C. Barrabas apparently had no redeeming qualities.

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1 BARRABAS OR CHRIST? C. Barrabas apparently had no redeeming qualities. A. In a cool dark dungeon below the fortress of Antonia in Jerusalem there laid a condemned criminal. 1. He was not being held unjustly, or suffering heroically for a good cause. 1. His name was Barabbas, which means Son of the father (teacher; master). 2. He was a rebellious man who deserved the sentence of death for his crimes. 2. It was a common name in that time, but perhaps he really was the son of a Rabbi. 3. He was guilty! His sentence was a just one! 4. Society would be better off without him. B. Whatever his family connections, he was not a person with whom you would want to associate 1. Notorious prisoner (Matt 27:16). 2. Insurrectionist & murderer (Mk 15:7). 3. A robber (Jn 18:40). [But in that dungeon, he was totally unaware that he was about to be a tool in the hand of God.] I. THE OBVIOUS CHOICE (Matt 27:15-21; Mk 15:8) 1

2 Matt 27:15-26 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him." 20 But the chief priests & elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas & destroy Jesus. 21 The governor answered & said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" They said,"barabbas!" Mark 15:8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. A. Pilate s plan was to bring out the most dangerous criminal in his jail. 1. No one in their right mind would release this renegade back into society. 2. So he thought he had given them an obvious choice between the docile Jesus & the untamed Barrabas. B. Can you picture this scene in your mind, when Barabbus was finally brought out. 1. The Savior & a destroyer side by side; it was a humiliating experience for Jesus. Acts 8:32-33 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; & as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away [he was devriped of justice], & who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth (Isa 53:7-8). 2. The Eternal Creator compared to one of His creatures made foul by his unholy habits. 3. Nevertheless, Jesus allowed His majesty to be placed on the auction block for our sakes. John 10:17-18 Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, & I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father. 2

3 [Pilate was dealing with an irrational mob so emotionally charged with hate that they would not be sent away peacefully. So Pilate s fears won the battle of his mind battle, & the religious leaders stood by grinning with content.] II. THE WRONG CHOICE B. To reject Truth is to accept Untruth. 1. To reject righteousness is to accept unrighteousness. 2. To reject the connection between the remission of sins, salvation & baptism (Acts 2:38; 1 Pet 3:21), is to accept the doctrines & traditions of men that cannot save. A. Do you think this event would have turned out differently if the Jews could have seen the outcome of their choice? 3. Joshua did NOT say choose for yourselves this day IF you will serve, but WHOM you will serve (Josh 24:15) we are serving someone. 1. I m going to give someone s testimony in a few minutes to answer that question. Rom 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 2. It s one thing to say away with Jesus, & quite another to see what you get in His place. 4. The mob at Pilate s Hall embraced (sin) by choosing Barabbas & shunned (righteousness) by rejecting Christ. 3

4 5. In ignorant hostility they treated God s Son as God said they would. Isa 53:3 He is despised & rejected by men, a Man of sorrows & acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, & we did not esteem Him. John 1:11 He came to His own, & His own did not receive Him. [Never before had the Lord been treated with such contempt, & counted of so little value as He was that day.] B. These Jews received just what they asked for. 1. It wasn t good for them; it wasn t right; it wasn t wise. 2. But they persisted in achieving their desires & they were granted them. C. The cost of that choice was very high: III. THE WOEFUL OUTCOME OF WRONG CHOICES 1. Before the destruction of Jerusalem historians tell us that the streets were filled with thieves who killed & robbed at will. A. We don t usually understand all of the ramifications of our choices & wants. 1. Remember the old adage, Be careful about what you ask for, you just might get it. 2. God removed His hedge of protection from these people (Psa 18:1-3). 3. Josephus recorded that the Zealots invited Idumeans into Jerusalem to help their cause bodies littered streets after one night of plunder ( Wars of the Jews IV; Josephus 3). 4

5 I cannot but imagine that virtue itself groaned at these men s case, & lamented that she was so terribly conquered by wickedness. They fell upon the people as upon a flock of profane animals, & cut their throats, they were destroyed in whatsoever place they caught them. He summarizes, And I cannot but think that it was because God had doomed this city to destruction, as a polluted city. [Josephus was accurate in his judgment, but he was not able to see the true reason for the pillage & plunder of Jerusalem: God was responding to their choice of Barabbas over Christ. A. All choices have consequences, & some choices have greater consequences than others. B. The choices we make about God s commands will have either good or bad consequences, & understanding that is important to us. 1. The Devil will see to it that for every good choice we should make there is an alternative. As if God were saying, Since you choose robbers & murderers, then you shall have them. ] 2. Choices like that are not between good, better & best but between salvation & eternal ruin. Acts 2:23-24 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose & foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, & put to death; 24 whom God raised up Acts 3:14-15 But you denied the Holy One & the Just, & asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 & killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 3. Now if you think it s hard to choose wisely, just consider the price for choosing foolishly as in the case of the 1 st century Jews. Prov 13:15 Good understanding gains favor, but the way of the unfaithful is hard. 4:19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. IV. THE IMPORTANCE OF WISE CHOICES 5

6 C. Barabbas is chosen over Christ every time we follow our human judgments over the stated will of God. We choose Barabbas over Christ when we CLOSING A. The masses will always choose Barabbus over Christ, but we don t have to be a part of the mob. 1. Choose selfish pleasures over spiritual duty (Lk 15). 2. Prefer friendships is the world over fellowship with Christians (Rom 12:10). B. Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? How will you decide? 3. Fail to observe God s family values (Eph 5:22 6:4). 4. Forsake the assembly (Heb 10:25). 5. Place personal concerns over the kingdom of God (Phil 2:1-4; Matt 6:33). 6. Feel shame & fear for strictly following the words of Christ (Lk 9:26; Matt 7:13-14). 6