The Trial of The Ages: What’s Your Verdict?
(cev)Mat 27:15 Every year at Passover time the governor would free one prisoner–whichever one the people wanted him to free.
:16 At that time there was a man in prison who was known to be very bad. His name was Barabbas.
:17 When the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, “I will free one man for you. Which one do you want me to free: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” …
:21 ” The people answered, “give us Barabbas!”
:22 Pilate asked, “So what should I do with Jesus, the one called the
Messiah?” All the people said, “crucify him on a cross!”
Humm, Notice something here: While the custom was to free someone from the penalty of their crimes once a year, (Forgiven by an act called the custom of release) but who says we can’t do it daily? And notice something else here.
I like to call this the custom of forgiveness. Maybe there is someone in your life you need to set free? Free from condemnation, from judgment, from hate, from envy, from abandonment, from loneliness, from neglect.
Maybe the person you need to set free may be you? Free yourself from self righteousness, from pornography, from sin, from hate, from this or that?
You get the point. Just forgive yourself and move forward of course after you have asked God to forgive you as well. But back to our verse.
While Barabbas represented crime, robbery, adultery, rape, murder, hate, selfishness, abortion, drunkenness, pedophiles and gay rights etc.
He was everything opposite of Christ.
Jesus Christ on the other hand represented peace, love, joy, forgiveness, healing, hope, new life, deliverance, abundant life etc.
But look what the people asked for instead, “give us Barabbas!”
In other words give us perversion, hate, abortion, gay rights, murder and disease, depression and despair but don’t give us Jesus; don’t give us hope, deliverance or healing, don’t give us boundaries or restrict our lives, give us choice? Don’t give us blessing: give us cursing. Jesus said it so appropriately “ye know not what you ask for, ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust”. The sad part about this verse is this: Not sure if anybody ever notice but the trial is still going on today each day in people’s lives and hearts?
The custom of release is twofold: In the one we are to release/forgive and offer freedom and hope to others.
While on the flip side of this act takes place another trial. Here in which YOU render a VERDICT you are asked to choose one or the other. Asked by that the world, God=JESUS, friends and family, all of which take note each day of your choice? Who would you have, which do you want? Which are you seeking? JESUS or BARABBAS? Hint Hint Your lifestyle more than your words will tell/show the answer!
