In the previous post we discussed how Jacob assumed the identity of his brother Esau to receive the blessing from his father. While this gives us an example of how we approach our Father by assuming the identity of Christ, there are other important lessons we can learn from this passage about how we should conduct ourselves, or rather how not to conduct ourselves when trusting in the Lord.
A lot of things were done wrong in this story and all participants were at fault: first we will start a few chapters earlier in Genesis 25:29-34 when Esau sold Jacob his birthright for a bowl of beans.
Esau is portrayed in these verses as being emotional: he was fainting and gasping, and then despising. To live on this base level, to satisfy one’s appetites, inevitably leads to a despising of spiritual things.
On this same note, Isaac was attempting to thwart God’s plan by blessing Esau instead of Jacob in chapter 27. Natural senses play a conspicuous part in this part of the story as well. Notice the emphasis placed on Isaac’s love for the taste of wild game and also his sense of touch and smell to try and identify Esau. Our natural senses and the things we desire are always at odds with what God desires for us and more often than not these senses and appetites deceive us just as they did Isaac. We must trust in God and his plan for our well being. We must be careful about what our human senses desire as they almost always led us away from the Lord. Giving in to the physical senses and fleshly appetite is also how Eve was deceived in the garden.
Genesis 3:6
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
Next, Rebekah and Jacob tried to achieve God’s blessing by deception. Their “victory” would ultimately reap hatred and separation in the family; Rebekah never saw Jacob again and vice versa. In a sense Rebekah and Jacob did win, though they gained nothing that God would not have given them anyway; and they ultimately lost much more. Their family life was destroyed, and each had to bear lonely hours of separation, disillusionment, and regret. Rebekah would never see her favorite son again, and Jacob would have to face life without a father, mother, or brother. Their activities accomplished only what God had already ordained. Yet God would work through their conniving. God’s program will triumph, often in spite of human activities. However if we remove these human interventions, God’s plan will work without all the heartache and difficulty that occurs when we are impatient and try to assist Him or hurry Him along. We must realize that God does not need our help, and whenever we try to intervene, we always cause problems that would not have arisen had we simply been patient and trusted in Him to act. The saying that “God helps those who help themselves” IS NOT in the Bible. What the Bible does continually instruct us to do however is to “be still” and “wait”. Psalms 145:15 “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.” Other verses that tell us to wait on the Lord include Pslams 25:21, 27:14, 37:7, 37:9, 37:34, 39:7, 52:9, 59:9, 62:5, 104:27, 123:2, 130:5, Isa 8:17, 30:18, 40:31, 49:23, Jer 14:22, Lam 3:25-26, Hosea 12:6, Micah 7:7, Zeph 3:8, Luke 12:36, Acts 1:4, Gal 5:5, 1ST Thes. 1:10 This can be seen in the story of Jacob as well as various other passages including when Abraham fathered a child by Sarah’s maidservant. Sarah and Abraham were not waiting on the Lord to accomplish what He said He would do, they tried to help God bring a son into the world. The problems that arose from this incident have been with us for 6,000 years.
It is also interesting to note that Jacob deceived his father, and throughout Jacob’s life we find that Jacob was deceived by others. He was first deceived by Laban when he was fooled into marrying Leah instead of Rachel. Laban’s excuse for this deception was that “It must not be done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.” Genesis 29:26 This must have cut Jacob deeply since in his case the younger had come before the firstborn. Jacob was also deceived by his children when they told him that his beloved son Joseph had been killed by wild beast. Interestingly enough Jacob’s sons used Joseph’s coat to deceive their father, much like Jacob had used to deceive Isaac. Remember Galatians 6:7 says “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Master of Disguise
27:11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:
27:12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
27:15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
27:16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
27:18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
27:19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
27:21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
27:22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands [are] the hands of Esau.
27:23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
We all know this story from Genesis 27 in which Jacob pretends to be his brother Esau so that his father Isaac will bless him as the firstborn instead of Esau. So what exactly is going on here, and what does it have to do with us. Well let’s look at what Jacob desires and how he goes about obtaining it. Jacob desires his father’s blessing, and even more specifically the blessing of the first born son. Jacob obtains this blessing by pretending to be Isaac’s first born son Esau, using both his name and his raiment. So Jacob comes before his father and assumes the identity of the first born son, in order to receive blessings from his father. This is exactly what we do. We use the name and assume the identity of Christ the Son, in order to receive blessings from our Father. This same concept can be found in 1st Samuel 18:4 where Jonathan places his garments on David. The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. It is ONE book and it’s all about HIM!!!
