The Man Who Sat on the Fence

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES 17 APRIL 2025 - MR JOHN WEIR

MATTHEW 27 VERSES 11 TO 26

There are many common daily phrases that originate from the bible. "How the mighty have fallen" (2 Samuel 1 verse 25), "set your house in order" (2 Kings 20 verse 1), "you are nothing but skin and bones" (Job 19 verse 20), "you have to get to the root of the matter" (John 19 verse 28), "they are at their wits end" (Psalm 107 verse 27), "he is the apple of his eye (Deuteronomy 32 verse 10), "like the blind leading the blind" (Matthew 15 verse 14), "a leopard cannot change his spots" (Jeremiah 13 verse 23), "a thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12 verse 7), "he washed his hands off the situation" (Matthew 27 verse 24). Pontius Pilate washed his hands off the Lord Jesus. What a terrible way to be remembered. What legacy will you leave behind? How will you be remembered? Pontius Pilate was weak, cowardly, gave in under pressure. He did not act with the courage of his conviction. The Cambridge Dictionary says of this act of washing your hands off something means you intentionally stop being involved with it or connected with it in any way. I trust you will not make the same mistake if you know the Lord is speaking. That you will not sit on the fence any longer. Matthew 12 verse 30 "He that is not with me is against me." I trust you are with the Lord, that you are a Christian serving the Lord and are not ashamed to confess him as Lord.

Consider his dilemma. The amazing thing is that Pilate found nothing wrong with Jesus - John 18 verse 38 "Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all." John 19 verse 4 "Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him." John 19 verse 6 "When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him." Deep in his heart he knew he was innocent, done no wrong, he was pure. What a privilege he had to speak with the Son of God face to face. Pilate's wife warned him about the Lord - verse 19 "When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him." Even his wife can see it too. She knew the Lord was innocent, a just man, she got a warning. It was not natural to have a dream during the day. Sometimes wives give good advice and sometimes they give bad advice. Sometimes a spouse can hinder individuals getting saved. The religious leaders were also a problem for Pilate. Matthew 27 verses 20 and 21 "But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas." Picture these chief priests and elders. A miserable group of people. The spiritual leaders of the nation. They were supposed to be teaching the people but they wanted the Lord crucified. They cried "we have no king but Caesar". We need to pray for godly ministers, elders and deacons that really love the Saviour. They wanted Barabbas released. A murderer done wrong. He represents sin, evil and death. Jesus represents purity, holiness, eternal life. No wonder the bible says "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" These religious men wanted the Saviour crucified. Deep down they were jealous of him. They despised him, were envious. Jesus was always clashing with the chief priests and scribes. They always tried to catch him out. They charged him with blasphemy but couldn't sentence him to death, only the Roman Governor of the day could do that. They needed Pilate to approve his sentence to death. That is why they brought him to Pilate. The religious establishment still makes no time for the Lord Jesus. There is very little preaching about the cross and the precious blood of Jesus, salvation and repentance, heaven and hell. Let us pray for revival and a movement of God in our day. "The chief danger of the twentieth century will be religion without the Holy Spirit, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and heaven without hell." General William Booth of Salvation Army. Dead, cold religion does not meet the need of men and women. May it be noised abroad that Jesus is in the midst of this place. That is what young people are looking for today. They want to know that Jesus can meet their need. He is here and can meet your need. The crowds also tried to intimidate Jesus - John 19 verse 12 "And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend." Who was Caesar? Tiberius Caesar was the Roman Governor, above Pilate in position. He knew Pilate feared him. He wanted to keep his influence and position. The crowd were using every tactic to influence his decision. The crowds can hinder people coming to Jesus. It is still the same today. Many young people don't come to Jesus because of friends. For the middle aged it is the fear of man that stops them coming to Jesus. "What will others think of me in the work place, in the school, in the college, in university, in the workplace?" Don't let them influence you. Be courageous and come out for the Lord. Accept him as your own personal Saviour. Don't care what others think of you. Will you do that tonight? The Lord is knocking at your heart's door. The old preacher said "any fish can go with the stream, it takes the salmon to swim against it." 

