The greatest question of all

Almost 2000 years have passed since the question was put to the Jewish people by Pontius Pilate; ‘What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?’ It was a question which at that time brought a vociferous response from the crowd, for there were none gathered in Jerusalem who had not some opinion on Jesus Christ. Persuaded by the chief priests and scribes, the answer which came from the gathered mob that day was one of rejection, for they cried ‘Let him be crucified’. When given the choice of whom they would have Pilate release they chose Barabbas, a murderer, over the Son of God. For those in Israel 2000 years ago it was a question of great importance yet their answer was one that brought with it great and terrible consequences, for in rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ they rejected the long awaited Messiah and only begotten Son of God.

That very same question is equally important for us in 2013 as it was for the Jewish people to whom it was originally posed. Although there are many questions which are asked of us, this one stands out in importance far above all others. It is a question that of us must, and indeed will, answer one way or another. In evaluating the importance of that question we see that it is not a matter of life or death, but it is of even greater importance than that, for it is a matter of eternity, of ETERNAL life or ETERNAL death! The eternal destination of your soul depends on what you will do with Jesus Christ; accept Him as your Lord and Saviour or reject him and meet Him one day as your judge.

Of those today who answer that question in the negative, not all will be as blatant in their rejection as the Jews in Matthew 27. For some their rejection will be in the form of indifference, for others in the form of procrastination, for many it will be through disbelief in the claims of Christ. Whichever of these or other reasons may be employed in your defence, you must remember that ‘it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment’. No excuses will provide sufficient mitigation on that great day against the eternal wrath of a holy and just God. How important it is today that you give due diligence to this question and that your answer is the right one. Whilst hanging on the cross the two thieves on either side of the Saviour were each in the same predicament, they had the same opportunity, yet they did not make the same decision. One chose to accept Christ, the other to reject Him. Even in such a position as theirs, staring death in the face, one had failed to see the importance of that question, of what he would do with Christ. Have you yet seen the importance and urgency of this question: ‘What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?’