“WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS …?”

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on March 2, 2022 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: March 2, 2022 from Luke 23:1-25

Theme: Pilate, Herod, and the rulers illustrate certain unbelieving responses to Jesus.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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There’s an important question that every man and woman must ask at some point in their lives. No one can avoid it; because it has to do with the central figure of humanity. It’s the question, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” One’s eternal destiny depends upon the answer.

Those words, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”, were the words of Pontius Pilate. He spoke to them in Matthew 27:22 because the chief priests and rulers of the Jewish people had presented Jesus to him for a decision. They had arrested Him, interrogated Him, and found Him guilty of blasphemy because He had said that He was the Son of God. And because the Jewish people were under the authority of the occupying Roman government, they had no power or authority to execute Him. They had to have Pilate order His crucifixion. Pilate didn’t wish to execute Him. He sought to hand Him over to King Herod. Herod didn’t do anything but mock Jesus and then hand Him back to Pilate. And then when Pilate sought to release Jesus, the Jewish leaders refused Him. At the end of it all, Pilate declared, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

Luke 23:1-25 tells us the story of how Jesus was passed back and forth between these leaders. But it’s not just a story in history past. It’s not just the story of injustice under the law. No one today can deny that Jesus came into this world. The story of His life is more confirmed than any other life story in history. No one can deny the claims that were made of Him—or the claims that He made of Himself. There were too many eyewitnesses to the confirmation of those claims for them to be ignored. And no one can—at this point in history—deny that He truly is the most controversial person in human history. The measuring of history itself hinges upon the story of His life. And yet each of the parties involved in the passage before us represent a kind of response to Jesus that we find characterized in the unbelieving world even to this day.

The story of Pilate’s encounter with Him, and Herod’s encounter, and the encounter of the chief priests and rules of the Jewish people with him, all illustrate how unbelieving people respond to Jesus—and how they wrongly answer the question: “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”

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Let’s walk through this passage, and consider how each responded to Him. First, we see how Pilate responded. The Roman governor illustrates the answer …

1. “I WILL AVOID HIM AND PASS HIM OFF TO SOMEONE ELSE” (vv. 1-7).

After our Lord had been interrogated and had been charged with blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God (although what He said was the truth), Luke went on to tell us;

Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King” (vv. 1-2).

Do you notice that this is different from the case they made against Him in Luke 22:70-71? Back then, they found Him guilty of blasphemy; because when they asked Him if He was the Son of God, He said, “You rightly say that I am”. But that charge by the Jewish religious leaders of blasphemy would have meant nothing to the Roman governor. Instead, they attempted to make the case against Him that He claimed to be the Messiah—the Christ—the promised Deliverer of His people; and as such, He would have represented a threat to the Roman empire.

This would have been a charge that would have been of real interest and concern to the Roman governor. So, we read;

Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say” (v. 3).

In the original language, Jesus said, “You say.” And to our English ears, our Lord’s response to Pilate seems as obscure as His response to the chief priests. But Pilate knew that He was saying that He indeed was the King of the Jews. Pilate could plainly see that the Jewish leaders were outraged by this claim. But as a representative of the dominating foreign power over the Jewish people, Pilate didn’t seem too concerned about whether or not Jesus said He was a king. As far as Pilate could see, Jesus presented no kind of political or military threat to the Roman government whatsoever. That is still true today, by the way. The message of Jesus Christ in this world—and the faith of those who believe it—present no practical threat to earthly power structures; because Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world.

So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no fault in this Man” (v. 4).

Now; if Pilate had hoped to get rid of the problem in that way, he found out very quickly that it wouldn’t work. It only resulted in them bringing a more intensified charge against Jesus:

But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.” (v. 5).

There was a sense in which this was true. Jesus and His teaching did stir people up because it changed their lives for the better. It also upset the illegitimate control that the religious leaders held over the people; and they were jealous of Him. But it certainly wasn’t stirring things up in the way that they that meant.

But this inspired Pilate to seek to hand Jesus over to someone else.

When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time (vv. 6-7).

This illustrates to us one way that some unbelieving people seek to answer the question, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They simply seek to avoid having to deal with Him at all. They may even seek to pass the burden on to someone else. “I’m fine. I don’t need a Savior. That’s for people who are messed up anyway. Let them have Him. I’m too busy right now.” But no one can avoid Him. All people eventually must deal with the Son of God.

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Pilate sought to solve his problems by handing Jesus over to King Herod. So then; let’s now consider Herod’s response to Him. The king’s response illustrates the answer …

2. “I WILL MOCK HIM INTO IRRELEVANCE” (vv. 7-12).

