“So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, set Barabbas free for them; and after having Jesus whipped, he handed [Him] over to be crucified.” Mark 15:15 ->me: Today I read Ecclesiastes 4:7-8 but ever since yesterday’s message from Pastor Steve, I have been consumed with Barabbas’ role in the mock trial of Jesus before His crucifixion. Barabbas was a troublemaker, a robber, and outright sinful person who probably didn’t give a second thought to a man named Jesus…until the day he was suddenly released without warning. My whole life I have understood the acceptance of Jesus as a gift to be received and not earned and the fact that as a sinless sacrifice He bore the weight and wrath of God for my sin. However, I really never thought of this process from the perspective of Barabbas. In a moment, Barabbas’ punishment was lifted by someone else, who was undeserving of the consequences – in this case Jesus…but! In order to attain spiritual freedom, Barabbas needed to acknowledge who Jesus is, the Son of God Who came to save the world from the penalty of sin. Will we see Barabbas in heaven? I hope so. We are just like Barabbas; Jesus has already come and traded Himself for us, but we still must accept Him for Who He is before the Father credits our sin to the Cross purifying our spirit. I can only hope that through the bewilderment of his release, Barabbas sought to understand Who this Jesus is and believe in what Christ came to do.
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