What Think Ye Of Christ?

Introduction

You need to consider yourself in the juror's box. You need to be the only member of the jury. Jesus Christ is seated here. One by one the witnesses will come to the witness stand first, the witnesses for the prosecution, and then the witnesses for the defense. With open minds make your decision based on the evidence and testimony of those witnesses. Jesus Christ asked them a question that spoke to His Divinity and His Deity. Consequently, He is His Lordship and His right to be God and to be Master and Controller and Ruler of their lives and ours. This is the most important question. What you believe about Jesus Christ is going to completely determine what you do with Jesus Christ. He deserves to be Christ and Master of your life. It's not what you think of a particular doctrine. You are not going to hell or heaven depending on whether you believe once saved always saved or once saved and lose your salvation or pre-destinarianism. That is not going to determine a thing.

No man ever taught as Jesus taught. He confounded the scribes and the authorities. The Pharisees were bewildered. No man ever preached like Jesus preached. The little children understood him and loved him so. And yet the philosophers of religion and the doctors of the law were confounded by what he said. As a person he never asked anybody's advice. He never admitted to an error. He never made a mistake. He never changed his mind. As a physician he never preached a funeral sermon. For when he attended funerals the dead came forth. He never lost a case. As a mighty prophet, and as the great foreteller of events, as priest pleading his own blood at this moment for those who love and trust him at the right hand of the Father. As King and Messiah and soon coming Savior to be ruler of this world. He came the first to die here and he's coming the second time to dictate. He came the first time to be resident he's coming the second time to be president.

The question is the deity of Jesus. Is he God incarnate, or is he an imposter? What think ye of Christ? Who said this? Was it simple Mary's', Joseph's, illegitimate, the son of a roman soldier or the Son of God? It is a question that we have the right to ask, because if he is an imposter then we have every reason and right in the world to hold him in utter content. But he said: "before Abraham was I am". He did not say I was. That would denote past tense, which suggest dimensions of time and space. But he is the Lord of time and space and transcends time and space so he isn't was and will be, he will always be "Am." And He said that I am the Way and the Truth, I am the Father of One.

David has seen Me has seen the Father. If any man enters any other way he is a thief and a robber. I am the door. I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. Jesus Christ claimed everything. I claim and stake everything on him. But I have the right to know whether he is what he claims to be.

What you know about Jesus demands certain responsibilities. If he is nothing, if he is just another preacher then there is no use to follow him. But if he is the eternal, anointed, resurrected, living Christ. Then we must listen to his claims and obey him and make him Lord of our lives. You need to consider yourself in the juror's box. You need to be the only member of the jury. Jesus Christ is seated here. One by one the witnesses will come to the witness stand first, the witnesses for the prosecution, and then the witnesses for the defense. With open minds make your decision based on the evidence and testimony of those witnesses. But, remember, what you decide about Jesus, has some strings attached. And bears with it lifelong commitments to what you say you believe about him.

I. Call Pilate To The Witness Stand

The Romans were the greatest judicators ever lived. Upon their legal system is built the entire court system of the United States. We are going to bring the witness for the prosecution, the enemies of Jesus Christ. Call Pilate to the stand! Pilate, you are not a Jew. In fact you have contentment for these people, as Roman procreator, the authority of the emperor. You are placed here by Caesura to govern this rousing crowd of renegades who took allegiance to another kingdom. Recently in your community you, as the highest official of the land, empowered by all the judiciary forces of the

Roman Empire held a trail for Jesus Christ. You investigated him fairly. You examined all of the evidence. And how did you find Jesus Christ? Pilate answered: I find no fault in Jesus Christ. After all said and done the only charge that the Jews nailed him on and brought before my court was he eats with publicans and sinners. There is no crime in that. In fact, in my opinion, there is great honor.

Thank you Pilate, you are dismissed.

II. Call Pilate's Wife To The Witness Stand

Call the next witness! Pilate's wife enters the room. Mrs. Pilate, recently in this community there were certain events. The night before the trial you, a very religious woman, gave testimony that an angel appeared unto you and God troubled you and the Lord stirred your heart and spoke to you. Is it not true that you reported the incidents of that heavenly experience to your husband? It is. What was it that seemed to trouble you? What did those angelical voices say to you, which you whispered into the ear of your husband as they called you from the courtroom? And he came back to give his testimony of not guilty. Sir, as loudly and clearly as the voice of many waters something troubled my soul. I could not sleep. Caused me to pace up and down in the bedroom all through the night and said: Have nothing to do, Pilate, with this just man. Would you repeat that for the jury? Have nothing to do with this just man. And so it is your testimony, is it? That he is just perfect and righteous pure innocence and free from all fault? It is my testimony indeed. Let the record stand. Thank you. You are dismissed.

