Communion Message
(What shall I do with Jesus?)
September 4-5, 1999
Pastor Don Sheley

For I have received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me. In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 

Paul makes it very clear to the Corinthians to whom he gave this admonition. He said that every time there is the participation in the communion it is an open proclamation of the story of the cross of Jesus all over again, we retell the story. And so for the last number of months we've gone back to the scene of Calvary and we've sought for insights to understanding that sacred moment. Here's one, Now Jesus stood before the governor. And the governor asked Him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus said to him, "It is as you say." And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, "Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?" But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at the time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. 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." But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to released to you?" They said, "Barabbas!" Pilate said to them, "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" 

Nowhere will you find so dramatic and so decisive an instance of the irony of fate as in Pilate's dealing with Christ. By the irony of fate has meant the march of events to an issue. The very opposite of which the policy and the cunning of men have intended, and that irony of fate is the moving finger of God. Pilate claimed to be the autocratic ruler of the Jewish city. He said, knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? That was his haughty speech to Jesus. Yet, he was compelled to do what he stubbornly resisted by men he flouted and mocked. Pilate knew Christ to be innocent. He said; I find in Him no fault at all. That was his public protestation. Yet he scourged Christ as if He had been a common malefactor and he delivered Him to His doom. Pilate believed himself to be guiltless of the death of Christ. He washed his hands in water as a histrionic display of his neutrality. Yet, it is the judgment of history, it was Pilate's hand that nailed Christ to His cross. He believed himself to be the master of his soul. 

Today, men see with a certain contemptuous pity that he did not dare to call his conscience his own. It is the climax of this irony of faith that Pilate, who did not mean to entangle himself in Christ's trial. He intended to commit himself neither for nor against Christ, but he found that Christ was inescapable. The situation is disclosed in this cry, What shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ? In spite of his strenuous and his skillful efforts to avoid his duty and to devolve his responsibility, Pilate found himself face to face with the inevitable Christ. Now we must not isolate this man, and his crime, and his fate to history. We must not think that because this spiritual tragedy was played out to its close on the high stage of history and before the face of Christ, it is unlike the spiritual tragedies of other men. I believe that in Pilate dealing with Jesus we have the most common type of fruitless religious experience. 

You see, few men betray Christ in cold blood as Judas did, and few die reviling Him with the mockery of the thief, fewer still now days at least plot and scheme against Him with the undisguised hate of the Sadducees, but every day, every day, men and women refuse to face Christ's claims and decline to commit themselves to the acceptance or the rejection of them. They turn their backs upon Him while they think they are leaving unsettled the question put by Pilate, what shall I do with Jesus which is called the Christ? Pilate found Him to be the inevitable Christ. You've got to do something with Him. History has proven that. Every man, every child who has heard of Christ must either reject Him or accept Him. You either love Him or you hate Him. You either serve Him or you ignore Him, but with Jesus you've got to do something. It's the issue of time and eternity, and it's the heart of the Christian faith. What will I do with Jesus? And that's why in the services of this church, right in the middle of every service we drive the cross because we're aware that men and women must face the issue. If they don't face it now, they'll face it then. 

I was a little boy, 5 years old, 63-years ago, in a little church that seated about 30 people. And I lovely lady, I remember she had red hair, she came up to the front and she sang a song which has hauntingly, those words have been in my mind for 63 years. And here's the way the song went; Jesus is standing in Pilate's hall. Friendless, forsaken, despised by all. Harken what meaneth the sudden call. What will you do with Jesus? And then the haunting refrain; What will you do with Jesus? Neutral you cannot be for someday your heart will be asking; what will He do with me? He's the inevitable Christ. And there's the inevitable alternative either you accept Him or you reject Him. Pilate did and to this day he suffers the damnation of the damned, and yet the question continues down through history, it's the heart of religion, it's the message of the cross, what do you do with Jesus? You've got to do something. He's either your Master or He isn't. He's either your Savior or He's just a man of history. You've got to do something with Him, and I pray that you have answered Pilate's question and you can say today I've received Jesus as my Savior. He's my Lord. He's my Master. He's my God. He's my wonderful Redeemer, and today I pronounce Him, I proclaim Him as my Christ. I've got an answer for Pilate, and that's my answer. 

If you're here today and you've never answered that question, you're searching, here's the heart of it, you've got to do something with Jesus. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins. There's only one Savior. There's no other name given among men whereby we can be saved. There's only Jesus. And today if you've not accepted Christ, why not while we're kneeling together you just in your heart of hearts say Jesus, I come to You now and I receive You as my Lord and I repent of my sins and I turn to You as my Savior. You can make that decision. At the last service a number of folks made the decision, in all the services today. You've got to do something with Him. Neutral you cannot be for someday your heart will be asking; what's He going to do with me? You see He is the Savior now, but then He'll be the Judge.

Would you kneel with me please? Lord Jesus we've answered Pilate's question. The mob 2000 years ago answered it with rejection and so did Pilate, not us. We bow before You, Lord Jesus, and proclaim You with joy and with certainty as our Savior, and our Lord, and our God. Matchless Jesus. Blessed Redeemer. Wonderful Savior. Glorious King. My Jesus and my Lord. Let's take the bread together, shall we? And then the cup. While you're kneeling and your eyes are closed maybe this is the morning you've made that eternal decision. This is the morning in your heart of hearts you've said, Jesus, I proclaim You as my Savior today. Would like to raise your hand just to Jesus. You're saying Jesus today every eye is closed you're just raising your hand to Him and you're saying, Jesus, by raising my hand I just want You to know that today in my heart of hearts I've accepted You as my Lord. Yes. So many. Thank you. Thank you. And our prayer is that you'll grow strong in your faith and come to love Him more and to serve Him with all your heart. Everybody said, amen. Let's stand and greet one another, shall we?