"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. (Matt. 27:22)
This question has been ringing down through the centuries, and it is as relevant today as it was on the day Pilate asked this question almost two thousand years ago! Every human being on earth has to answer this question, and your answer will determine your eternal destiny!
Unlike other religious founders of the world, Jesus made some 'fantastic' and 'outrageous' claims upon Himself! He claims to be the Son of God; the Saviour of the world; the Living Bread; the Good Shepherd; the Way, the Truth and the Life; the ONLY way to the Father(God)! He said that those who believe in Him will have eternal life, and those who don't will be condemned! He claimed to have risen from the death, conquered the devil and death, now ascended to heaven and is sitting at the right hand side of the Father! And He also said that He is coming back to earth to judge the living and the dead! He said He is coming soon!
Anyone who makes such claims could either be totally crazy or absolutely omnipotent! If we believe Jesus was a crazy rabbi who was just babbling nonsense, we may not bother to answer the above question. However, if Jesus happens to be what He claims Himself to be, then we better be careful to answer this most important and urgent question: What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?
Indeed, whether we know it or not, this question is being answered everyday by all of us in one way or the other. We may not shout out loud as the Pharisees in Jesus' day saying, "Crucify Him!", but our lifestyles and attitudes nevertheless betray our position! Now let me show you some of the popular answers today:
1. "Crucify Him!": For many in the world today, Jesus is a nuisance, an irritation, an inconvenience! They want nothing to do with Him. They don't want to hear His name. They just want Him to be out of their life. These are the people who are still screaming, but silently, "Crucify Him!".
2. "Make use of Him": During the earthly life of Jesus in the land of Palestine, countless number of people were healed, some raised from the dead, demons expelled from many people! Sometimes whole communities benefitted from His healing power and His love. However, most of those people never bothered to follow Him, or stand up for Him when He needed them. Today, many people want healing and other benefits in Jesus' name, like going to heaven when they die, but never care to follow Him.
3. "Follow Him from a safe distance!": When Jesus was arrested and crucified, some of the disciples followed Him from a safe distance! Some disciples never came out in the open for fear of the Pharisees and the Jewish leaders. Many people today follow Jesus in the same way - from a safe distance. They don't want to upset others. They want to 'strike a balance', they want to keep their head! They don't want to stand out or up, they want to conform with the majority. If others are unhappy with their belief in Jesus, they apologise! They want to play safe!
4. "Follow Him all the way!": When Jesus called some of His disciples, "they left everything and followed Him!" All the disciples of Jesus suffered severe persecutions, and all, except John, were said to be martyred for the sake Jesus. They never turned back! They went all the way for Him! Even today, those who truly know Jesus are willing to go all out for Him, following Him all the way! They are willing to give everything to Jesus, even their own lives! It has been said that there are more martyrs for Jesus in this century than all other past centiries combined! These are the people who said like Paul, " For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain"(Phil 1:21). Even when they are persecuted, they remember the words of Jesus:
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven". (Matt 5: 11&12).
