I suppose you all know the true story of how Jesus was crucified, or at least the basic facts of this event, but do you remember another man mentioned in the Gospels who was also there?A man who was to be crucified for his crimes that day, but who was saved from death at the last minute?His name was Barabbas.
6 On the occasion of the feast [of the passover] [custom of Pontius Pilate], they freed a prisoner who was asked by [the Jewish people] 7, and there was a man named Barabbas, arrested along with other rebels who had committed murder 8 The multitude came and began to ask what they were doing. 9 Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to deliver them from the king of the Jews?”[i. e. , Jesus] 10 For he knew that the chief priests had given Jesus out of envy. 11 But the chief priests provoked the multitude to ask him to deliver Barabbas. 12 Pilate asked them again, “What shall I do with what do you call king of the Jews?”13 They cried again, “Cross him!14 Pilate said unto them, What evil hath he done?However, they shouted even more: Crucify him!15 Then Pilate, wanting to please the multitude, let Barabbas go; and after he had struck Jesus, he gave him up to be crucified (Mark 15:6-15, A21).
- On the day Jesus was crucified.
- It was an annual custom for the Roman governor of Judea to release a Jewish prisoner as a political favor to the Jews.
- Pilate had legally examined Jesus and had found no reproach for him.
- Pilate also knew that Jewish religious Leaders were jealous of all the cheers Jesus received from the people.
- And therefore his conspiracy to kill him was unjust.
- Pilate wanted to free Jesus if he wasn’t too politically expensive.
You see, there was political pressure for Pilate to crucify Jesus as the priests wanted. They could make things difficult for Pilate if they didn’t like it. That’s when Pilate saw an opportunity. The multitude of Jews had a better opinion of Jesus than priests, and Pilate knew it. He was able to ask the crowd to release Jesus, his religious celebrity, known as the “King of the Jews. “blame the multitude for choosing to deliver Jesus.
On death row there was a notorious prisoner, his name was Barabbas, and no one liked him. He was a violent man, a public threat and rather despicable. Because Jewish leaders had returned all their fury against Jesus that day, they did not care who would be released. We read in this biblical passage that they persuaded the multitude to seek mercy for Barabbas instead of Jesus. Pilate knew it was totally unfair, so he protested directly in front of them. “What crime did Jesus commit? But the multitude had been provoked by Jesus’ enemies, and all they said in response was “Crucophysical, crucipher it. And, true to the disappointing norm of many politicians, Pilate gave in to public pressure rather than up to the principles and doing the right thing. He let Barabbas go and turned to Jesus.
Either of these two men could have been freed, Jesus or Barabbas, but not both, Jesus was innocent and did not deserve to be crucified, he was to blame and deserved the crucifixion, when Jesus died in place of Barabbas, it meant permission to live by Barabbas. Compared to Barabbas, Jesus’ death was a substitute, one instead of the other.
My friends, this is a beautiful illustration of the spiritual meaning of Jesus Christ’s death to his people. All those who will see their sins forgiven and go to heaven have already been chosen for eternity by God. He always knew who he’d save, and that he’d let him die in hell. And, by the elelected, God sent Jesus, his only Son, to die in his place, even if they deserved to die as much as the other sinners. people chosen forever from the punishment of their sins. Because Jesus died to save them, He also gives them the gift of saving faith to believe in him by the grace of God.
I don’t expect you to believe it just because I said it. The Holy Word of God teaches this in the Bible. For example, she says: “For Christ also died only once for sins, the righteous for the unjust, to bring us to God; dead in the flesh, but envified by the Spirit?(1 Peter 3:18). ? The fair of the unjust?the Righteous, Jesus, for the unjust?all sinners who would become true Christians by faith in Christ.
Some of you are probably not Christians. You may not feel guilty about your sins or worry about life after death, but you must. Some of you may feel very guilty and worried. Well, I have some good news for you. Jesus Christ died on the cross two thousand years ago on a mountain on the outskirts of Jerusalem. This is the most important event that has occurred in the history of mankind, because it was the realization of God’s plan to save his chosen people from eternal ruin. That day really freed millions and millions of sinners, people morally similar to Barabbas?rebellious, guilty, and detestable in God’s eyes, God loved them so much that He gave up his only Son on the cross, with all his sufferings, pains, horrors, and death, so that he who believes in Christ may not be lost, but has eternal life.
I know you’ve probably heard all your life that Jesus died for everyone in the world without exception. Well, that’s not true. He died as a substitute sacrifice to pay for the sins of some God-chosen people, so that they may be permanently saved How do you know if you are one of them?If you believe in Christ, trusting in Him only to save you, then you can know, if you consider yourself a horrible sinner like Barabbas, and if you trust in Christ as your Savior, who died in your place for your salvation. , then you can rejoice with all Christians because God loves you and one day he will take you to heaven, I encourage you to believe in Jesus today, while you have the opportunity, this Barabbas already had it, and I would like to see many more. saved from destruction by my Savior Jesus, Amen.