2 Corinthians 5:17, 21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
God made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
There is a legend that, following his release, Barabbas joined the crowd of people who followed Jesus to Golgotha. I find that easy to imagine – as Barabbas may have felt like he owed Jesus that much. I picture Barabbas hanging in the back of the crowd – trying to be as inconspicuous as possible – but still wanting to be there as the man who took his place was lifted up on a Roman cross.
I wonder what Barabbas would have felt and thought as he, if he, watched Jesus die in his place. Did he feel simple relief? Did he feel joy? Did he feel compassion? Did he feel pity? Did he feel guilty? Did he wonder how an innocent man could wind up on a cross while he, a guilty man, went free? Did he think about all the times he had watched the high priest offer the blood of a lamb as a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people? Is it possible that any or all of this could have swirled through his mind – either then or in the days that followed?
We’ll never know, of course, what Barabbas did or thought. I’d like to hope that, as the only person in human history who could say, literally, that “Jesus died in my place,” that Barabbas was spiritually reborn by his experience with Jesus. I’d like to imagine that Barabbas came to understand that Jesus was the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29)” I’d like to know that Barabbas became a believer in – and follower of – Jesus of Nazareth; and that for the rest of his life he never tired of telling the story of how Jesus took his place on the cross and bore the punishment that he deserved!
But, in the end, it doesn’t matter so much what Barabbas did with the story of Jesus, it matters what I do with Jesus. Do I know that he died in my place as well? Do I know that it was my cross, my sin, he carried to that hill? And, knowing all this, what have I done with my freedom?
How about you?
Brian Coffey
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2 comments:
I don't know what I'm doing with my freedom but I do know that jesus died for my sins and I thank him for that... I don't deserve it... just like Barabbas he didn't deserve it but that doesn't matter to jesus cause to him everyone deserves a second chance no matter what crime or whatever they did he forgave them and we as his followers need to take up his example.. and there is many ways we can be Christ like there really are and I will do my best to live up to his expectations... God bless you everyone and may your life be filled with joy!!
God bless you, too, Malachi! Your enthusiasm and gratefulness to God for your salvation are an inspiration to the older ones among us...keep living for Jesus! :)
Regarding Barabbas, I think he probably ran away, knowing human nature and what one mostly does when he dodges a bullet (get out of Dodge!). But I think he also heard about Jesus later, that this man who took his place on the middle cross ended up rising from the dead! Maybe Barabbas' guilt made him curious about Jesus, but then the news he heard was that JESUS is ALIVE again! and everything humans knew before that event would all be different now! HALLELUJAH for the cross, and for the Great Love of our Father for us!
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