-14)

Allow others to think they have authority over Him (John 19:11)

John 19:11 (CSB)

11“You would have no authority over me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above. This is why the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.”

Suffer our punishment (vs. 26)

Live in His own will or die in the will of His Father (Mat. 26:39)

Matthew 26:39 (CSB)

39Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

To spare His own life for his sake or to sacrifice His life for our sake (vs. 26)

Commitment

We faced with the same decision today, that mankind has been faced with since the beginning of time. We have the decision of choosing “The Tree of Life” or “The Tree of Death”. We are faced with the decision to the feast from the Master’s table or to feast from what the world has to offer. If we choose to feast with the world, we will feast on fear, anxiety, pride, hatred, judgment, envy, chaos, drama, and everything else that separates us from God. If we choose to feast with God, we will feast on love, joy, peace, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness, patience, and everything else that brings us closer to God.

The decision is yours, but you must know two things:

You must choose. There is no third option. The decision to remain neutral is a choice, but it is a choice to side with the world. We must choose between our sin and our Savior.

The consequences of your decision is yours as well. What do you want moving forward in your life? What results do you long for? The decision is up to you! Which will you choose?