There was a sense in which Herod had to deal with Jesus before. Herod had executed John the Baptist because John accused him of wickedness for having taken his brother Philip’s wife as his own. Herod had mistakenly thought—because of Jesus’ miracles—that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead. And that explains Herod’s interest in wanting to see Jesus. Herod was in Jerusalem for the Passover Feast; and Luke tells us,

Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing (vv. 8-9).

Herod had hoped that Jesus would perform miracles for him. And notice in this that Herod knew that Jesus was more than just a man. But the wicked monarch became disillusioned with Jesus very quickly. Jesus wouldn’t even answer the king’s questions; because our Lord never gave an answer to those who only pretended to desire the truth—but who didn’t really want it.

Apparently, when Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, some of the religious leaders from Jerusalem went along too. We’re told;

And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him (v. 10).

They succeeded in hardening the king’s heart even more. And so; what did Herod do with Jesus? He did what so many unbelieving people do when Jesus disappoints their expectations or doesn’t give them what they demand of Him. He mocked Him. We’re told;

Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate (v. 11).

It was at this time that the soldiers had made the crown of thorns and forced it upon His head; and bowed down to Him in mock worship; and also struck Him and spat on Him—all with Herod’s approval. That’s when we see that those who mock our Lord are partners in unbelief with those who wish to avoid Him:

That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other (v. 12).

So; Herod illustrates to us another way that unbelieving people seek to answer the question, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They respond by mocking Him. We see this even today. But even those who mock Him today cannot avoid Him. They must eventually deal with Him who truly was the King of the Jews.

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So then; Herod (who mocked Him) sent Him back to Pilate (who wanted to avoid Him). Now Pilate must present Jesus to the Jewish rulers and religious leaders. And their response to Him, finally, illustrates the answer …

3. “I WILL DESTROY HIM IN PREFERENCE FOR WICKEDNESS” (vv. 13-25).

We’re told;

Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him” (vv. 13-16).

Pilate—who simply wanted to avoid Jesus—declared Him innocent. He could not avoid Him because of the anger of the Jewish people. But he thought he had a solution. In the best ancient copies of Luke’s Gospel, verse 17 is missing. It tells us that it was ‘necessary’ for Pilate to release a prisoner to them at the feast. But in John 18:39, we’re told that Pilate said;

“But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” (John 18:39).

But the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus. They wanted Him destroyed. Luke tells us;

And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”—who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder. Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” (vv. 18-21).

Pilate by no means wanted to release a man like Barabbas out to the Jewish people. He was a dangerous rabble-rouser and a murderous man—a true threat to the control that the Roman government sought to exercise over the Jewish people. Barabbas was in truth what the Jewish people were falsely saying that Jesus was. And now, Pilate didn’t simply wish to avoid Jesus. He was now afraid of the situation of unrest; and had to compromise with them in order to make some form of peace. He acted in a way that no just governor ever should.

Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.” (v. 22).

He would punish an innocent man. The people, however, wouldn’t have it.

But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will (vv. 23-25).

And so, the Jewish leaders illustrate to us yet another way that unbelieving people seek to answer the question, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They respond by seeking to destroy Him. It has been said that if wicked people were able to get their hands on Him, they would seek to crucify Him again. But they can’t. Instead, they prefer anyone else than Him—even if it is someone as wicked and dangerous as Barabbas.

But even then, they still must deal with Jesus—the resurrected Savior and coming Judge.

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Now; the Bible teaches us that none of these responses were—in any way—outside of God’s sovereign control and purposes. In Acts 3, when Peter and John preached to the very people who cried out, “Crucify Him!”, they told them;

“The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses” (Acts 3:13-15).

Later on, when the apostles prayed in response to the threats of the Jewish leaders, they lifted up their voices to God and said;

“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done” (Acts 4:27-28).

And when Paul testified to his Jewish kinsmen, he said;

For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 13:27-28).

Pilate who sought to avoid Jesus; Herod who mocked and ridiculed Jesus; and the Jewish leaders who sought to destroy Jesus and replace Him with a criminal—all these illustrate the different ways unbelieving people respond to Jesus even today. But it only ended up serving God’s sovereign purpose—because no one can avoid the risen Son of God … about whom we all must make a decision.

What then will you do with Jesus who is called the Christ? Don’t avoid Him. Don’t mock Him. Don’t seek to destroy the testimony about Him or seek to replace Him with something else Instead, believe on Him and be saved!

AE