MATTHEW 27:15-26 “JESUS OR BARABBAS”
A) I want our minds to go back in time … Jesus’ earthly ministry is coming to an end!
(1) PRAYER IN GETHSEMANE!
* For approximately 33 ½ years, He lived looking forward to the cross!
* Christ must’ve seen its shadow across His path all the way from the manger to Calvary.
* Now He had instituted the supper and has gone into Gethsemane to pray.
* As the disciple slept, He knelt in the moon light under those olive trees.
A) The shadows of night were closing in on His soul! * Listen to Him, “O my Father, if it be …”
* See Him hold in His hand the cup of human iniquity and drink its dregs into His soul.
* The blackness of the contents of that cup goes beyond description! * Analyze its mixture …
* A young man pounces upon an innocent girl, strangles and chokes her to death and ravishes her
in his lust … Stir rape and murder into that cup!
* Another, who at an altar of marriage, when the question was asked, “Will you be true to her
until death alone shall part you,” answers with an, “I do.”
* Tramples that vow under his unholy desires … Stir adultery into that cup!
B) A man takes a two year old child and chokes her to death while having sex with her …
* Stir child molestation in that cup! * Man kills his wife and children out in his front yard …
* Stir drunkenness and stupor into that cup! * Homosexuality …
* Take man’s most horrible crimes and mix them all together in that cup!
* No wonder Jesus prayed, “If it be possible …” * But it wasn’t possible!
C) If there had been any other way that men could be saved, God would have planned it!
* There was no other way! * Christ must drink that poisonous cup of sin!
* Watch Him, as He places it to His lips, hands trembling …….
* The agony is so intense that the pores of His skin open, and sweat as great drops of blood,
trickles down His cheeks and falls to the ground!
(2) THE ARREST AND TRIAL!
* The night’s blackness was suddenly scattered by the light of flaming torches.
* A mob of soldiers, led by Judas Iscariot entered the garden, and placed a kiss on Jesus’ cheek.
* Christ was taken captive and led away to Caiaphas, the high priest, to be tried before the
Sanhedrin, a council of seventy Jews. * They accuse Him of being a blasphemer!
A) In their angry rage, they hit Him in the face with closed fists! * They firmly gripped His
beard, and yanked it from His cheeks, ripping the flesh from His cheek bones!
* His eyes were buffeted until they turned black with bruises and clotted together with blood!
* His face was beaten into a mass of mutilated flesh, and His warm, sticky blood ran freely to the
ground … He was giving it to God for our sins!
B) The Jews couldn’t execute Him … The power of death was out of their hands!
* He must be tried and condemned in the Roman court, so He was led away to Pilate, the governor!
* Pilate questioned Jesus and found Him innocent, but learned that He was from Galilee, so he sent
Him to Herod! * Herod found nothing wrong with Him and returned Him to Pilate!
* The maddened mob was screaming for His blood, “Crucify Him,” they kept screaming!
* So Pilate commanded Him to be scourged … Later delivered Him to be crucified!
(3) THE CRUCIFIXION! * The scourging … Jesus’ face twisted as the weight of that scourge
plowed into His back, splattered the blood, and cut the meat off His ribs!
* With every crushing blow, hot flashes of pain flooded His body.
* The white naked ribs were showing through the torn flesh!
* The blood ran freely down His scourged back and puddled on the ground!
A) The soldiers took Jesus into the common hall and mocked Him as being King ……
* From the common hall, they begin their rugged journey to Golgotha, a place of a skull.
* They reach the spot and there they crucified Him along with two thieves.
* “Father, forgive them …” * “This day …” * “Woman …” * “My God …” * “I thirst.”
* “It is finished.” * “Father, into thy hands …” * His head slumped upon His chest.
B) His bloody, tangled hair matted together in His face! * The tense, twitching body relaxed!
* The blood dripped slowly from the wounds in His hands and His feet.
* His eyes were closed and the clotted blood in the lashes had turned dark purple in color.
* The beaten, bloody, bruised, and battered corpse dangled limp and lifeless.
* A soldier thrusts a spear into His side and pierced the membrane around the heart, and blood
and water flowed like a fountain from that side … He was dead!
(4) BARABBAS! * I have often wondered how Barabbas must’ve felt that day!
* Did you ever think what may have happened to Barabbas? * Remember who he was?
* He was the condemned criminal whom they released on the day Jesus was crucified!
* He was a notable prisoner, meaning his reputation of murder and robbery was widespread!
A) The night before that fatal day, Barabbas was held in prison!
* He probably spent that miserable night in the death cell of a dark, damp, rat infested dungeon!
* Look at him as he shivers in the cold, clammy cell, and pulls his wet, ragged garments together
about his naked shoulders!
* Dragging his shivering body through the mud in the darkness, he collapses in a heap in the
corner against the cold, wet walls! * This was his last night on earth!
B) What does a man think about the night before he is to be executed?
* I don’t know, but it must be a nightmare! * Barabbas began to relive the past!