27:12 My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.
27:15 And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
27:16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
27:18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
27:19 And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
27:21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
27:22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands [are] the hands of Esau.
27:23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.
We all know this story from Genesis 27 in which Jacob pretends to be his brother Esau so that his father Isaac will bless him as the firstborn instead of Esau. So what exactly is going on here, and what does it have to do with us. Well let’s look at what Jacob desires and how he goes about obtaining it. Jacob desires his father’s blessing, and even more specifically the blessing of the first born son. Jacob obtains this blessing by pretending to be Isaac’s first born son Esau, using both his name and his raiment. So Jacob comes before his father and assumes the identity of the first born son, in order to receive blessings from his father. This is exactly what we do. We use the name and assume the identity of Christ the Son, in order to receive blessings from our Father. This same concept can be found in 1st Samuel 18:4 where Jonathan places his garments on David. The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed. It is ONE book and it’s all about HIM!!!
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Agony of Love
"He creates the universe, already foreseeing—or should we say “seeing”? There are no tenses in God—the buzzing cloud of flies about the cross, the flayed back pressed against the uneven stake, the nails driven through the medial nerves, the repeated incipient suffocation as the body droops, the repeated torture of back and arms as it is time after time, for breath’s sake hitched up. If I may dare the biological image, God is a “host” who deliberately creates His own parasites; causes us to be that we may exploit and “take advantage” of Him. Herein is love. This is the diagram of Love Himself, the inventor of all loves." - C.S. Lewis
Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 b.c. It was "perfected" by the Romans in the first century b.c. It is arguably the most painful death ever invented by man and is where we get our term "excruciating." It was reserved primarily for the most vicious of criminals.
The most common device used for crucifixion was a wooden cross, which consisted of an upright pole permanently fixed in the ground with a removable crossbar, usually weighing between 75-100 lbs. Victims of crucifixion were typically stripped naked and their clothing divided by the Roman guards. In Jesus' case this was done in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18, "They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."
As a gesture of "Roman kindness" the prisoner was offered a mixture of vinegar (gall) and wine as a mild anesthetic. This anesthetic was refused by Jesus. Consequently, He bore it all! The Apostle Peter stated of Jesus:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24
The victim was then placed on his back, arms stretched out and nailed to the cross bar. The nails, which were generally about 7-9 inches long, were placed between the bones of the forearm (the radius and ulna) and the small bones of the hands (the carpal bones). (Figure 1.)
The placement of the nail at this point had several effects. First it ensured that the victim would indeed hang there until dead. Secondly, a nail placed at this point would sever the largest nerve in the hand called the median nerve.
The severing of this nerve is a medical catastrophe. In addition to severe burning pain the destruction of this nerve causes permanent paralysis of the hand. Furthermore, by nailing the victim at this point in the wrist, there would be minimal bleeding and there would be no bones broken! Thus scriptures were fulfilled:
I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me. Psalm 22:17
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:20
The positioning of the feet is probably the most critical part of the mechanics of crucifixion. First the knees were flexed about 45 degrees and the feet were flexed (bent downward) an additional 45 degrees until they were parallel the vertical pole. An iron nail about 7-9 inches long was driven through the feet between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal bones. In this position the nail would sever the dorsal pedal artery of the foot, but the resultant bleeding would be insufficient to cause death. (Figure 2)
The Catastrophic Result
The resulting position on the cross sets up a horrific sequence of events which results in a slow, painful death. Having been pinned to the cross, the victim now has an impossible position to maintain. (Figure 3)
With the knees flexed at about 45 degrees, the victim must bear his weight with the muscles of the thigh. However, this is an almost impossible task-try to stand with your knees flexed at 45 degrees for 5 minutes. As the strength of the legs gives out, the weight of the body must now be borne by the arms and shoulders. The result is that within a few minutes of being placed on the cross, the shoulders will become dislocated. Minutes later the elbows and wrists become dislocated. The result of these dislocations is that the arms are as much as 6-9 inches longer than normal.
