Walk with our Substitute
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The Word of God through which the Holy Spirit touches our hearts is record in Mark 15:
Now, at every festival Pilate used to free a prisoner whom the people asked for. There was a man by the name of Barabbas. He was in prison with the rebels who in their revolt had committed a murder. And the crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them as he had done before. Pilate answered them by asking, “Do you want me to free the King of the Jews for you?” He knew the ruling priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.
The ruling priests stirred up the people to get him to free Barabbas for them instead.
Now, what should I do with him you call the King of the Jews?” Pilate again asked them.
Then they yelled all the louder, “Crucify him!”
Then Pilate, wanting to satisfy the people, freed Barabbas for them, but Jesus he whipped and handed over to be crucified. .(Mark 15:6-15 An American Translation (AAT))
This is the the word of our Lord.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Pontius Pilate was not known for his ethical behavior. He was in charge of keeping order in this unruly province of Judea and Samaria. And he wasn’t afraid to use force to do so. For instance, the Bible tells us that during Jesus ministry Pilate had some Galileans killed even while they were offering sacrifices at the temple (Luke 13:1). And from history we learn that Pilate was recalled to Rome when he had many Samaritans massacred at the foot of Mt. Gerizim in A.D. 37.
Yet even this Pilate released that Jesus was innocent. Yet he did not have the moral strength to make the right decision if it might cost him political points. As the judge he could have found Jesus innocent and ordered his release. As the Roman commander he could have enforced that decision and disbursed the crowd with a cohort of Roman soldiers. But that might worsen his relationship with Jewish council and people and bring him headaches and rebellion later on.
How could he let Jesus go and keep the people happy? He thought he had the perfect plan when the people asked him to release a prisoner according to what was customary at the Passover festival. He gave the people a choice that he thought would be a “no-brainer.” Should he release the rebel Barabbas, who was a public menace not only for rebellion but also for murder? Or should he release Jesus, whom many of the Jews at one time considered to be their king? Now after the crowd asked for Jesus, Pilate figured that he’d have it made. The people would be happy and the chief priests wouldn’t be able blame him. He had simply done what the people asked.
How taken back Pilate must have been when the crowd asked for Barabbas instead of Jesus! Yet although Pilate’s plan didn’t work out as he wanted it to, we see Pilate unknowingly illustrating a great Bible truth for us. The truth of substitution. Barabbas was released and Jesus was substituted in his place.
Tonight was we walk with our Savior in his passion, we walk with our Substitute. We see that the rebel is released instead and that the Christ is crucified for all. Why? Because he is the Substitute
1) The rebel is released instead
On that first Good Friday, Barabbas, was the rebel released instead of Jesus. He certainly deserved death. He not only had rebelled against the state; in that rebellion he had committed murder. Either crime is justly punishable by death.
But Barabbas, the rebel, goes free. Jesus takes his place.
Barabbas was not the only rebel released because of the events on that first Good Friday. You and I stood there as well. Like Barabbas we were rebels. We weren’t simply rebels against the government. We were rebels against God, against our Creator. From the moment we began life, we were hostile against God (Romans 8:7). We fought against his will. We forged our own chains of death and darkness. That’s what are rebellion earned us.
And still today we engage in rebellious activity. Even though God’s free grace has adopted us by giving us his Holy Spirit through baptism and his word, even though we are God’s children through faith in Jesus, we still commit rebellion against God. That’s what sin is. So often we fail to see what sin really is. We like to down-play sin or excuse it with thoughts like, “Everyone is doing it; no one got hurt; that’s just the way I am, I can’t help it.” But any sin, no matter how small or how hidden, any sin is rebellion against God. Do you think about that when you sin?
For example, Barabbas was guilty of murder and so are you and I. Why? The Bible says, “Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15 NIV). Think of those times that unjust anger, hatred, revenge darkened your heart. Sin is serious; it’s rebellion. Remember how that passage continues: “and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him” (1 John 3:15 NIV). Sin is serious; it brings death and hell. But we rebel not only by doing or thinking evil; we rebel by failing to do good. Right before this verse the Bible says, “Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 John 3:14 NIV). Failing to selflessly love others is rebellion against God. All those self-centered thoughts that turned us away from showing kindness to others, all those missed opportunities to help others because we were to absorbed in our own problems or pleasures, all those failures to express love , all of them are rebellion. You and I are as guilty as rebels and murderers. We are as worthy of death and hell as Barabbas.
But you, the rebel, goes free. Jesus takes your place.
2) The Christ is crucified for all
Let’s return to Pilate. As the crowds ask for Barabbas, Pilate does not know what to do now that his plan has failed. “What should I do with Jesus,” he asks. “Crucify him,” the crowd yells and shouts. Pilate gives in to their demand.
But why was Jesus crucified? Was it because of an unjust judge and a blood-thirsty people? No! At any time Jesus had the power to end this charade. But Jesus choose to let it all continue. His desire to save his rebellious enemies like you and me led him to be the willing Substitute for all. And “for all” includes each of you. He is your Substitute.
What did Jesus have to suffer to be your Substitute? He suffered the Roman wipes ripping bloody stripes into his back. He suffered the thorns piecing his head. He suffered the nails puncturing his hands and feet. He suffered the torment of hanging on the cross. He suffered the shame and ridicule of public disgrace and mocking.
Yet his worst suffering was far beyond this physical and emotional pain. For as the Substitute for all he carried the guilt and sin of all. “Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He carried your guilt and sin and mine. God punished him in our place. God unleashed his anger and hell against Jesus instead of us. The Father turned his love away from Jesus and forsook his Son in order to punish our sins. Jesus is our Substitute, for Jesus Christ was crucified for all.
How vividly Isaiah pictures this: “Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him,a nd afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6 NIV)
Christ was crucified for all. He was crucified for you and me. When you see a picture like this of Jesus on the cross. Picture your face in place of Jesus. Our sin, our guilt, our hell, our death. That’s what we see on the cross. Those thorns and nails and scorn, that god-forsakenness ought to be ours. And that strikes our hearts with great sadness.
But whose face is really there? Not yours or mine. Jesus’! He is your substitute for he was crucified for all. See Jesus’ face for he really truly suffered everything in our place as our substitute. And rejoice. Because Jesus is your Substitute, your sins are all paid for. You have full and free forgiveness because Jesus is your Substitute. Through faith in him you have eternal life.
Hymn 99 (Christian Worship “Oh, Come, My Soul”) brings home this point. It reminds us that all Jesus suffered really is ours, earned by our sins. I reminds us that Jesus bears it all as our Substitute. Because of Jesus eternal life and heaven are ours. Listen as it is sung.
