Pilate's Dilemma

 

COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 18 JANUARY 2026 – MR JASON CRUISE

MATTHEW 26 VERSE 14 – 16, 36 to 50, 27 verses 1 and 2, 19 to 26

We have read some of the questions that Pontius Pilate asked that day. And as we consider these verses I want you to ask yourself those very same questions and to see what your response might be. Here we have read tonight about Christ and how he was brought to stand before the Roman governor and of course then he was condemned to the death of the cross and led out to that place called Calvary. But you know the Lord Jesus suffered much at Calvary but he also suffered much even before he got to the cross. We heard here this evening about how there in the garden of Gethsemane he prayed to his father. And you know there in the garden of Gethsemane the Saviour he suffered from that awful medical condition known as hematidrosis. And that medical condition, it is where the capillaries rupture and they burst and the blood it seeps through into the sweat glands and it comes out. And we know how the blood of the Lord Jesus fell down to the ground. Those great drops of blood. Such was the pressure that the Lord Jesus was under. But you know there in the garden of Gethsemane despite the pressure and the anguish and the pain that the Lord Jesus was experiencing through it all he was able to say to his heavenly father “not my will but thine be done.” Those words that echo down through the corridor of time. Picture here the scene as Judas Iscariot has made his way to the garden of Gethsemane. You see Judas, he has betrayed the Saviour for 30 pieces of silver. John in his gospel account in John 13 and the verse number 30 he says concerning Judas “he then having received the sap went immediately out and it was night.” There was Judas Iscariot he had just eaten with the Saviour and now he makes his way out into the darkness of the night. No matter how dark that night may have the intentions and the thoughts of Judas Iscariot were so much darker. Here's a man now and he makes his way along to the chief priests and he puts into place the plan that would betray the eternal son of God into the hands of evil men. puts into place that plan that would eventually lead the Saviour to the centre cross upon Golgotha's brow. This man Judas Iscariot, has spent just over three years in the presence of the Saviour. He saw Christ perform many miracles. He heard him preach. He had eaten with them. And yet for the love of 30 pieces of silver, he betrays the eternal son of God. To think that tonight there is a man in a lost eternity who for the love of money betrayed the Lord Jesus. Judas Iscariot is a man that we would often say he kissed the gates of heaven yet went through the gates of hell. Judas Iscariot was a man who was very privileged. He had spent just over three years in the presence of the Lord. He knew the Lord so well. And yet tonight, he's in a lost and a Christless eternity. What a privilege. But you know, as I think of those that are privileged tonight, I think about you. You have been privileged. Maybe you can look back to times whenever you were sent along to Sunday school or you were brought along to gospel meetings and you know the word of God so well tonight. You've been so privileged. Maybe you were brought up in a Christian home. Sadly, you know the word of God, but you don't know the God of the word. You cannot look back to that time in your life's experience whenever you came in repentance and turn from your sin and turn to the only Saviour of men, the Lord Jesus. Oh, Judas was very privileged. On the authority of God's word this evening, we can tell you that you're a sinner. We read there in Romans chapter 3 and the verse 23, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 8 billion people around the world tonight. And each and every one misses the standard that heaven requires. Each and everyone misses that standard that God requires in order to enter heaven. What are you relying upon in order to one day enter heaven? If you're not relying upon the only Saviour of men, the Lord Jesus, tonight, I can tell you that you're on that broad and that crowded road that will take you down to a lost and a Christless eternity. We read there in Jonah chapter 2 and the verse number nine, salvation is of the Lord. You cannot do anything tonight to save yourself. The preacher tonight cannot do anything in order to save you, to make you right with God.  Tonight salvation is of the Lord. You cannot buy salvation. You cannot earn salvation. You cannot inherit salvation. It cannot be passed down from father to son or from mother to daughter. But you personally must come to put your faith and your trust in the risen Lord Jesus. He's the only way to heaven. Whenever the Lord Jesus walked this earth during his earthly ministry, he tells us there in John 14 and the verse number six, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me.” I ask you the question again this evening. What are you relying upon? What are you trusting in for eternity? There's only two destinations. It's either heaven or it's hell. It's either heaven with the Lord or it's hell without the Lord and eternally separated from the Lord and eternally separated from the love of God. We present to you tonight a loving Saviour. One who loved you so much that he gave his life for you upon the cross. We think of those words of John chapter 3 and the verse 16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Christ went to the cross for the whosoever and tonight salvation is available because of that finished work. What are you trusting in for eternity? Here's the Lord Jesus. And these evil men, they come to the garden of Gethsemane led there by Judas's Iscariot who has betrayed Christ for a paultry 30 pieces of silver. And they apprehend the Savior and now forsaken by his friends. He is led away, brought from the garden of Gethsemane and brought to stand before Annas and then brought to stand before Caiaphas. And then eventually he would stand before the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council. And then in the morning time they would bring him to Pontius Pilate. And we know how Pilate he sent the Lord Jesus away to Herod. And then eventually the Lord Jesus is brought back to stand before the Roman governor. Six trials in total. Three of the trials religious and three of them Roman. And I want us to consider this great meeting between the Savior and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Pilate here he has a great dilemma and he tries to sidestep it and he sends the Saviour away to Herod and he thinks that's him out of the equation. He thinks that's the problem dealt with. But you see there came a time whenever the Lord Jesus was sent back to Pontius Pilate. Look with me there at the verse 19. It says there in verse 19 of chapter 27 “When he that is Pontius Pilate 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.” When he was set down on the judgment seat, you see, there came a point whenever Pontius Pilate was going to have to make judgment, whenever he was going to have to make a decision in regard to God's son, the Lord Jesus. That's just the same for you - each and everyone has to make that decision in regard to what they're going to do with Jesus Christ. It says there in verse 22, Pilate saith unto them, "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?" They all say unto him, "Let him be crucified." I believe this is one