Jesus For Barabbas

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Today, we will focus our attention on Matthew Chapter 27.  First, we will read verses 15 through 23, and then we will skip down to verse twenty-six. If you have St. Matthew Chapter 27, say Amen. We will start at verse 15, and it reads: 15. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17. So when they had gathered, Pilate (the governor) said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18. For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21. The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22. Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23. And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!” Verse 26 reads, 26. Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

May God add a blessing to the reading, hearing, and the doers of the word. The title of this message called “Jesus for Barabbas.” Yes, Jesus for Barabbas! Today, we are going to discuss two of the characters are mentioned in the text, and those two characters are Jesus and Barabbas. Most of us know about Jesus. There is evidence throughout the entire Bible that tells us who Jesus is. In fact, Jesus is the reason we are all here today. David prophetically called him shepherd and Lord. Isaiah called the him the Prince Peace, the Everlasting Father, Wonderful Counsellor. Peter called Jesus the Christ and the Son of the living God. John was writing about Jesus when he declared that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The prophet Isaiah prophesied that He is God manifested in the flesh. But for the sake of the discussion at hand, the last thing I want to remind you about Jesus is that He was innocent. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, the Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus knew no sin. Jesus was an innocent man that was crucified in the place of Barabbas. This we know! We know that he was the precious and innocent Lamb of God This other person that we are talking about today is Barabbas. The book of Matthew only tells us that Barabbas was a notorious prisoner, but the book of Mark tells us more about Barabbas. St. Mark 15:7 says, “And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. This verse means that Barabbas started a fight against the Romans, and Barabbas also committed murder. There are some of you who know that I am a correctional worker, and I work in a prison. In the prison world, we would say that Barabbas incited a riot. Often times hardened criminals choose to commit murders in the middle of riots, and this is exactly what the Bible says Barabbas did. He started a riot, and in the midst of the riot he committed murder. The Book of Luke tells us the Barabbas was a robber. But when we refer back to the verse 26, It tells us that the governor Pilate released Barabbas from prison. And after they beat Jesus with a Roman scourge, they crucified Him. Now, How could this be?!! How could it be that an innocent Jesus could be murdered in the place of a murderer?!! Barabbas took life, and Jesus never killed any one during his time on earth. In fact, the Bible gives us several accounts of Jesus giving people life. The Bible teaches us that He was raising people from the dead, and still Jesus is the one that died instead of Barabbas. When I was younger, I could not understand why it was that the Jews killed Jesus. I was angry at what the Jews did to Jesus. I never could understand why they cried “Give us Barabbas, and crucify Jesus.” However, I continued to meditate on the word, God began to minister to me. And I heard a still voice ask me “Aren’t you glad it wasn’t Barabbas?” He said it again, “Aren’t you glad it wasn’t Barabbas?” And He began to impart forgiveness into my heart. God was imparting forgiveness into my heart for the Jews, and He was imparting forgiveness in my heart for Barabbas. That’s when the Lord began to remind me of the teachings of Jesus. Jesus in St. John 10:17-18, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”  This lets me know that the neither the Jews nor the Governor Pilate had the power to take life from Jesus. Jesus reminded me that He laid down his life in the place of sinful man. He reminded me that He gave His life!  No man could take His life, because He was there to give His life! So, we must understand that He gave His life in the place of Barabbas. Amen, This lesson taught me so much about forgiveness and humility. Firstly, I learned forgiveness, because the people in power were not really in control. They only had the appearance of being in control, but it was all the plan of God save men from the penalty of sin which is death. It is written, “All things work together for the good of them who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose.” I learned that the death of Jesus had to happen in order to save our souls from eternal damnation. Hebrews 9:22 lets us know that there can be no remission of sins without the shedding of blood. Jesus had to die, to save my soul. Secondly, I learned humility, because God began to show me that Barabbas was the symbolic representation of all sinful men including me. The Bible says in Romans 6:23, that “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Therefore, Barabbas deserved to die for the sins he committed. I was just like Barabbas, and I deserve to die for the sins that I have committed. Because the wages of sin is worthy of death. The last thing that humbled me about Barabbas was the meaning of his name. The name Barabbas is a Hebrew name. The name Barabbas means son of the Father or son of God. We must understand that Barabbas was a child of God who was lost in sin, and He needed Jesus. I was just like Barabbas, in that I am a child of God who was lost in sin. I was just like Barabbas, I needed Jesus to save my life. I needed Jesus to save my soul. I needed Jesus to connect me back to my Heavenly Father. May we all see that we were once Barabbas, and it was the love of Jesus Christ or Lord that saved us from eternal separation from our Heavenly Father Yahweh. Amen