Love Jesus 13

THE FIRE SERMON
Dwight Lyman Moody
(1837-1899)

Did you ever notice that God makes all His enemies testify that Jesus is the Son of God? The centurion who had charge of His execution smote
his breast and said: “Certainly this was a righteous man.” And Judas, after having betrayed the Son of
God, said: “I have betrayed innocent blood.” And Pilate had to testify that he could find no fault in Him.

I do not believe that ever in the history of the world was there a more unjust judgment given than that of Pilate on Jesus Christ. After examination he declared, “I find no fault in this man,” and in the same breath he said, “I will chastise Him.”

I do not believe that there is a child here today that has not a better knowledge of Christ than Pilate had. We have had more than eighteen
hundred years of gospel proclamation in this dark world and have seen the fruits of Christianity as Pilate never did. He never had seen Christ in His glorified state. The only time he saw Him was in His humiliation, despised and rejected of men. The chief men that followed Christ were men of no account, men of no power, of no title, of no influence, of no position or culture. There was no crown on His brow except the crown of thorns, no scepter in His hand except the reed placed there in derision and mockery.
But we have seen Christ glorified, and we see Him today by the throne of God. We have far more light than Pilate had, and yet Pilate had his day; and believe every man and woman have their day of opportunity. That was Pilate’s day. The Son of God
crossed his path that day, and he was exalted to Heaven with privilege. It was a glorious privilege that he had. If he had decided according to his own conscience, even according to his own deceitful heart, and had been influenced by his wife, Pilate
might have been immortal. He might have had his name associated with that of Joseph of Arimathea, with the twelve disciples of the Lamb, and with
those foremost to herald the name of Jesus, if he had only acted according to his conscience. But there was another influence about him. The world came in; political preferment came in; the Roman government came in, and he wanted to win the
favor of the Caesars. There you see that weak, vacillating man in the balance, wavering. Hear his
decision: “I find no fault in him.”

Full sermon here:

https://www.moodypublishers.com/mpimages/Marketing/WEB%20Resources/ProductExcerpts/9780802491671-TOC-CH1.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOoqHpDz6rZZsqH5M_RYNDA0JY_bBrAhbDE1oqjTuDo4ICPhcSdFHhttps://www.moodypublishers.com/mpimages/Marketing/WEB%20Resources/ProductExcerpts/9780802491671-TOC-CH1.pdf?srsltid=AfmBOoqHpDz6rZZsqH5M_RYNDA0JY_bBrAhbDE1oqjTuDo4ICPhcSdFH