What Will You Do With Jesus?

 

This Lent and Easter period most congregations will recount over again how Jesus was delivered to Pilate for a trial. It was the feast of the Passover and the custom of the Jews was to release a prisoner of whomsoever they desired. Here Pilate was faced with a decision that would change the course of all Biblical history. Would he release Barabbas or Jesus? In our daily actions or inactions are we releasing the Barabbas in the society but chaining and hanging the Messiah? The people demanded the release of Barabbas and the death of Jesus. But note that Pilate was a man trained and commissioned by Rome to act as an impartial judge. If there were a dispute and a decision was to be made, he was the man. In cases like these, he was the judge, prosecutor, and defence attorney. And as such, he was trained to ask the appropriate questions that would find the truth. During this trial

Pilate asked an eternal question, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" (Matthew 27:21).

Concerning Jesus that was brought before him, Pilate knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him, (Matthew 27:18). Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no basis for a charge against this man", (Luke 23:4). Pilate was well trained and his great questions were sufficient to support the claim that he was well trained. His best question that day was “What shall I do with Jesus?” It seemed that not even Pilate had an adequate answer. He knew that Jesus was innocent yet he abdicated his responsibility. Hence Pilate asked an excellent question but refused to answer it himself. He simply washed his hands of the matter possibly saying to himself, "I’ll make sure He’s crucified to please the mob crowd but it’s not my fault. I don’t want to do anything with this Jesus." Unfortunately, nobody can be neutral on the decision of accepting or rejecting Jesus. But your response has eternal consequences.

Therefore this Easter season offers a great opportunity to decide for Jesus and not with the crowd or the Jewish leaders urging the people to ask for the release of "a base criminal named Barabbas". The religious leaders were only after self-righteousness, desiring to keep their offices and remaining celebrities. Hence although the crowd heard Pilate’s question they only became an irrational mob scene crying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”

 

We thank God for His calling and anointing on Prophet TB Joshua of SCOAN, Lagos Nigeria. Many of the cases we see daily on Emmanuel TV are similar to the beggar that held on to Peter and John at Solomon's Colonnade.  All the people were astonished and came running to Peter and John after the man was healed. When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our power or godliness we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus". These apostles took a positive decision on Jesus and hence they were able to do great exploits in the name of Jesus. Peter said, "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see" (Acts 3:11-16).

We urge you to respond positively with complete obedience to the question of "What Shall I Do with Jesus, Who is also called the Messiah?" Whilst Pilate’s response was inadequate the Jewish leaders, people who had the Old Testament as reference and record concerning the prophesied Messiah were irresponsible to have rejected Jesus. Also, the mob’s response, urged by the same religious leaders, was cruel and irrational. The whole business of Prophet TB Joshua, the SCOAN, Emmanuel TV, all his other ministries, is to build our faith on this Jesus also called the Messiah, to save our souls from eternal damnation. Jesus died in the place of Barabbas, and Barabbas we all are. The biggest decision everyone will ever make in their life is whether or not they will accept Jesus as their Saviour. Emmanuel

Prof. R. A. Ipinyomi, University of Ilorin, Nigeria