Pilate's decision - verse 27 "Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers." Picture Pilate before the crowd. Emotions are high. There is plenty of noise and activity. He is looking for a way of escape. He had never met anyone like Jesus. I am sure he is nervous, shaking, the weight of his responsibility is on him. He had a big decision now to make. What is he going to do? Life is all about making decisions - leaving school, who you will marry, what work you will do. We have to make decisions that offend people. Tonight you will make a decision about Christ, whether to accept him or reject him. People hear the gospel and some make the right choice. Sadly many make the wrong decision. This choice has eternal consequences. If you die in your sins - "where I am there you cannot come." I am sure you want to be in heaven. You must come through Jesus Christ, he is the only way.

A young woman was dying. Her mother and father were gathered around the bed. Her father was an atheist and her mother a Christian. The young woman turned to her father and said "you have told me not to believe in the Lord, what should I do now?" Her mother had tears in her eyes and was holding her hand. She was praying for her daughter. Her father told her "take your mother's way, that is the only hope." Jesus is the only hope when you come to die. Her father had discouraged her, stopped her from going to church and she was now dying of pneumonia. Jesus was her only hope.

Pilate had a personal decision to make - "what shall I do?" That is what salvation is all about. It is a personal decision. It doesn't matter whether you are rich or poor, educated or not, Roman Catholic or Protestant. Your mother or father cannot save you, nor your son or daughter. Martin Lloyd Jones said "God has no grandchildren, only sons or daughters." Only you know if you are the son of the King. Only you know the Son of God is Lord. Paul had a personal experience of salvation. It is wonderful to have that. To tell him that you love him every day. "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." It is all about a decision for Jesus. Not about a church or a preacher, it is what you will do with the perfect, sinless one in whom there is no guile, blemish, impurity in him. Salvation is in Christ alone. Pilate realised that. Can you see him tonight standing before Pilate. He cleansed the lepers, raised the dead, cast out devils from people, he went about doing good. He changed people's lives. People who were unlovable and he changed them. He loved them and gave them hope. Now they want him crucified.

Pilate's departure - verses 24 to 27 "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." Pilate fades out of history. He counts the cost of position and power as more important. He ends up scourging the Lord. After realising he is innocent he scourges him. He gives the crowd what they want. He tells them to crucify him. What was he thinking as Jesus was taken away? Did his wife think about Jesus? Was there any remorse? Guilt? Any regret? I don't know but Pilate would not forget this day for the rest of his life. If you end up in a lost eternity you will remember this meeting, the singing of the hymns, the gospel tracts you read, how your father and mother prayed for you. Pilate will stand before Christ again at the great white throne and will look into the eyes of Jesus. Now Jesus is the judge. He will be in the guilty chair. Pilate will be sentenced for all eternity. This is God's courtroom. Not a nice place to be in. Revelation 20 verses 11 to 13 "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them." John gets a vision of the great white throne. All the people who died without the Saviour. Kings and queens, rich and poor, all of society, those with MBE's , famous film stars and sports stars. They will stand before the Saviour. Pontius Pilate will be there. There will be no mercy, no scourging, no beating, no crown of thorns. Pilate will be helpless and hopeless. I wonder how he died? How he lived the rest of his life? It is said that Pilate committed suicide because of the disgrace he was in. Just like Judas Iscariot. He couldn't live with himself. He washed his hands off the Saviour. The man who sat on the fence. Deep down he knew Jesus was innocent but he gave into the crowd. Is there a Pilate here tonight, sitting on the fence? Almost there. Thinking about it. In your mind and heart you are reading the bible, listening to sermons and testimonies, people are talking to you about the Saviour. God makes no mistakes. I pray that you will make a decision and come to the Saviour tonight.