Our prayer is that for those of you who don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus Christ, that before you leave this place today, you may be compelled to put your trust in Him and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth;
Opening
There is a common trait that we all share. Whether we want to admit it or not, this trait manifests itself regularly in all of our lives. It is the trait called being guilty. Yes my brothers and sisters we all at some point in time have been guilty of something. This is the point in the service already where somebody says, “I don’t know what he’s talking about because I have not been prosecuted, locked up, or accused of anything so therefore I have not done anything wrong, hence I am not nor ever been guilty. If that happens to be your thinking then I will submit to you Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.
In other words we are all guilty of sin. The problem is that we have somehow constructed our minds to identify other peoples stuff instead of our own. They did this and they did that, but never do we get to the point of identifying our own mess.
In a world of TMZ, CNN, and the National Enquirer we now have easier access to see when other people have messed up. So we began to form opinions and cast stones based upon what we think we know about the situation.
We cast stones because somehow in our minds what somebody else has done, is much more despicable than the thing I have done in my life.
Like Jesus told the scribes and Pharisee’s about the woman caught in adultery, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone”
Now I recognize there is so much going on in our world today. We see the news stories of police brutality, violence, and all kind of wickedness and it appears that that wicked are getting away with all types of terrible crimes.
It makes you feel some type of way on the inside when it appears someone we know for sure is guilty, but gets away with whatever it is they have done.
There have been a lot of high profile cases that have caught our attention over the years.
George Zimmerman – Trayvon Martin Case
Casey Anthony
And who could forget OJ and the trial of the century
All of which in the eye of public opinion they were guilty, but set free
I. The Life
7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
Insurrection - an act or instance of rising in revolt, rebellion, or resistance against civil authority or an established government.
Barabbas was a convicted criminal. He was labeled as a thug and a low life. He lived a life in which he felt like he could do any and everything he was big and bad enough to do.
Barabbas led a revolt against the Roman government. He did not respect authority and in the act of insurrection Barabbas convicted murderer. He was the type of person that struck fear in everybody he encountered. If you saw him coming you went the other way.
I don’t know about you, but in a sense I can relate to Barabbas. I’ve been to some places I should not have been. I’ve done some things I should not have done. I hung around some people I didn’t have any business being with. I haven’t always done the right things, but I was about that life. Can I get a witness?
And because of his sin, he now lay bound. You’ll get it in a minute.
There are plenty of folks still bound today because they are not living the life God called them to. They would rather try to do things their own way. But Jesus said, “I am the way”
Folks who are bound in their finances. God says give me 10%. On paper you make a lot of money, but you can’t ever seem to make ends meet.
Bound by fornication, and you can’t figure out why that boyfriend still hasn’t made you his wife. God says seek ye first the kingdom of God.
Bound by hurts from the past so much that you can’t move forward to restore relationships with family. How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Jesus said 70 x 7
Bound because we are living life our own way.
But if you are guilty, just hang on for a few more minutes because we’re going to tell you how to loose the chains and be set free.
And not only was Barabbas bound, those who were with him in the insurrection were bound too. Don’t get caught up thinking your decisions in life only affect you. What about your children, your family, your job?
Things of the world get so glorified, but then you wake up one day and realized……. while you were out there living your so called life, you still feel empty. The stuff that had me bound ain’t even all that. If it was all that I wouldn’t still be feeling lost without direction.
II. The Lie
There was another person in this story who was about that life. And that was the governor of Rome, Pontius Pilate.
When there was an issue that needed to be resolved, Pilate had the supreme authority to make the final judgement. Or so he thought.
The will be times in our lives in which we will have to make some important decisions. In those instances there may be some who will try to persuade you to do the wrong thing.
The chief priests delivered Jesus to Pilate in an attempt to seek judgement against Jesus.
8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
Release a prisoner like you always do at the Passover.
Even in the midst of you living the life, there is a constant battle between good and evil. Pilate, the governor of Rome found himself in such a place.
There will be times in which truth/word will look you straight in the face.
The world wants you to do the status quo. Go along with what everybody else is doing, or what the crowd expects you to do.
Pilate realized Jesus was an innocent man. When given the choice, surely they would want Jesus to go free. The man who had healed, delivered, and performed miracles.
There was no way they would want to let a rebel thug murderer go free and have the ability to just roam the streets.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
So now we see that Pilate has a decision to make.
He’s been given an out. Now is his chance to release Jesus.
