I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 4th of March, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We start in the Book of Matthew 27:2: 

“…they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.”  

I think it has gone down in history that no man has made a worse choice than Pontius Pilate when he agreed to allow Jesus Christ, our beloved Saviour, to be murdered. If you look at verse 19 of the same chapter, you will see that his wife said, 

“Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.” 

He still did not listen to his wife. I want to say to a lot of men listening to this programme today, you must listen to the godly counsel of your wife. She has got your back more than anyone else. But you see, because of peer pressure, Pontius Pilate buckled badly. It says in verse 21: 

“The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” 

He even offered up Barabbus, hoping that the crowd would go and allow Jesus to be released because He was innocent, He had never hurt anybody, He never did anything wrong - and take the murderer, Barabbus and get him crucified, but no, no - they didn’t want it. They wanted Jesus to be crucified. 

“Let Him be crucified!” 

“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
Matthew 27:23-24

What a terrible thing to do. He compromised, he backed off because of the crowd. He knew that Jesus was innocent. I believe that privately, he liked Jesus, if not loved Jesus. Still, because of the crowd and the pressure and because he didn’t have any soldiers at his disposal, he was worried about a complete revolution breaking out.  

Folks, one of the saddest scriptures is written in Revelation 3:16. 

“So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”  

Jesus said that. Many years ago, I was invited to Durban to an interfaith meeting. I was not aware of that. I was told it would be televised live. I arrived at the open-air stadium, and there was a huge platform up there, and I could not believe my eyes. I got onto the platform. I was seated next to many, many leaders of many faiths. There were witchdoctors that were dancing in front of the platform and people were worshipping animals and all kinds of things. I sat there spellbound. What must I do? I felt the Lord say, “Leave this place immediately.”  

I want to say to you my dear friend, I got up and I walked out, off that platform, down the steps, through the crowd, into my car and drove straight home. It was the best thing I ever did. Do not compromise your stand for Christ. It could cost you your life.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.