Earlier this morning, I was reading about the events leading up to and including Jesus’ crucifixion. Something stood out to me like never before. When given the choice by Pilate, the people chose salvation for a prisoner and criminal (Barabbas) over Jesus (Matthew 27:15-26). Conversely, while hanging on the cross, Jesus chose a criminal for salvation (Luke 23:39-43). These two contrasting scenes get right to the heart of the Gospel – and our hearts, too.
The Crowd’s Choice: Barabbas
Each of the four gospels recount the events where Jesus faces Pontius Pilate and the public for claiming to be the Messiah, the Son of God, and the King of the Jews (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 18). There is a lot of back and forth among all of them, as if no one really wants to be responsible for making the choice. Yet a choice needs to be made, and one ultimately is:
The crowd collectively chooses Barabbas, who is guilty, rebellious, and violent, instead of Jesus, who is innocent, righteous, and gentle.
There’s two components to this choice. First, in our humanity, we often reject the very thing sent to save us. Jesus was sent to save them (and us) (John 3:16), yet they (and we) often choose everything but Him. We choose what’s comfortable. We choose what we understand. We choose what’s familiar.
Second, scripturally and symbolically, Barabbas was saved from a criminal’s punishment (i.e., got to walk free), which he rightly deserved. But, because the crowd rejected Jesus in favor of Barabbas, Jesus was substituted in place of the criminal. Jesus bore the punishment Barabbas was meant to receive.
Jesus’ Choice: The criminal
Jesus is hung between two criminals, all three being crucified on a cross. One of these criminals mocks Jesus. The other asks for His mercy. In the presence of the Savior, this criminal recognizes his own guilt, Jesus’ innocence, and Jesus’ Kingdom. He humbly asks Jesus to remember him, and the Savior can’t help but respond to him with compassion and mercy, assuring the criminal He will see him in Paradise.
At the very moment the crowd is rejecting Him for a criminal, Jesus is receiving a criminal into the Kingdom. Essentially, the crowd says, “Give us a sinner instead of the Savior.” Jesus says, “Give me the sinner, and I will be his Savior.”
This is Us
It’s important that we pause and remember to see ourselves from all perspectives in these events.
- We are like the crowd when we reject Jesus and His ways
- We are like Barabbas – guilty and released because Jesus is our substitute
- We are like the criminal on the cross – deserving of judgment, and invited instead into His mercy through faith in Him
This is the Gospel
The same type of person the world preferred over Jesus is the same type of person Jesus came to bring with Him. This is the enduring truth of the Gospel that transcends time and human understanding. There is no better news for sinners desiring to be saved by grace through faith.
With that, I wish a joyful and blessed Resurrection Sunday to all those in Christ! We have so much to be thankful for, and so much to celebrate!
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