What Shall We Do, Then, with Jesus?

March 26, 2017 / Fred Guldberg

Of all the trials that make headlines, in my lifetime, the case of Orenthal James Simpson vs. The People of California is the one I remember. The trial itself lasted eleven months! The build up to the trial and the aftermath, including the subsequent civil trial dragged on and on. It never seemed to end.

It is the season of Lent and if you are in a Christian church that follows the church year the chances are good that you have spent sometime walking through the passion accounts. If all of those Gospel accounts are taken together Jesus was on trial for a long time. First there was the drama with Peter. Then Jesus is forced to stand before the “godfather” Annas. Then he finally has a trial before the High Priest. The only charge that sticks is the one on Jesus being God. On to Pilate who doesn’t want anything to do with Jesus. Jesus goes to Herod and then back to Pilate. Finally Pilate washes his hands – well, sort of. If you recall it was Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus.

That trial was long and drawn out, but what makes it so striking is that it is still going on today. We ask the question on a daily basis, “What shall we do, then, with Jesus?” The question gets asked when we’re going out on a Friday night with our friends. Should we leave Jesus home? Would he be happy to go along with us to our entertainment destination? When we look at our budget, we have to ask the question, “What shall we do, then, with Jesus?” Does Jesus have a determining factor in how we spend our money? This question can be applied to almost every area of life.

Want to hear more answers to this week’s Cross Examination question? Would you like to see how the punishment should fit the crime? Watch this week’s sermon – “What shall we do, then, with Jesus?”