of the greatest questions in the whole of scripture. “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” Notice that this is a personal question about a personal Saviour. Pontius Pilate here he doesn't say “what would you do with the Lord Jesus?” He doesn't say “what would they do with the Lord Jesus.” He doesn't say “what would we do?” No, no, Pontius Pilate here says “what shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” It's a personal question. It demands a personal answer. And I put this question to you this evening. What are you going to do with the Lord Jesus? Are you going to walk through the doors of the church another time, still with your back towards God, still in rebellion to the love of God and tonight you're still going to leave this meeting still tramping abroad on the crowded road down to a lost eternity. Maybe you're  going to say, "I put the decision off until next Sunday." By doing that, you've already made your mind up. You've already made up your decision. No, Jesus is not for me tonight. And tonight, you're still in rejection to the love of God. And tonight you're not going to accept the Savior. Maybe you're saying very foolishly tonight that I will not accept Christ this evening, but maybe next Sunday night I'll accept the Savior. Maybe next Sunday night I will give my life to the Lord. Friends, if you and I tonight could lift the cover on hell and peer down in, there is a multitude of people there. And they too said those very same words, "Not tonight, but some night I'll accept the Savior." But you know that night never came. But just in an instant, death came and they were ushered out into eternity and they were unprepared and they were unforgiven and they were unrepentant. And tonight there's no way back. There's no second chance. There's no retrial and there's no acquittal. What an awful thing it would be for you tonight to sit through another gospel meeting still in the day of grace, still in the day of opportunity. Well you can freely come and avail of this great gift of salvation. Yet maybe you will turn your back upon the Savior and in the week that lies ahead to go out into a lost and a Christless eternity and be able to look back to this night through the countless ages and recall the night that you heard the gospel and the night that you were told that God loves you and that Christ has died to set you free and that if you come to put your faith and your trust in him that you can have that assurance of sins forgiven. Look then with me again at verse 22. "Pilate saith unto them, what shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, let him be crucified." You know what marvels me that it says there in reply to that question that Pilate puts to the people? They all say unto him, "Let him be crucified." There wasn't one person that day, not one person that morning to stand and to plead the case for the Savior. All the people that had experienced the love and the compassion of Christ, all those that he had healed and cured. And yet the scriptures tell us they all say unto him, "Let him be crucified." Not one person to stand aside and take the side of the Saviour and to plead his case before the Roman governor. But each and every one that day were happy enough to see the Saviour condemned to the death of the cross. Would you not take the side of the Saviour and would you not come to put your faith and your trust in him? Pilate here has a great dilemma. But look with me then at verse 24. “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." Oh, here we see now that Pontius Pilate in his dilemma, he has made a decision. And here now he washes his hands of the whole situation. But water can wash away many things, but there's one thing it cannot wash away, and that is sin. The only thing that can wash away sin is the precious shed blood of Christ. The hymnwriter could say there, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." Pontius Pilate has washed his hands and now he's about to condemn the Saviour to the death of the cross. He has given the people the opportunity to release the Saviour or to release Barabas. And we all know how the people they chose Barabas. And Barabas he goes free. The Lord Jesus is condemned to the death of the cross. Pilate gives in to the pressure. And I wonder could that be said of you this evening? You have maybe heard the gospel many times throughout the past. Tonight you're still in rejection to the Lord because tonight you're too scared of what the crowd will say. You're too scared tonight what your work colleagues might say, what the classmates might think, or what your friends and family may say. Can I tell you that if you're still in your sin, your friends may laugh you into hell, but they'll never laugh you out. Pontius Pilate gave in to the pressure, but I would press it upon you this evening. Don't be worrying about the classmates tomorrow. Don't be worrying about your work colleagues, but come tonight in repentance and come to faith in the risen Lord Jesus. And do not put it off to another time. We read there in Proverbs 27 and the verse number one, “boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” Not one of us could guarantee that we will see the morning. There were many people they went to their bed last night and they had plans for today. They never woke up this morning. There are many people and they awoke out of their beds this morning and they had plans for this evening and they have never seen this evening but were ushered out into eternity. What an awful thing it would be for you to hear the gospel and to hear about the love of God and yet to still stand in rejection to the Saviour and go out into a lost and a Christless hell. In verse 23, Pilate, he asks that question. “Why, what evil hath he done?” This is a question that he puts to the people, “why, what evil hath he done?” The writer to the Hebrews, he was able to say concerning Christ that he was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. God's son, the Lord Jesus, he was absolutely perfectly sinless and sinlessly perfect. The Apostle Paul could say concerning Christ, he knew no sin. The Apostle Peter could say he did no sin. And John could say in him is no sin. For 33 and a half years, he walked this earth absolutely sinless and absolutely perfect before his heavenly father and before man. You know, I was just thinking today as I thought about Pilate and how he took the side of the people and he gave into the pressure and he rejected Christ and condemned him to the cross. I was thinking about Robert Murray McShane and his niece. And Robert Murray McShane, he had witnessed to his niece on many occasions and told her of her need of the Saviour. And his niece, she came along to hear her uncle preach on many occasions. But you know, her attendance at the gospel meetings, it began to wane and she may be missed a Sunday evening and one Sunday evening led to two Sunday evenings. Then over a period of months, Robert Murray McShane's niece was not found at the gospel meetings at all. Robert Murray McShaney contacted his niece, sent her a letter to see why she was no longer attending the gospel meetings. She sent back word to her uncle that she no longer had any interest in the things of God as she had never accepted the Savior. Now she wanted nothing to do neither with the Savior nor with church nor with Christians or the things of God. Upon hearing this, Robert Murray McShane, he wrote this little poem. He said,

