Daily Being Active Word November 26 Barabb-us Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested. And there was one named Barabbas… Mark 15:6-7 (NKJV) Destiny was in motion. Jesus was on His way to the cross, where His sinless life would be sacrificed so that sinner’s lives could be forgiven and saved. But first, Pilate had to give his consent, which He was hesitant to do. He’d been around long enough to know when someone was being framed, and it was painfully clear that this was the case with Jesus. So in an effort to set Jesus free, Pilate invoked the tradition of freeing a Jewish prisoner in honor of the Passover Feast. Pilate assumed the people would ask for Jesus to be released, but at the urging of the religious rulers, they cried out for a criminal named Barabbas to be freed instead. Mark’s gospel tells us Barabbas had led a rebellion against Rome and had actually committed murder (Mark 15:7). The point is that Barabbas was a very guilty man, and fully deserved the death sentence that was awaiting him. Yet he was set free, not because of any good on his part, but because Jesus suffered in his place. What happened to Barabbas is a striking illustration of what happens to those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We’re guilty of sin and condemned to be punished for it. We have no hope of escaping based on any merit or credit of our own. But here’s what happens according to God’s amazing grace: Jesus enters into the equation and assumes our place as a condemned sinner. He’s taken to the cross, and we’re released. He gets what we deserve, and we get what He deserves—freedom—freedom from the penalty and punishment of sin. Barabbas is truly a picture of us. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NKJV) Think About It… What does this passage reveal to me about God? What does this passage reveal to me about myself? Based on this, what changes do I need to make? What is my prayer for today?
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 00:53:33 +0000
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