Matthew 27:11-54
Now Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus said, ‘You say so.’ But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. Then Pilate said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?’ But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
Now at the festival the governor was accustomed to release a prisoner for the crowd, anyone whom they wanted. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Jesus Barabbas. So after they had gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ For he realized that it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over. While he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.’ Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed. The governor again said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ And they said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate said to them, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ All of them said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ Then he asked, ‘Why, what evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified!’
So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.’ Then the people as a whole answered, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ So he released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’
Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, “I am God’s Son.” ’ The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, ‘This man is calling for Elijah.’ At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.’ Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’
Reflection - Why Jesus Barabbas?
When I read this passage and draw it into myself; I must ask myself... "Was I the one released?" Am I Jesus Barabbas the notorious prisoner? And then I ponder.... I ponder my past. I ponder and reflect upon my sin. I think of the sins that have held me prisoner. I think of the sins that have caused pain and suffering to other's. I ponder the sin that has left me a notorious prisoner just like Jesus Barabbas. And I think, yes, I AM Jesus Barabbas. and Jesus who is called the Messiah is the great I AM.
And then it happens. It happens right before my eyes. I see it as I read this passage of Scripture. I see my notorious sin passed from me to Jesus who is called the Messiah. I see my sin passing from me to this other Jesus who has been with me all of my life, even when I was unaware of his presence. I deserve death. The sin I have committed deserves death! That's the truth of the matter. But here and now, in front of my eyes as I read and experience this Scripture, I see myself as Jesus Barabbas and I see my sin that deserves death and eternal damnation and hell passing from me into the body of this Jesus who is called the Messiah. This man... the God... the great I AM is taking on my sin fully and silently and even at the screams of the crowd all around, that this Jesus who they call the Messiah must die. Yes, they say he must die as my sin passes into him and this Jesus who they call the Messiah accepts my sin, my punishment, into himself.
How can this be? This is not fair? This is not justice! Why this turn of events?
And then it hits me. I'm not the only one who is condemned as Jesus Barabbas. What about that time when the adulteress was to be stoned? What about how Jesus wrote into the dirt? What about the question? Whoever is without sin throw the first stone. And they all walked away. Aren't all of us in the same position of Jesus Barabbas? Is there one person without sin? (John 8:1-11 my paraphrase)
Jesus did not condemn the woman. Jesus saved the woman. Jesus did not condemn Jesus Barabbas. Jesus saved Jesus Barabbas even though Jesus Barabbas deserved death.
"‘Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.(John 3:17-18)"
We all fall into place as Jesus Barabbas. Jesus who they call the Messiah must die. Yes, it's true. Jesus the great I AM, must die for all to be saved. The sin of all people passed that day into Jesus the one they called the Messiah. And the Word of this Scripture still stands this day as we see it right before our eyes, as we hear it with our ears and we touch it with our touch and as this Word takes away our sin into the very being of Jesus the on who IS the Messiah.
And then we all together read the Scripture. We see our sin, mocked. We see our sin, punished. We see our sin whipped and on display before all of the people. Yes we see our sin hammered and nailed to that cross. We see all of the people making fun of Jesus the Messiah who has taken on our sin. We see the separation from God that our sin has brought to Jesus, God in flesh. We see God abandon Jesus, our sin, hanging and bleeding in the presence of all those who care, but more so in the presence of all of those who mock and laugh and poke fun of OUR sin... MY sin... YOUR sin. There it is! There is what I and you and all of us deserve hanging on that cross!
But... why not me? Why not you? Why aren't we on that cross? It's our sin after all. This isn't the sin of Jesus the Messiah. Jesus the Messiah lived life without sin! Why? Why? Give me this punishment I deserve! Don't kill Jesus the Messiah!
And then it happens. My sin dies. My sin gives up the last breath. This Jesus the Messiah died in my sin... in your sin... in the sin of all the people. This Jesus gave his very life and became the sin of all the world. This Jesus the Messiah took the stones that I deserved and died.
Died and the temple curtain exposed God to all the world. As the curtain tore open there was God exposed not only to the high priest but to all of the people. Yes, in this death of the sin of all the world, God now was open to all the world. The Love of God in Christ Jesus lay naked and bare for all of us to see. Jesus' deep and gracious love has now been exposed and shown to all of us who deserved the death that Jesus endured.
Yet in all of this... we wait... we wait... we wait... to see what's next. I can't believe what just occurred. What occurred those thousands of years ago and what occurred as I read these words of Scripture again this day. I can't believe any of this with my own reasoning or strength. I can't come to Jesus on my own will or way. But I know I am called. Called by and through the Holy Spirit. I am called to testify to what has happened those thousands of years passed and what has just happened this day as I read the Scripture once again (Luther's Small Catechism Explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles Creed my paraphrase)
Yet for now... I wait... You wait... All of us wait... God has so much more in store!
Song
Lord forgive me for the stark reality of my sin. Forgive me and save me, I pray.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib0taZ9TZdw
Prayer
Jesus... you did it all... yes all... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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