III. Call Herod To The Witness Stand

Call Herod. For Jesus Christ, as you know, tried in a trial that was erroneous in over fifty points of the Roman law. For example, there was a trial by night. Against the law! There was a trial without benefit of defense attorney. Tried not once, not twice but three times on the same charge, first to Pilate, second to Herod and back to Pilate. And Herod, what was your testimony? Send him back to Pilate. I find no fault in him. Then Pilate, we call you again to the stand. What is the verdict that will forever stand in the annuals of Roman history to this day that you find in the third trial of Jesus? It is the same, sir. Again, I say again. I find no fault in Jesus. But did you not have the power to try him and condemn him to death or to release him into life? I did sir. And you stand before this court and tell us that you found him to be innocent? I did. Then why did you condemn him to death? I see Pilate begin to tremble. His face turns ashen. The palms of his hands begin to sweat. Because the crowd, sir, began to whisper and to jeer and to taunt: if you release him you are not Caesar's friend. You will never be promoted. You will never get out of Galilee. You will be down here with these Jews all of your life. You will never be the number two in the empire. Is that not it, sir? "Yes! Yes! Do not say it again, for I cannot stand to hear it again." You are dismissed. Let the record read that criminal, cowardly Pilate has said: "I submitted for my own personal advancement to the pressures of the crowd. But I found no fault in Jesus."

IV. Call Judas To The Witness Stand

Call Judas. Pilate did not know him well, though he tried him carefully. Herod saw him a few minutes before. But you, Judas of Iscariot, the same village that Sir Han came from, lived with him. You heard those beautiful sermons. You saw him touch the eyes of little children and heal them. You were there, were you not, when he called Thomas from the grave? I was. Tell us sir, what is it that you are reputed to have said the night that you threw down the thirty pieces of silver at the feet of the Pharisees and hanged yourself? Say it for us all. We are waiting to hear! I said sir I have betrayed innocent blood! The ladies and gentlemen of the jury wish to hear once more sir. I have betrayed innocent blood. I don't believe that is right. We have accounts. We've heard the testimony. Say it once again, sir. I have betrayed the innocent blood. Not just any blood. The long prophesized, the long predicted awaited blood of the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world! You are dismissed.

V. Call The Centurion To The Witness Stand

Call the Centurion to the stand. Mr. Centurion you are a leader of a century. I am. Will you tell the ladies and gentlemen of this court preciously what is the nature of your particular field of service in the Roman Army. I am in charge of the executions. A paid professional trained man to carry out the law and the sins of death for the Roman Empire. Will you tell this court about how many men have you been responsible for being innocent of the Roman Empire to execute? Approximately 60-165 men. It is reputed sir by many witnesses that you said something when Jesus Christ died and I want you to tell the court what it was. There was a different kind execution. You see, I have been responsible for being in attendance and carrying out the execution orders and signing the death certificate. These scores of men and they always screamed and how they blaspheme the tormentors and swear and cuss. But somehow there was love, the soft gentle breezes began to turn as he said: Father forgive them they know not what they do.

When Jesus died, the skies blackened and the bowls of the earth began to rumble and I was embarrassed before my own men. I, a professional killer! I began to weep. I began to tremble. I was scared! Jesus said: It is finished! Blood trickled down the course of his body and fell from his heel and fell on the grass and said it is finished. And the grass kissed the dust and said it is finished. And the dust said to the trees, it is finished. It seemed on that blackened night, like no other night that I have ever experienced, that down the very corridors of heaven they seem to reverberate to ends of eternity -It is finished!!! I am not ashamed before my troops and this faithful jury that I fell on my knees. Yes! I did say it. Surely, this man was the Son of God! Thank you for your testimony Mr.

Centurion. You are dismissed.

VI. Call The Legions Of Demons To The Witness Stand

Call the next witness. With screeching horror, as the air is besmirched and befouled with the very stench and presences of hell for we are calling to the witness stand, having noted that every creature, every man on earth who had anything to do with the death of Jesus. But we have other witnesses, ladies and gentlemen, who are not of this world. Who are not even men! We call them from the ends of hell. We call the legends of demons; we cannot stand your presences for very long sirs. We will give you but 15 seconds the words that are reputed that you have said in the presence of this lowly Nazarene carpenter. Say them again and be gone! What have we to do with thee?

