Every living soul has to answer that question.
You will either accept Him or reject Him,
crown Him or crucify Him;
but you will do something with Jesus.
As Jesus was before Pilate; so Jesus is now before you!
Remember this: Pilate had Jesus in his hands, but now Pilate is in the hands
of Jesus.
Pilate judged Jesus, but one day Jesus will judge Pilate.
There were some voices that confronted Pilate when Jesus was judged that fateful
day.
Yet Pilate failed to listen to those voices.
We find people today who do the same thing.
Pilate Did Not Listen To The Voice Of Reason
Pilate was no fool.
You don't become Roman governor by being a fool.
He knew men.
And Matthew 27:18 says, "For he knew that they had handed Him over because
of envy."
Pilate reasoned why the Jews delivered Jesus.
It was reason that first confronted Pilate.
What does reason tell us about Jesus?
Reason tells us He is the Christ, the "Holy One of God" (Mark 1:24).
Reason tells us to follow Him because He is the "Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
It was the voice of reason that Nicodemus said to Jesus, “Rabbi, we know
that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that
You do unless God is with him”. (John 3:2)
It was the voice of reason that Paul used as he taught in the synagogue.
Paul was reasoning from the scriptures everyday anywhere he found an audience
to listen (Acts 17:17)
Pilate Did Not Listen To The Voice Of His Loved One
The next voice that confronted Pilate was that of his own wife.
She warned him!
While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, “Have
nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a
dream because of Him.” (Matthew 27: 19)
There have been many loved ones who have prayed for family members; begging
them to come to Jesus (AND TO REMAIN FAITHFUL).
There are many loved ones who have passed on and want their family members to
avoid the horrible place called hell and torment (Luke 16:27-28).
God sent a warning to Pilate's wife in a dream, just as He warned Joseph
(Matthew 2:22) and the magi (Matthew 2:12) in dreams.
God is warning us today through His Holy Word about death (Hebrews 9:27-28)
and the coming judgment (2 Corinthians 5:10).
The Bible is warning us!
Pilate Did Not Listen To His Own Voice
The crowds and the Jews were crying out for the blood of Jesus.
They wanted Him dead.
“Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But
they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!” When
Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising,
he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am
innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.” (Matthew 27:
23-24)
In washing his hands, Pilate was trying to wash his heart (a.k.a. his conscience).
He felt dirty.
His own conscience was telling him that Jesus was innocent.
What does your conscience tell you about getting right with Jesus?
Not only did he wash his hands, he tried to push Jesus off onto Herod; for he
heard that Jesus was a Galilean (Luke 23:6-7) and belonged to Herod's jurisdiction.
He thought that he would rid himself of Jesus.
However, Herod sent Him right back and Pilate once again had Jesus before Him.
What was he to do?
Pilate Did Not Listen To The Voice Of Jesus
The greatest voice that confronted Pilate was that of Jesus!
In John 18:37, Pilate asked Jesus if He was a King.
Jesus said, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was
born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness
to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
The voice of the Lord speaks loud and clear through the Bible (Hebrews 1:1-2).
"The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty"
(Psalm 29:4).
Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now
is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear
will live" (John 5:25).
In the last book of the Bible, Jesus said, "Behold, I stand at the door
and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him
and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20).
Pilate spoke directly to Jesus!
He heard the voice of the Son of God.
And even though he heard the voice of reason, the voice of a loved one, the
voice of his own conscience, and Jesus' voice;
Ultimately it was another voice that prevailed.
Pilate Did Listen To The Voice Of Public Opinion
It was this voice that doomed Pilate;
the voice of the crowds. "But the chief priests and elders persuaded
the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus" (Matthew
27:20).
"So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and
he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified" (Mark 15:15).
Although Pilate found no fault in Jesus; the verdict that ultimately condemned
him and sealed his fate forever stemmed from the question: "What then shall
I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
Pilate caved into the pressuring voices of this world.
Let's not make the same mistake.
Conclusion
As Jesus was in Pilate's hands;
He is now in your hands!
What will you do with Jesus?
Listen to the voice of reason, the voice of loved ones, the voice of your own
conscience, and especially listen to the voice of Jesus!
And do not wash your hands of Him who will be your judge in the end.
By Carey Scott from an outline by an unknown person.
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