Today's passage from the Bible In a Year Reading Plan is 1 Samuel 28-29, Luke 23:1-31
Luke:23:18-
With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”
Why did the choose Barabbas? That’s the big question & it’s so easy to think how horrible the crowd was for their choice. I’m confident to think that I would not have followed the crowd had I been there...or would I...
An article by Wes Feltner really hits home in that regard
Most people who are familiar with the events leading up to the cross are familiar with the crowd’s decision to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus. Per Roman tradition, and to keep the peace with the Jewish people, the Roman authorities would release a Jewish prisoner at Passover. On this occasion the people chose Barabbas. But, why? Posed to Christians today, that decision seems ridiculous. That’s until we understand why Barabbas was far more appealing than Jesus.
- Barabbas offered the freedom the people wanted. Barabbas was arrested because of an insurrection – a revolt against Rome (Mark 15:7).
- Barabbas offered the control the religious leaders wanted.
- Barabbas offered the comfort Pilate wanted. To Pilate, it was a lot less of a hassle to get rid of Jesus than to face the conflict of the crowd.
So why release Barabbas and send Jesus to the cross? Because human beings wanted personal freedom, control, and comfort instead of Jesus. And in that sense, we all choose Barabbas! You see, Barabbas is nothing more than an alternative to Jesus that promises us freedom (so I can live how I want), control (so I can run my life), and comfort (so I can do what makes me feel good). Only we don’t call them “Barabbas”; we call them money, power, relationships, sex, and a host of alternatives more appealing to us than Jesus. In that sense, we’ve ALL CHOSEN BARABBAS! And that’s why we all need to see that it was our sin that nailed Him there! It was our sin screaming, “Crucify Him!”
The fact of the matter is we all face that same decision every day. Do we yield to the Barabbases in our life or do we choose Christ? To make matters more interesting, the name “Barabbas” actually means Son (Bar) of the Father (abba). In other words, Barabbas is a counterfeit option to the real “Son of God.” Just like Barabbas represented a counterfeit Messiah to the crowd, religious leaders, and Pilate, so do the Barabbases in our daily lives. This is why we must “choose this day whom we will serve.”
Fortunately, at the cross, Jesus not only took the place of Barabbas, he took the place of all those who have chosen Barabbas, both then and now. The innocent took the place of the guilty. And that’s why the gospel is such great news!
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: 1 Chronicles 7-9, Luke 23:32-56
1 comment:
That was fascinating information, thanks for sharing that quote!
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