* He saw himself as a child, playing around the knees of a faithful Jewish mother.
* As he grew, he saw himself drifting away from her teaching into a life of rebellion!
* Maybe he got into the wrong company! * He began to steal, little things at first!
C) Then one night as he ransacked a dwelling, the man in the house by the window began to
stir, Barabbas stood over the sleeping body until he saw the white of the man’s eyes!
* The man was waking! * Quickly, he pulls a dagger from his belt and plunged it into the chest
of the waking man! * Barabbas listened to the dying groans and hurried into the night!
* He had murdered his first victim … It would be easier from then on!
* He could remember how he had hidden in the rocks along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho
and rob and kill innocent travelers!
D) He could still feel the straining throat in his hands as he choked to death a traveler!
* Straddling the dead body he would remove the money and valuables!
* He had thrust that blade into many a man, but now, he has killed his last man!
* He had stolen his last dollar, for the hand of the Roman law had reached out and plucked him
from among men and cast him into prison, found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to die!
* Tomorrow, he would pay for his crimes with his life by crucifixion!
E) Before Barabbas realized it, the night had fled … It was the hour of his death!
* His ears picked up the sound of footsteps … He heard the key click in the lock!
* The door swung open with a terrifying squeak … The blood ran cold in his veins!
* Fear forced beads of cold sweat to his face as he clenched his tattered rags and buried his
trembling knees in the mud.
* A heavy hand fell on his shoulder, but that’s as far as the nightmare went!
F) The voice of the warden broke the silence, “Barabbas, I’ve been ordered to set you free
today … You are to be released … You don’t have to be executed!”
* Barabbas surely didn’t understand! * He said, “No, it can’t be, I know I must die for my crimes.”
* “But Barabbas, you don’t understand, Someone else is dying in your place.”
* The warden dragged him by the arm from the cell, down the hall and out into the streets.
* Barabbas could hear the screaming mob … He and the warden stood outside the walls.
G) Very soon, the crosses were in the air! * The warden shook Barabbas by the shoulder and said,
* “Barabbas, do you see those three crosses in the distance?”
* Barabbas rubbed his eyes which were almost blinded by the days of darkness in prison.
* His vision begins to clear … The outline of those crosses were in focus now.
* “Barabbas, look at that cross in the middle … See that Man hanging on it?”
* “He’s in your place … We made that cross yesterday for you.”
H) “The spikes in that Man’s hands were meant to pierce yours!”
* “That is your cross, those are your spikes, that is your suffering, that is your pain.”
* “He is dying in your place, as your substitute, and now I have been told to set you free.”
* The warden unlocks the chains that bound the robber’s wrists!
* He drops the shackles from his feet and turned to him and said, “Barabbas, you’re a free man,
go your way, justice has been satisfied, your debt is paid.”
I) I don’t know what happened to Barabbas … Your guess is as good as mine!
* Maybe he stumbled through the crowd, up that rocky road, up the rugged hill and stood near the
cross as Jesus died! * Maybe he heard Jesus ask for water?
* He may have observed the sufferings until it broke his hard rebellious heart … Who knows?
* Maybe out of gratitude he fell on his knees under that cross and the blood of Jesus washed that
black, murderous heart as white as snow! * THAT IS POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW?
* This much we do know: Jesus died on Barabbas’ cross, in Barabbas’ place, as Barabbas’
substitute! * What a beautiful picture of atonement!
CLOSE
A) Now, would you do me a favor as we come to the close of this message? * Bow heads please.
* Flip the pages of history back almost 2000 years, and in your imagination, visit Calvary, the
day Jesus died … Are you there? * Suppose you step into the sandals of Barabbas.
* You stand there on that hill watching the crucifixion.
* “But I’m not Barabbas, Preacher, I’m not a lawless murderer!” you howl.
* In God’s sight you are the Barabbas, you’re the guilty sinner, it’s your soul that is condemned to
die! * You have broken the law of God and been found guilty and your execution is already set!
B) Don’t try to dodge the issue … Spiritually, you are the Barabbas!
* Therefore stand in your place and watch Christ die!
* As you do, remember this … That is your cross He is hanging on!
* Those are your spikes in His hands and feet!
* That scourge should have cut the flesh from your back!
* Those thorns should have been beaten into your brow!
* That spear should have been thrust into your side!
* He’s dying on your cross, in your place, taking the punishment for your sins!
C) While you watch Him die, you must decide what you will do about this sacrifice He has
made for you!
* Will you fall on your knees and repent and let His blood wash you from your sins?
* Or will you set your jaw, grit your teeth in rejection, clench your little measly fist, and shake it
in His dying face and close your heart to His grace and His love …….
* And trample His blood under your filthy, ungodly feet, and grind it in the dirt?
D) Anybody who treats Jesus like that ought to be punished in hell after what He did on
Calvary for them!
* Is it clear what you must do? * Receive Him, be saved … Reject Him, be lost!
* The rest is up to you … I can do no more … Make your decision now!
* Remember … Eternity depends on this, so be sure you do the right thing!