 

"She has chosen the world and its paultry crowd.

She has chosen the world and an endless shroud.

She has chosen the world with its misnamed pleasures.

She has chosen the world before heaven's own treasures.

She hath launched her boat on life's giddy sea,

and her all is afloat for eternity.

But Bethlehem star is not in her view, and

her aim is far from the harbour true.”

 

Have you got time for the Saviour? Would you not come and accept the only Savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus, the one who was willing to suffer and to bleed and to die in your place and in mine? As the hymn goes, “Room for pleasure, room for business, but for Christ the crucified, not a place that he can enter into the heart for which he died.” Have you no room in your heart tonight for God's eternal son of the Lord Jesus? And here now Pilate, he washes his hands of the whole situation and Christ is condemned to the death of the cross. the one who was absolutely perfect and absolutely sinless. Look with me there at the verse 26. “Then released he Barabbas unto them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” Picture now the scene as God's son is tied to the scourging pole. And that Roman flagrum with its pieces of metal and bone, they come down upon the back of God's son. Come down upon his back time and time again. And as the psalmist tells us, they left his back like a ploughed field. And there the Savior was willing to endure it all for you and for I. Now condemned to the cross. And picture as they lead the Savior through the city streets, out through the city gates, the Savior begins to ascend the hill for Calvary. The hymnwriter, he could say,

 

“Beneath an eastern sky.

A matter a rabble cry,

a man goes forth to die.

Thorns crowned his blessed head,

blood stained his every tread.

Crossladen on he sped for me,

for me, dear friends, and for you.”

 

The lamb of God was willing to hang there upon the cross at Calvary. Many visitors, you know, have visited the place called Calvary. Visited that place where today we would believe that the Lord Jesus was crucified. That place that is known today as Gordon's Calvary. Many have went there and visited and stood there. Many of them moved to tears as they recall the suffering that took place there 2,000 years ago. But you know, sad to say, there are many visitors. They also make their way there to Gordon's Calvary. They stand there unmoved. Unmoved. As you and I come to Calvary in our mind's eye, are you unmoved tonight? Do you not realize what Christ has done on your behalf and how he was willing to suffer to provide salvation for you and for I? They lead him out there to Calvary and there he's crucified. Crucifixion was first invented by the Assyrians. It was also used by the Persians, but it was the Romans who adopted it and really perfected it as a form of execution to inflict the most horrendous pain upon its victim. There upon the cross the victim would die a slow and a cruel death.

