But they all cried out together, "Away with this man, and release us Barabbas"- a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Luke 23:18-19
They cried for a man who deserved the chains, he deserved the beatings, and he deserved the cross. But no, they wanted him over Jesus who had done nothing but heal and restore and love. They wanted to see Jesus on that cross...they wanted a murder, a criminal over him. So, they release him and he walks down so high and mighty and never turns back to thank Jesus or to say the words "I owe it all to you. Because of you I can walk free now."
Jesus knew the will of the Father. He knew that he had to be on that cross for Barabbas. The love of the heavenly Father was also for Barabbas as it was for you and for me. When I think really hard about this story and the attitude of Barabbas, I can see myself in him. I walk away thinking that I've done it myself or this world has pulled me out. Jesus knows my heart, but he still chose to go anyway.
I am Barabbas.
I am filthy. I am bad. I am a mess. But he still says "I love you" over and over and over. He knew that I would walk away from Him but he still died. "For he died for me while I was still a sinner." There is no answer, no power within me that could save me. It was Jesus. Jesus he saved me.
In the words of Judah Smith on this passage, "How many times have I stood there on that platform with Pilate and Jesus and I am the Barabbas and they start to take my chains off and I say "NO NO, I deserve this. I deserve the guilt. I deserve the guilt, the shame. I deserve the consequence. I deserve it." Then Jesus seems to look at me and say "No son/daughter LET ME HAVE IT. Let me have your sin. Let me have your pain."
No matter how many times that we resist or try to run from Him, he is still going to be there and be begging for my sin. We can pretend that we don't need this, that we can handle it, but at some point we are going to have to realize that it isn't a coincidence. There is a God with a love so powerful, so vast, so deep, and so relentless. He wanted to take it all so that we are no longer bound to sin.
"It is still Jesus, it will always be Jesus. It'll never stop being the power of Jesus." -Judah Smith
So we can turn back now and look at Jesus on the post getting ready to be beaten and say "I owe it all to you. I was never going to set myself free. We can see love in His eyes as He lays down His life for us."
Jesus is enough.
