"What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"

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Scripture

Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!”
(Matthew 27:22 NASB)

 

Observation


Pilate had examined this man Jesus and he could find nothing wrong with him. The people shouted out even louder that they wanted him crucified. Pilate was frustrated by their response but his question to them is quite specific. He realized that this man whose name was Jesus, was also the Christ, and so in his question to them he literally asks them what do you want me to do with the one who is called your Messiah?

 

Application


I believe that this question reaches down through time and confronts us today as well. What are we going to do with Jesus -- the Messiah? This is the One who was promised to all of mankind -- the One who came and lived and died to take away the sin of the world. What are we going to do with the one who sets us free?

Today we may say that we don't crucify him, but maybe we do something worse -- we ignore him. Yesterday I saw a picture someone posted on facebook that showed the crowds of people out on Black Friday to go shopping, and a virtually empty church sanctuary on Sunday. In America, it seems, we have become passionate about our "stuff," but we have become dispassionate about our Messiah! Somehow we think that having enough stuff will make us happy and satisfy us instead of realizing that Jesus is the solution to the problems and desires and needs of life. We have to ask ourselves, what will we do with Jesus?

We are heading into the season of advent as we mark the coming of Jesus into the world. We anticipate his coming and his arrival which will change everything. But as we enter into this season of the year, maybe we need to ask, "What will we do with Jesus?" Will Jesus truly be a part of this season, or will this be a season of Santa, and gift giving, and cookies, and parties? We can look back on the Jewish folks of 2000 years ago and complain about how they treated Jesus. How could those religious people not have truly understood who he was and what he was doing? Same question for us today. How many of us "religious" folk have gotten wrapped up in so much of the world that we don't see Jesus for who he really is. He is the Messiah, he is the Christ, he is the promised One, he is the hope of earth, he is our only hope! There is none greater than he -- and so I ask, what will we do with him?

 

Prayer


Lord, please forgive me for when I allow the world's attitudes to encroach in upon me. Today my desire is to embrace Jesus, the Messiah, the One who has set me free! Amen.

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