The First One Redeemed

Scripture: But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas” - a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Luke 23:18-19

Observation: Jesus took the death upon the cross we all deserve - his death takes the place of the death that we are due as a result of our sin and failure to obey God. However, at his trial, this occurred very literally ... Jesus was crucified as a direct one-for-one replacement of Barabbas, a person under a Roman death sentence. Jesus was found innocent, but someone had to die for Barabbas' crimes, and it ended up being Jesus and not Barabbas.

Application: Throughout the Bible, God's eternal plan is made manifest through a technique whereby something - a law, a proverb, a song, a prophetic word - is written as a reference to some specific situation, then we find hundreds of years later that this was a universal concept with broader application and direct relationship to Messiah.

Jesus' trial and crucifixion is of course the pivotal point in God's plan. Much of the old testament laws - from rules about trials, to Passover procedures, to imagery in the Psalms - actually apply to this event. However, the activities of this event in turn apply to the salvation of believers. Barabbas is part of that. We can be confident that Jesus' death is a sacrifice that takes our place in punishment because Jesus literally took Barabbas' place in punishment.

Furthermore, Barabbas himself becomes more than a literal person, but a representation of myself and all other believers. Barabbas' crimes were insurrection against Roman authority, and murder. In other words, he rebelled against authority and violated the ten commandments, just like I do ... daily.

Prayer: Lord, I am like Barabbas ... and may I in fact be Barabbas! I rebel against your law, fail to trust your leadership, and break your commandments regularly. But in this, I also know that Jesus made himself the sacrifice for my sin, and through my belief in him I can be released from the prison of judgment and receive salvation. May I never think of myself as better than Barabbas, yet may I also strive every day to avoid sin and rebellion. Amen.