Let’s not forget that Pilate was a politician. He knew what was right. But he also cared about satisfying the people. Gotta get those votes!
Release Jesus who is innocent or release a convicted murderer?
Now for most of us the choice would be obvious. Or is it?
How many times have we denied our Savior?
How many times have we been in a restaurant yet decided against blessing the food that God provided? All because we didn’t want to stand out from the crowd.
How many times have we succumbed to peer pressure? You knew the Lord wouldn’t be pleased, but because the crowd said it was ok, you went along with it.
Verse 10 says Jesus was delivered out of envy. How many of you know that the devil is a liar.
And like Jesus there will be some people who will try to set traps for you out of envy and spite.
On your job
In your schools
Setting you up for no other reason than you are a child of God and don’t do what they do, don’t dress like they dress, don’t talk like they talk, don’t act like they act…..you are a target.
And now when the traps won’t work, they then resort to calling you out of your name.
“King of the Jews”
While that was a descriptive term used as far back as King Herod when Jesus was a baby
Our Lord is bigger than just a singular name – King of the Jews
He’s bigger than what his enemy’s give him credit for.
For my Bible says He the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
He’s the alpha and omego, beginning and end
Lilly of the Valley
Bright and Morning Star
Almighty
Bread of Life
Chief Cornerstone
Wonderful
Counselor
Emmanuel
Deliverer
Healer
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
Messiah
Jehovah Jirah
Jehovah Shalom
Jehovah Nisse
Jehovah Rafi
Lamb of God
Prince of Peace
So forget about what them people say about you, it’s all a lie
You can tell them I got traits like my father which art in heaven. I take after my daddy.
So I don’t know where you got your information from
If you want to call me something, call me
Blessed
Highly Favored
Child of the Most High God
Redeemed
Sanctified
Filled With The Holy Ghost
Righteous
Holy
Redeemed
Now go run tell that
III. The Love
12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
Days earlier they are crying Hosanna and then next thing you know they are yelling crucify him.
All the while he was innocent.
And there you have it. Pilate gave in to the crowd.
Barabbas……A guilty man was set free
A guilty man was set free
But somebody may be saying, how is it that a guilty man was set free?
A guilty man was set free because an innocent man took his place.
Barabbas was set free because Jesus took his place. And had Jesus not been present. His release could not have been possible.
Too many times we focus on Barabbas.
What we should be saying is “I was set free because Jesus took my place”
Some of us were bound and locked away, headed for a death row called hell, but because of the redemptive plan of Jesus we have been set free.
That’s something to shout about.
Jesus is saying I will take your spot so that you can go free
People are battling depression and don’t know which way to turn. Jesus will set you free.
Get this……It wasn’t Pilate, The Sandhedrin, or the people who set Barabbas free, it was LOVE.
Liars, whoremongers, thieves, murderers, alcoholics
Doesn’t matter what it is, the Love of Jesus can set you free.
I know what you are thinking, but Barabbas was a murderer.
In Aramaic the name Barabbas has a special meaning
Bar = Son
Abba or abbas = Father
And so the name Barabbas means the “Fathers Son”
Undeserving, unrepentant, ungrateful
Love covers a multitude of sins.
Yet Jesus went to the cross for him anyway
Later that same day the led him to a place called Golgotha.
Along the way the scourged him and but he said I love them, spit on him, but he said I love them, placed upon him a crown of thorns I love them.
Wrapped him in a purple robe and mocked him….I love them
Placed him on a cross between 2 thieves……But I love them
They deserve to be here, but I love them
And because of that love he died upon that old rugged cross.
Romans 5:8
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
But that’s not how the story ends. In 3 days he rose again.
But I believe today that there is power in the name of Jesus.
Power to release every stronghold that is keeping you from reaching your destiny
Power in the name of Jesus to bring restoration back to your marriages
There is power in the name of Jesus to break the chain of depression and suicidal thoughts
There is power in the name of Jesus to heal all manner of diseases
You just have to believe that He can break every chain that is holding you down
Every burden ……. Broken
Hurt and pain you’ve been carrying…..Broken
Addictions……..There are chains being broken right now
If you bind it on earth, it will be bound in Heaven
But if you loose it and surrender it all to Jesus, it will be loosed in Heaven
Guilt of your past…..chains are being broken
Luke 8: Man by the name of Legion who was possessed by unclean spirits and bound in chains.
He cried out and fell at the feet of Jesus
His chains were loosed and he was set free