Though, Son of the Most High God has thou come to torment us before our time. Thank you. You are dismissed. Those words by the devils of hell are forever inscribed in eternal holy rent. Son of the Most High God, for they knew him before they were fallen angles in heaven and know all too well that they are subscribed and servant to His Lordship and authority.

VII. Call Mary To The Witness Stand

Witnesses for the Defense: Mary come and tell us who He is. It is recorded in Luke, He is my Lord and my Savior. You too, Mary are a sinner also and yet you give testimony that it was His saving blood that covered your sins. Yes! Why was it on that night of infamy, when you stood by and watched your own son be murdered, you did nothing? Why did you not, knowing that He was being crucified because He said He was Divine. Why did you not knowing that He wasn't Divine, that He was just a physical man. Why did you not step forth and say that and save Him from the cross? I could not, because He was born of miraculous birth. If He was not divine, who could have saved Him from the cross? Thank you Mary.

VIII. Call John The Baptist To The Witness Stand

Send in his forerunner. The earth seems to tremble as a rugged prophet of God with whiskers and long hair, with ruddy face, clothed in camel skins comes in with fire in his eyes. As though he would like to turn to the whole lot of us and say "Repent! For the kingdom of God is at hand!" John the Baptist, you were His forerunner, His first cousin and you played together as children. You knew Him best of all. If ever He made a mistake, you would know. For 400 years the voice of God had been silent. There had been no prophet on earth. Then all of a sudden this Christ had broken on the scene. Tell us, what were your first public words about Jesus? I said to the crowd that was still with an autumn hush: "There He is! Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Thank you John.

IX. Call John The Apostle To The Witness Stand

Call John the Apostle of the New Testament. You studied philosophy, you knew the law and you knew how to ask and reason and you gave your life to writing some books about Jesus. Give us your testimony. You have read my work. We call the Gospel of John. I begin talking about Him by calling him the Word. LOGOS that means the mind of God made tangible the spoken reality of God in human form. You have read of my other writings, I, II, and III John, and my shorter apostils. What about my revelations or my testimony of Tim in his exalted glory when He comes as King and ruler on a white horse in clear word! Over angels, death, hell, sin, grave and the earth and all things are subject to Him. My testimony of Him is that He who is and was and is to come the Christ. He is Jesus Christ the carpenter of Galilee. Thank you, John.

X. Call Paul To The Witness Stand

Call Saul of Taurus. It says you are a Pharisee of the Pharisees, lord of the tribe of Benjamin. You persecuted the Christians! How did you turn from persecuting the Christians to becoming one? My troops and I were going down the Damascus road and had Christians cornered up and we were waiting to jail them. In a moment a blinding light at noonday that struck me from my horse and I heard the very voice of God. He said: "Saul, my persecuted me? I am Jesus whom you persecute." The first three days in these streets I could not speak there was where Jesus became so real that I began to write. Thank you.

Call in Simon Peter. Peter, how is it that on a given night you denied this man? I did say that but when he came over and said that I love you any way. In that moment I knew that he was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. It is my testimony that he is Lord and God and Christ. Thank you Peter, call the thief that was nailed to the cross.

What words did you say about Jesus in his death? He had nothing to gain and had nothing to lose by telling the truth. I believed in him because I repented. I changed my mind. I asked him to remember me when he came into his kingdom and he said that I would be with him in paradise today. What is your testimony? This is an innocent man. He has done nothing wrong and he is worthy to be my Lord and I receive him as Lord and Savior.

Now ladies and gentlemen of the jury as we call our last witness to the stand, the Father Himself that we should stand in honor of his presence. Father, are embarrassed to ask you to be here today, but will you tell us again what the records states what you said when Jesus was baptized and when he came out of the water and the Spirit of the Lord descended on him. "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Subsequent to this experience there was a transfiguration when he was illuminated and glorified in the presence of some of his followers and you spoke a second time to earth about him. What did you say? "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye Him!" Then his being your Son, the Christ, it follows that it is required that if we believe that, that we must hear Him and obey Him. Then we must do what we believe. Thank you Father.

Conclusion

Jesus Christ is on trial in every heart. What Think Ye of Christ? Whose Son is He? Bring in the verdict of the ages. You bind yourself to the obedience and commitment to Him if He is who He says He is. We are going to vote. Your vote is your decision. Is He worthless, a fraud, and an imposter, or is He Worthy? The Worthy Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? If you vote for Christ, I ask that you come to the front.