What Will You Do With Jesus?
Jeff Strite
Matthew 27:11-25
OPEN: At the turn of the century, the "Des Moines Register" ran a scathing review of an Iowa singing group named the Cherry Sisters. Their reporter wrote that "Their long skinny arms, equipped with talons at the extremities... waved frantically at the suffering audience. The mouths of their rancid features opened like caverns, and sounds like the wailing of condemned souls issued therefrom."
The sisters sued for libel.
In the resulting trial, the Judge asked the sisters to perform their act for him in court... and then issued a ruling in favor of the newspaper.
APPLY: Pontius Pilate was a man trained and commissioned by Rome to act as a judge. If there was a dispute and a decision was to be made, he was the man. In cases like these he was the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney. And as such, he was trained to ask the kind of questions that would find the truth. Notice what he had already determined
Matthew 27:18 "For (Pilate) knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him."
Luke 23:4 "Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, 'I find no basis for a charge against this man.'"
We can tell by Pilate's questions that he was well trained. His questions were good questions.
I. Perhaps the most critical question Pilate asked that day was: "What shall I do, then, with Jesus?"
It was a good question. But it seemed no one had an adequate answer.
Pilate himself…
• Who knew the reason Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead because of their jealousy
• Who knew Jesus was innocent
• Who knew that this was not justice, but mob rule
abdicated his responsibility.
Pilate asks the question... and then refuses to answer it himself. He simply washes his hands of the matter.
"Yes," (it seems he says to the crowd) "I'll make sure He's crucified - but it's not my fault. I don't want to do anything with this Jesus."
The Jewish leaders' heard Pilate's question and react ...
Jeff Strite
Matthew 27:11-25
OPEN: At the turn of the century, the "Des Moines Register" ran a scathing review of an Iowa singing group named the Cherry Sisters. Their reporter wrote that "Their long skinny arms, equipped with talons at the extremities... waved frantically at the suffering audience. The mouths of their rancid features opened like caverns, and sounds like the wailing of condemned souls issued therefrom."
The sisters sued for libel.
In the resulting trial, the Judge asked the sisters to perform their act for him in court... and then issued a ruling in favor of the newspaper.
APPLY: Pontius Pilate was a man trained and commissioned by Rome to act as a judge. If there was a dispute and a decision was to be made, he was the man. In cases like these he was the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney. And as such, he was trained to ask the kind of questions that would find the truth. Notice what he had already determined
Matthew 27:18 "For (Pilate) knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him."
Luke 23:4 "Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, 'I find no basis for a charge against this man.'"
We can tell by Pilate's questions that he was well trained. His questions were good questions.
I. Perhaps the most critical question Pilate asked that day was: "What shall I do, then, with Jesus?"
It was a good question. But it seemed no one had an adequate answer.
Pilate himself…
• Who knew the reason Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead because of their jealousy
• Who knew Jesus was innocent
• Who knew that this was not justice, but mob rule
abdicated his responsibility.
Pilate asks the question... and then refuses to answer it himself. He simply washes his hands of the matter.
"Yes," (it seems he says to the crowd) "I'll make sure He's crucified - but it's not my fault. I don't want to do anything with this Jesus."
The Jewish leaders' heard Pilate's question and react ...
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