With the arms dislocated, considerable body weight is transferred to the chest, causing the rib cage to be elevated in a state of perpetual inhalation. Consequently, in order to exhale the victim must push down on his feet to allow the rib muscles to relax. The problem is that the victim cannot push very long because the legs are extremely fatigued. As time goes on, the victim is less and less able to bear weight on the legs, causing further dislocation of the arms and further raising of the chest wall, making breathing more and more difficult.
The result of this process is a series of catastrophic physiological effects. Because the victim cannot maintain adequate ventilation of the lungs, the blood oxygen level begins to diminish and the blood carbon dioxide (CO2) level begins to rise. This rising CO2 level stimulates the heart to beat faster in order to increase the delivery of oxygen and the removal of CO2. (Figure 4)
However, due to the pinning of the victim and the limitations of oxygen delivery, the victim cannot deliver more oxygen and the rising heart rate only increases oxygen demand. So this process sets up a vicious cycle of increasing oxygen demand-which cannot be met-followed by an ever increasing heart rate. After several hours the heart begins to fail, the lungs collapse and fill up with fluid, which further decreases oxygen delivery to the tissues. The blood loss and hyperventilation combines to cause severe dehydration. This is almost certainly why Jesus said, "I thirst."
Over a period of several hours the combination of collapsing lungs, a failing heart, dehydration, and the inability to get adequate oxygen supplies to the tissues cause the eventual death of the victim. The victim, in effect, cannot breath properly and slowly suffocates to death. In cases of severe cardiac stress, such as crucifixion, a victim's heart can even burst. This process is called "Cardiac Rupture."
To slow the process of death the executioners put a small wooden seat on the cross, which would allow the victim the privilege of bearing his weight on his buttocks. The effect of this was that it could take up to nine days to die on a cross.
When the Romans wanted to expedite death they would simply break the legs of the victim, causing him to suffocate in a matter of minutes. At three o'clock in the afternoon Jesus said, "Tetelastai," meaning "it is finished." Then He gave up the ghost. When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not a bone of Him was broken!
How Should We Then Live?
I realize that it is difficult to read of the details of Jesus' physical sufferings. And yet, when we realize that He looked forward, on our behalf, to the cross, we are overwhelmed with His practical demonstration of love and, hopefully, a personal realization of our unworthiness. How should we then live? I believe that the Apostle Paul said it best:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
I would also like to point out that Christ does not wish for you to feel guilty about what He had to endured on the cross. Remember what he told the 2 men on the road to Emmaus "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" Luke 24:25-26
Christ is telling them that it had to happen the way that it did, and we should always remeber that. We couldn't accomplish what He did ourselves, He had to do it and He was happy to.
However it is important for us to realize just how much it cost Him. If this post does nothing else I hope that it helps you realize that first of all, you were indeed "bought with a price" 1st Corinthians 6:20 & 7:23 and second, you were not cheap!!
It is also worth noting that we were purchased individually, It was not a package deal. Christ suffered and died for each individual sin of every human being who has ever walked this Earth. That's right, your sins have already been dealt with on the cross and forgiveness is now offered as a free gift. Whether or not you choose to accept or deny that gift is your personal choice, and it is a choice which will determine where you spend your eternity. As I said Christ has dealt with your sin, therefore no one will be denied entry into heaven and thus banished to eternal punishment because of their sin. Rather they will be excluded based solely on their refusal to accept the reconciliation that God provided for that sin through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. In order for a gift to become your possession, you must first accept it. Also remember that, "he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarded of them that diligently seek him." Thank Christ today for what He has accomplished for us and ask Him to grant you the free gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life with Him through belief in His death and resurrection.
http://khouse.org/articles/1998/113/
Crucifixion was invented by the Persians between 300-400 b.c. It was "perfected" by the Romans in the first century b.c. It is arguably the most painful death ever invented by man and is where we get our term "excruciating." It was reserved primarily for the most vicious of criminals.
