Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ

Matthew 27:15-31 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” ²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. ²¹ But the governor ^[c]said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” ²² Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” ²³ And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to thatyourselves.” ²⁵ And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. ²⁸ They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. ²⁹ And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. ³¹ After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

Today’s text says:  Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!” And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”     It always amazed me and seemed unbelievable that the people would prefer a criminal, a notorious prisoner over Jesus, who had done many miracles and great deeds among them. Yet today, if people were given the same choice, many would choose Barabas. Very often our society today glorifies criminals and notorious prisoners and villifies, mocks and persecutes those who follow Christ. Who would the mainstream media choose today, Jesus or Barabbas? Who would the entertainment industry choose? If the same question were asked in congress, who would the majority choose, Jesus or Barabbas? People today protest and call for criminals to be released from prison and for young men wearing red hats to be killed.

In John 15:18-25, even before they called for Him to be crucified, Jesus said:  “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well.But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’”   We should not be surprised then that the world would choose Barabbas. It should not matter to believers that they are rejected by the world because they have been chosen by God. The world may despise, mock and call Christians all sorts of names, but God calls us beloved child.

Today’s text says:  Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him.  They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.  When Jesus was arrested, He said: “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?” (Matthew 26:52-53) They may have knelt before Jesus bowing in mockery, but as it says in Romans 14:11:  For it is written, "AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."   It is written in Isaiah 45:23. Philippians 2:10-11 says:  At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Jesus did not resist His arrest. He did not strike back at those who mocked Him or even those who crucified Him. Instead, on the cross, He said: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)  We too, like Jesus are called by Him, as He says in Matthew 5:44-45:  “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”  

They may mock, ridicule and persecute now, but in Psalm 37:12-13, the psalmist says:  The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming. That day is described in Revelation 19:11-16 which says:  I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”   

Each one must choose, Barabbas or Jesus. Joshua 24:14-15 says:  “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”    Amen.  I choose Christ. I bow to Him alone. The world may choose Barabbas, the world may mock, persecute and kill me but I choose Jesus because He chose me.  Amen.