"Barabbas, The Prisoner Set Free"
Text: Matthew 27:15-26
Introduction:
-Barabbas, the man that the Jewish rulers and people chose to be released instead of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I. Barabbas’s Testimony
-We want to look at Barabbas’s testimony or "rap sheet".
-What better way to do this then let the scriptures speak for themselves.
-Matthew 27:16 - "notable prisoner"
-He had notoriety.
-He was not any ordinary prisoner.
-He had a reputation and as the saying goes, "his reputation preceded him."
-Mark 15:7 - "had made insurrection"
-Insurrection = A rising against civil or political authority.
-He was a rebel against the Government, that God ordained.
-He was rebellious, had a problem submitting to authority.
-Mark 15:7 - "who had committed murder in the insurrection"
-He was a murderer.
-Luke 23:19 - "(who for a certain sedition made in the city, for murder,
was cast into prison)"
-Sedition = He was a trouble maker.
-Barabbas was in prison for a reason.
-He had not been falsely accused.
-Luke 23:25 - "And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder
was cast into prison."
-John 18:40 - "Now Barabbas was a robber..."
-Summary of Barrabbas - Character of the man that was released.
-Murderer
-Rebel - anti-government, insurrection & sedition, wanted to overthrow the government.
-Robber
-If went into the Post Office you would see his picture on the wall with the other criminals.
-Today, they would show his picture on "America’s Most Wanted".
-What can we conclude from all of this?
-That Barabbas had a legimate reason to be in jail.
II. JESUS’S TESTIMONY
Before His crucifixion:
-Pilate declared three times concerning Jesus - "I find no fault"
-John 18:38 - "I find in him no fault at all."
-John 19:4 - "I find no fault in him."
-John 19:6 - "I find no fault in him"
-The repentant thief on the cross said of Jesus - "...but this man hath done
nothing amiss." - Luke 23:41
-Mark 15:31 - The chief priests with the scribes said concerning Jesus -
"...He saved others"
-Matthew 27:43 - The same crowd that clamored for Jesus’ crucifixion and said -
"He trusted God"
After the crucifixion:
- Luke 23:47 - The centurion, a Gentile, a Roman official said -
"Certainly, this was a righteous man"
-Matthew 27:54 - The centurion said - "Truly this was the Son of God"
III. COMPARISON BETWEEN JESUS VS. BARABBAS
Jesus vs Barabbas
"no fault" - innocent man murderer - guilty man
"done nothing amiss" - law abiding rebel - insurrection/sedition
"saved others" hurt others
"trusted God" trusted in himself
"righteous man" or just man unrighteous or unjust
helped others robber - took from others
"the Son of God" "the son of the Devil" Jn. 8:44
-What happen that day was the greatest injustice of all time.
-The evidence was overwhelming.
-The wrong man was released.
-The wrong man was put to death.
-But as I think of all of this, I am reminded of what the LORD said in Isaiah 55:8,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD."
-What the release of Barabbas pictures is the release each sinner receives from his individual sentence, when he individually receives Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour.
-The sentence of all those who DO NOT receives Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour is found in:
-Romans 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death..."
-Revelation 20:11-15 - "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
-Some may say, "Well, I am not capable of committing murder, sedition, or robbery as Barabbas did."
-Don’t kid yourself.
-The Bible says in Galatians 5:19-21 - "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
-The Bible says about the heart in Jeremiah 17:9 - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it."
-Jesus said concerning the heart in Matthew 15:18-19 - "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: "
-So, we should not have a high opinion of ourselves!
-Just as Barabbas was in rebellion against the Government of Rome, an enemy of the Government.
-Public Enemy Number One.
-So isn’t everyone who is without Jesus Christ an enemy of God.
-Romans 5:10 says - "...we were enemies..."
-Walking after the spirit of this world, the spirit of disobedience.
-In Romans 5:6-9, tells us the Christ died for the ungodly.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
-Barabbas was certainly ungodly.
-He is a representation of all sinners.
-In others words, Barabbas pictures you and I before salvation without Christ, without strength, ungodly.
-Christ was substituted for Barabbas.
-He was substituted for you and I.
-He who knew no sin was made sin for us.
-1 Peter 3:18 - "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just [Jesus Christ] for the unjust [Barabbas, you and I, all sinners], that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
CONCLUSION:
-Christ’s sacrifice at Calvary effected the sinner’s release from prison, from the bondage of sin.
-Just as the crowd had a choice back then.
-The crowd has the same choice this very day.
-The crowd back at the cross chose the sinner and sin over the Saviour and salvation.
-Pilate said to the crowd, "What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ."
-The choice is the same today; Barabbas or Jesus; Sin or Salvation.
-Sin = bondage to sin and eternal destiny the lake of fire.
-Salvation = freedom from sin and eternal destiny heaven with the Lord Jesus Christ.
-Remember, Christian when you give someone the gospel and they refused to be saved, reject the Saviour.
-It is the same cry of crowd back at the cross that yelled- "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas"
-Who will you chose Barabbas or Jesus?
-The choice is yours!