The most common device used for crucifixion was a wooden cross, which consisted of an upright pole permanently fixed in the ground with a removable crossbar, usually weighing between 75-100 lbs. Victims of crucifixion were typically stripped naked and their clothing divided by the Roman guards. In Jesus' case this was done in fulfillment of Psalm 22:18, "They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots."
As a gesture of "Roman kindness" the prisoner was offered a mixture of vinegar (gall) and wine as a mild anesthetic. This anesthetic was refused by Jesus. Consequently, He bore it all! The Apostle Peter stated of Jesus:
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24
The victim was then placed on his back, arms stretched out and nailed to the cross bar. The nails, which were generally about 7-9 inches long, were placed between the bones of the forearm (the radius and ulna) and the small bones of the hands (the carpal bones). (Figure 1.)
The placement of the nail at this point had several effects. First it ensured that the victim would indeed hang there until dead. Secondly, a nail placed at this point would sever the largest nerve in the hand called the median nerve.
The severing of this nerve is a medical catastrophe. In addition to severe burning pain the destruction of this nerve causes permanent paralysis of the hand. Furthermore, by nailing the victim at this point in the wrist, there would be minimal bleeding and there would be no bones broken! Thus scriptures were fulfilled:
I can count all my bones: they look and stare upon me. Psalm 22:17
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psalm 34:20
The positioning of the feet is probably the most critical part of the mechanics of crucifixion. First the knees were flexed about 45 degrees and the feet were flexed (bent downward) an additional 45 degrees until they were parallel the vertical pole. An iron nail about 7-9 inches long was driven through the feet between the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal bones. In this position the nail would sever the dorsal pedal artery of the foot, but the resultant bleeding would be insufficient to cause death. (Figure 2)
The Catastrophic Result
The resulting position on the cross sets up a horrific sequence of events which results in a slow, painful death. Having been pinned to the cross, the victim now has an impossible position to maintain. (Figure 3)
With the knees flexed at about 45 degrees, the victim must bear his weight with the muscles of the thigh. However, this is an almost impossible task-try to stand with your knees flexed at 45 degrees for 5 minutes. As the strength of the legs gives out, the weight of the body must now be borne by the arms and shoulders. The result is that within a few minutes of being placed on the cross, the shoulders will become dislocated. Minutes later the elbows and wrists become dislocated. The result of these dislocations is that the arms are as much as 6-9 inches longer than normal.
With the arms dislocated, considerable body weight is transferred to the chest, causing the rib cage to be elevated in a state of perpetual inhalation. Consequently, in order to exhale the victim must push down on his feet to allow the rib muscles to relax. The problem is that the victim cannot push very long because the legs are extremely fatigued. As time goes on, the victim is less and less able to bear weight on the legs, causing further dislocation of the arms and further raising of the chest wall, making breathing more and more difficult.
The result of this process is a series of catastrophic physiological effects. Because the victim cannot maintain adequate ventilation of the lungs, the blood oxygen level begins to diminish and the blood carbon dioxide (CO2) level begins to rise. This rising CO2 level stimulates the heart to beat faster in order to increase the delivery of oxygen and the removal of CO2. (Figure 4)
However, due to the pinning of the victim and the limitations of oxygen delivery, the victim cannot deliver more oxygen and the rising heart rate only increases oxygen demand. So this process sets up a vicious cycle of increasing oxygen demand-which cannot be met-followed by an ever increasing heart rate. After several hours the heart begins to fail, the lungs collapse and fill up with fluid, which further decreases oxygen delivery to the tissues. The blood loss and hyperventilation combines to cause severe dehydration. This is almost certainly why Jesus said, "I thirst."
Over a period of several hours the combination of collapsing lungs, a failing heart, dehydration, and the inability to get adequate oxygen supplies to the tissues cause the eventual death of the victim. The victim, in effect, cannot breath properly and slowly suffocates to death. In cases of severe cardiac stress, such as crucifixion, a victim's heart can even burst. This process is called "Cardiac Rupture."
To slow the process of death the executioners put a small wooden seat on the cross, which would allow the victim the privilege of bearing his weight on his buttocks. The effect of this was that it could take up to nine days to die on a cross.
