The whole country is in an uproar. Nothing but canvassing, placards, speeches! What excitement! What a great to-do! Soon it will be voting day, and then the excitement will reach its height. Meanwhile the cry is, "Who's to be the man?”
Strange to tell, that was just the cry in a certain great city many hundred years ago. It was voting day in Jerusalem. What! You say you did not know there was any voting day there? Oh, but there was. And what crowds, what excitement there was then! You could have numbered the people by the thousands—aye, by the tens of thousands.
It was election day; and there never had been a day like it before, nor has there been a day like it since. The governor of the city presided at the meeting, and took the vote of the people.
"Who," you ask, "are the candidates?”
Barabbas and Christ—Barabbas the murderer, as opposed to Christ Jesus the Lord, the Savior of lost sinners!
"Who's to be the man?" That was the all-important question. And it was soon to be settled.
"Who are you for?" said Pilate, the governor. "Are you for Christ?”
"No," they all cried out. The vote was unanimous. "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas.”
Their choice was made; their vote is recorded. They have elected Barabbas. They will not have Christ. They will have anybody rather than Him. They prefer Barabbas murderer though he be. Then what is to be done with Christ?
"Away with Him! Crucify Him!”
Thus Barabbas, "the people's choice," was set free. Christ, the rejected One, was led forth and nailed to a cross on Golgotha's hill. There He was lifted up between heaven and earth, as if unworthy of a place in either!
But God has not forgotten that terrible deed—the murder of His own Son. Ah, no. And there is a day coming when the world will have to stand before God, and answer His searching question: "What did you do with My Son?”
Jerusalem's governor must then say what he did with Christ. The Roman soldiers must answer to God. The whole multitude will have to give answer to God for their part in that day's election.
And you, reader, shall have to answer the question: "What have you done with Christ?”
"What?" you say. "Me? I was not there that day." Yes, reader, that question has come down to every individual since then, and today it is the very same one that Pilate asked: "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?”
Have you received Him, or have you rejected Him? Remember, that is the question God has in store for you. On the great day that is coming God will not ask, "Whom did you vote for in this election?" or "What party did you sympathize with?" or "Who was your favorite?" But He will' ask: "What have you done with My Son?”
You cannot say, "I'm neutral. I neither received Christ nor rejected Him." Pilate tried that, but failed. There is no middle ground. The question is: Christ or the world—Which?
And that is the question before you, reader.
Does the world think any more of Christ now than nearly 2000 years ago? Oh, no. Approach any group and say: "Let us have a little talk about Christ!" What will be your answer?
“Away with Him! We don't want to hear about Him. We'll talk of anything, anybody but Him.”
The vote of the world is still the same. God says: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God." But the world says, "No; we must see this election over first. Mr. So and-So is our man, and he must be elected." God says: "Christ is My Man, and He must have the preeminence.”
My reader, if you are yet not converted to God, don't tarry. Let others get excited about the elections or whatever they like; but as for you, make Christ your choice today. Then you can say: "He is my Man—The Man Christ Jesus for me.”
"My heart is fixed, eternal God—
Fixed on Thee;
And my eternal choice is made—
Christ for me.