Friday | Week 14

When looking into the biblical accounts of Jesus’ life, it is vital to try and gain a fresh perspective. From His miraculous birth in a feeding trough to His humiliating death on a criminal’s cross, over time the narratives can become so familiar that the spark isn’t always there.

Take the Gospel of John, chapter eighteen for example. Jesus was arrested, taken before the Jewish leaders, denied by one of his closest friends, and presented to the Roman governor, Pilate, for sentencing. The Jews saw an obvious violation leading to Jesus’ conviction to death. We know this to be the case.

Pilate, however, was not convinced. He seemed not to want to bother with this trial and told the Jewish leaders to deal with Jesus on their own. Their law, however, did not allow them to execute Jesus—their ultimate goal. After a brief conversation with Jesus, finding no wrong in Him, Pilate returned to the angry horde with a counteroffer.

Here’s where our usual focus will shift today.

Enter Barabbas: a notorious rebel, murderer, and all-around bad dude.

Pilate offered to release either Jesus, the healer, or Barabbas, the killer.

“Give us Barabbas!” the crowd shouted.

Of course, Jesus didn’t speak up.

Barabbas must have known these people hated him; but now they’re cheering for him. I imagine he entered the crowd with his chest puffed out, his fists raised victoriously, thinking he was something special.

Did Barabbas acknowledge Jesus for taking his place? Not a chance. Barabbas had no idea who Jesus was.

Did Jesus try and stop this outcome? No way. Jesus knew His purpose.

As Pastor Judah Smith put it,

“The Father would have to treat Jesus like Barabbas so He could treat Barabbas like Jesus. Barabbas thought it was the people who set him free. No, it was the love of a heavenly Father.”

Understand this: You and I are Barabbas in this story! We are the ones whose place Jesus took. He suffered for us, knowing we deserved it, and much like Barabbas, we may never acknowledge Him. Rather than walking around like we are something special, our response should be a life of gratitude and humble acknowledgment of the fact that our position as children of God wasn’t earned by anything we’ve done, but by God’s grace. Our relationships and the way we view ourselves should reflect this truth.