When the Romans wanted to expedite death they would simply break the legs of the victim, causing him to suffocate in a matter of minutes. At three o'clock in the afternoon Jesus said, "Tetelastai," meaning "it is finished." Then He gave up the ghost. When the soldiers came to Jesus to break His legs, He was already dead. Not a bone of Him was broken!
How Should We Then Live?
I realize that it is difficult to read of the details of Jesus' physical sufferings. And yet, when we realize that He looked forward, on our behalf, to the cross, we are overwhelmed with His practical demonstration of love and, hopefully, a personal realization of our unworthiness. How should we then live? I believe that the Apostle Paul said it best:
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11
I would also like to point out that Christ does not wish for you to feel guilty about what He had to endured on the cross. Remember what he told the 2 men on the road to Emmaus "Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" Luke 24:25-26
Christ is telling them that it had to happen the way that it did, and we should always remeber that. We couldn't accomplish what He did ourselves, He had to do it and He was happy to.
However it is important for us to realize just how much it cost Him. If this post does nothing else I hope that it helps you realize that first of all, you were indeed "bought with a price" 1st Corinthians 6:20 & 7:23 and second, you were not cheap!!
It is also worth noting that we were purchased individually, It was not a package deal. Christ suffered and died for each individual sin of every human being who has ever walked this Earth. That's right, your sins have already been dealt with on the cross and forgiveness is now offered as a free gift. Whether or not you choose to accept or deny that gift is your personal choice, and it is a choice which will determine where you spend your eternity. As I said Christ has dealt with your sin, therefore no one will be denied entry into heaven and thus banished to eternal punishment because of their sin. Rather they will be excluded based solely on their refusal to accept the reconciliation that God provided for that sin through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. In order for a gift to become your possession, you must first accept it. Also remember that, "he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarded of them that diligently seek him." Thank Christ today for what He has accomplished for us and ask Him to grant you the free gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life with Him through belief in His death and resurrection.
http://khouse.org/articles/1998/113/
We Are Barabbas!!
Given the time of year, this topic seemed appropriate.
Matthew 27:15 – 26
15] Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16] And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
17] Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18] For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19] When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20] But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21] The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22] Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23] And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24] When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25] Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26] Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
First of all, who is Barabbas
We learn a from Mark 15:7 that Barabbas was a murderer
“And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made
insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.”
and we know from John 18:40 that he was a thief.
Barabbas stood under the righteous condemnation of the law. He knew the One who was to take his cross and take his place was innocent. He knew that Jesus Christ was for him a true substitute. He knew that he had done nothing to merit going free while another took his place.
However;
The murderer’s bonds, curse, disgrace, and mortal agony were transferred to the righteous Jesus, while the liberty, innocence, safety, and well-being of the Nazarene became the lot of the murderer. Barabbas is installed in all the rights and privileges of Jesus Christ; while the innocent Christ enters upon all the infamy and horror of the rebel’s position. The delinquent’s guilt and cross become the lot of the Just One, and all the civil rights and immunities of the later are now the property of the delinquent. Where are you and I? …in Barabbas’ shoes! We are Barabbas!
By the way, Barabbas means “Son of the Father” Very Interesting!!
Matthew 27:15 – 26
15] Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
16] And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
17] Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18] For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19] When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20] But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21] The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22] Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23] And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24] When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25] Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
26] Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
First of all, who is Barabbas
We learn a from Mark 15:7 that Barabbas was a murderer
“And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made
insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.”
and we know from John 18:40 that he was a thief.
Barabbas stood under the righteous condemnation of the law. He knew the One who was to take his cross and take his place was innocent. He knew that Jesus Christ was for him a true substitute. He knew that he had done nothing to merit going free while another took his place.
However;
The murderer’s bonds, curse, disgrace, and mortal agony were transferred to the righteous Jesus, while the liberty, innocence, safety, and well-being of the Nazarene became the lot of the murderer. Barabbas is installed in all the rights and privileges of Jesus Christ; while the innocent Christ enters upon all the infamy and horror of the rebel’s position. The delinquent’s guilt and cross become the lot of the Just One, and all the civil rights and immunities of the later are now the property of the delinquent. Where are you and I? …in Barabbas’ shoes! We are Barabbas!
By the way, Barabbas means “Son of the Father” Very Interesting!!
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