The Ultimate Question:
“What shall I do then with Jesus
which is called Christ?”
(Mat. 27:22)
Consider carefully and decide;
Your answer determines where you spend eternity!
Being the highest example of virtue, power and love, and giving Himself as a ransom for our sins, multitudes have had their hearts and lives transformed by Him. But just who was this Jesus, and where did He come from and why did He come? For the answer to that question we must start in the Jewish Scriptures (the Old Testament).
Approximately 750 years before Christ's birth, the prophet Micah prophesied: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (5:2).
Though Bethlehem was so obscure a town that until relatively recently archaeologists had yet to discover solid tangible evidence of its existence, it was here that the future King of Israel was to be born. [Many prophecies are given concerning Israel itself, such as Jerusalem becoming “a burdensome stone for all people” - Zech. 12:3.]
It was in Bethlehem (Mat. 2:1, 6) that Jesus that was born of a virgin, as prophesied in Isaiah 7:14. The prophet Isaiah also wrote that He would be called “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Is. 9:6). Being “God manifest in the flesh” (2Tim. 3:16), Christ was also properly called, “Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Mat. 1:23).
Early on “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” in preparation for His public ministry. After being anointed by God “with the Holy Ghost and with power“ Jesus “went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).
Traveling throughout the cities and towns of Israel, Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom of God and healed all who came to Him. But though He had done so many “wonderful things” (Mat. 21:15), not all the people were pleased, namely the many proud religious leaders who loved the esteem and privilege their office afforded them. It was they who conspired to put Him to death, using an ignoble multitude.
Yet again, all this and what was to follow was a fulfillment of that which was foretold in the Scriptures hundreds of years previous: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 3:3-6).
And thus it was that Christ, who “did no sin” (1Pet. 2:22), stood before the chief priests and “by wicked hands” was “crucified and slain” (Mat. 27; Acts 2:23). The envious chief priests thought they had won; it seemed the devil was victorious; but the LORD had not only predicted the death of His Son, but also His resurrection: “For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:10, 11). ”For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened [resurrected alive] by the Spirit” (1 Pet 3:18).
Rather than being defeated by death, the Lord Jesus Christ defeated death, rising from from the dead to Glory! It is He who now reigns in Heaven as your present Savior or future Judge (1Pet. 2:22; Acts 10:42).
Your Ultimate Decision
Dear lost soul, the question Pilate asked the multitude during Christ's trial, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?, is now asked of you. Their response was “Let him be crucified” (Mat. 27:22). What you do now in this life with Christ, the Son of the Living God, reveals what you truly love and determines where you will spend eternity - rejoicing in the Heavenly City or suffering in the Lake of Fire! “Everlasting life,” or “shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 12:2) awaits you. On Judgment Day (Rev. 20:11-15), if your name is not written in the Lamb's book of Life you cannot enter Heaven. The promise of Eternal Damnation is just as real as the promise of Eternal Life. Those who judge Jesus worthy of rejection now will one day face rejection by Him, while those who truly received Him shall be received by Him. (John 1:12; 3:36).
“All have sinned” (Rm. 3:23) and all who have sinned need salvation. Honestly ask yourself if you have always loved God with all you have and your neighbor as yourself (the two greatest command-ments - cf. Mat. 22:36-40). How many of just the 10 commandments have you broken? How often? All your sins, both of heart and body, are exposed before God.
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Good deeds or religious membership will not merit Heaven for you, nor keep you from Hell. Trusting in Buddha, Mary, Muhammad, the Pope, etc., will not save you. Only Jesus was sinless and only His precious blood paid for your sins.
Only when God the Father sees that you really want His Son (more than sin) and trust directly in Him to save you, then He will grant you His forgiveness and give you His Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on ME hath everlasting life.” The Bible message is “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (John 6:47; Act 20:21; Mk.1:15).
My pray is that you will humble yourself as a sinner in God's sight, and ask the Lord Jesus to save you - while you can.
If you truly want the Lord Jesus, you may ask Him to save you after this manner:
Dear Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner. I want to be saved from my sins and live for you. I know I cannot save myself, but I do believe that you died for me and that God raised you from the dead. And I believe that you can save me as you promised. So please take away my sins and take over my life, which I give to you.
Thank you Lord Jesus, for saving those who trust in You. Amen
This decision is shown by being baptized under water in identification with the Lord Jesus, and then following Him with a Bible-believing and preaching church (see Acts 2:41-47; 8:4).
Every soul that truly trusts the Lord Jesus is born spiritually (“born again” - John 3:3). and will know that they are forgiven and Heaven bound. They will have a new - found desire to serve Him, and a special love for other believers and will want others to know Him. They will also suffer persecution for following Jesus and doing right; but Jesus is worth it! Only He could promise, “lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Praise the Lord!
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