 

“None of the ransomed ever knew.

How deep were the waters crossed, nor

how dark was the night that the Lord passed through.

There he found the sheep that was lost.”

 

You and I could never fathom what Christ endured at Calvary. If you close your eyes tonight, you'll hear the dull blow of the hammer swung low. They are nailing my Lord to the tree. Nailing them to the tree. And there he's willing to suffer for you and for I. So that the Apostle Peter could say in 1 Peter chapter 3 and the verse 18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust.” In the original Greek, it's the just one for the unjust ones. Oh, he was just, he was righteous. He was holy. And there he gave his life for you and for I. We read there in verse 26, then released he Barabbas unto them. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. You see, Christ took the place of Barabbas. He became Barabbas’ substitute. He's your substitute and mine. He endured the righteous divine judgment of a holy God on behalf of you and I. Picture Barabbas as he sits in the prison cell condemned to the death of the cross. Barabbas that morning no doubt was awaiting the people to come and to lead him out to Calvary. But you know Barrabas as he sits in his cell I wonder did he hear the footfall of a Roman soldier make it make his way towards the prison cell. I wonder did Barabbas hear the key going into the door and the key it would turn in the lock and I wonder was there a Roman soldier that said to Barabbas “Barabbas you're free to go.” The man who was condemned was free to go. I wonder did Barabbas say “how am I free to go?” I wonder was there a Roman soldier that perhaps said to Barabbas there's another who has taken your place who could possibly take the place of me a condemned criminal, condemned to be crucified who could possibly take my place. I wonder, was there a Roman soldier who said, "Jesus of Nazareth has taken your place. One who did absolutely nothing wrong, absolutely sinless, and yet he has taken your place." I often wonder, did Barabbas maybe make his way out of the prison cell? Did he run or did he perhaps hold back? Did he follow that crowd that day as they make their way along with the Saviour out to Calvary? Was he among that mob that day? Did he follow out and see this one who has taken his place? Did he watch from afar as the blood flowed from his head where the crown of thorns had been beaten down upon his blessed brow? Does he did he watch as the blood flowed from his hands and from his feet where the nails have been driven in? Did Barabbas stand and wonder how and why has this man taken my place? He took the place of Barabbas. He took my place and he took your place. What are you trusting in for eternity? You know, whenever Christ hung upon that centre cross, his heavenly Father veiled this earth and darkness, there upon that cross, he placed all your sin and all your guilt and all your shame upon his blessed son. And there Christ paid the awful price of sin on your behalf and mine. You have a decision to make. And I put to you tonight the same question that Pilate asked. “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” What are you going to do with Jesus which is called Christ? Will you leave the meeting still a Christ rejector like Pilate? Tonight you have a decision to make. It's either the world or it's Christ. It's either heaven or it's hell, it's reject or accept. You have a soul tonight that will live throughout the countless ages of eternity in either one of two places. But I'm thankful tonight that I can tell you that the victory is won and the price is paid and the gift of salvation is freely available. And all you have to simply do tonight is to come in repentance and put your faith and your trust in Christ. You see faith that is how you get saved this evening. Whenever you come into the church tonight here in cold rain, you made your way down to your seat, made your way down to the pew. You didn't shake the pew to see if it was okay to hold your weight. You didn't get on in beneath the pew and look up and see is it okay? Is it stable? No, my dear friend, you simply sat down upon it and you rested your all upon the pew. That's how you get saved tonight. By simply resting your all upon Christ and upon his finished work and have faith in him. You see, the Apostle Paul is able to tell us in Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. I put the question to you again, what are you relying upon for eternity? We are told there in Amos chapter 4 the verse number 12, “prepare to meet thy God”. Each and every one of us here tonight, we're all going out to meet God. There are many here this evening and we're thankful that we're going out to meet God as our Saviour. But you know, sadly up and down the land tonight there are many and they're going out to meet God as their judge. From our meeting began this evening, statistics tell us that approximately 7,000 people have went out into eternity. What an awful thing it would be for you if in the week that lies ahead, you too would go out into eternity. Can I press it upon you this evening to come to know Christ as Lord and as Savior tonight? We're thankful that after three days he arose victorious over sin and over death and over hell. We're thankful we can tell you that he's a victorious Saviour. That he is exalted. That he is ascended and seated at his father's right hand in glory. Tonight he calls unto you, my dear sinner friend. “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” The word of God declares, "Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation." May the Lord help you tonight to come to close in with the message of the gospel and come to know Christ whom to know is life eternal.