BARABBAS

BARABBAS

Good Friday – March 29, 2013

Pastor Carolyn Sissom

Mt. 15:7:  “”There was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him who had committed murder in the insurrection.”

John 18:40:  “They all cried again, saying, Not this man (Jesus), but Barabbas. Barabbas was a robber.”

Mar. 15:15:  “Pilate willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.”

Barabbas sits guilty in a jail cell in Jerusalem staring at the four walls and Golgotha hill. He knows he will be crucified by noon, dead by sundown.  Because of his crimes, it will be death nailed to a cross. 

Outside his cell in the Antonia Fortress, is a small gathering of men: Pilate, Jesus, and the Jewish religious leaders.  Pilate speaks,

Luke 23: 14-19:  “You brought me this man(Jesus)  as one who was inciting the people to rebellion.  I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.  Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.  Therefore I will punish him and then release him.”  With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man!  Release Barabbas to us!” (NIV) 

The Grace of the Cross just released Barabbas. He is unworthy, defiant, violent, a thief, and murderer.  Pilate didn’t have the desire to show this grace to Barabbas.  This grace came to this undeserving sinner unwittingly as His Savior took his place.

We as Christians are not very sympathetic toward Barabbas.  After all, Jesus was innocent and knew no sin. Barabbas was guilty.   Pilate confirms it.

However, we have no more righteousness in our defense than Barabbas. We are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1`).  We are “lost” (Luke 19:10), doomed to “perish” (John 3:16), under “the wrath of God” (John 3:36), “blinded” (2 Cor. 4: 3-40 and “strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world”.  Our best is only filthy rags before a Holy God.  There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Rom 3: 10-12) NIV.

Just call us Barabbas. 

“You’re free to go.  They took Jesus instead of you.”

The guard opens the door and we see the light of the morning sun, our chains are gone.  We have been set free, sins forgiven, crimes pardoned….

Christ took away my sins and remembers them no more.  God declares me not guilty.

We are not told what Barabbas did when he learned an innocent man died in his place.  I want to believe he stood at the foot of the Cross humbled, thankful and weeping that unmerited Grace set him free.

I pray the story of Barabbas will touch every heart whether you have received God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life or whether you don’t know that Christ died in your place,  I pray that all the Barabbas’ of the world will receive Christ and say thank you this Good Friday, the day our Lord chose to die for me and set me free from my dungeon of fear, shame and death.

Pastor Carolyn Sissom

Eastgate Ministries, Inc.

Scripture from KJV and NIV