Rev. J. Loren Russell
Mathew 27:20-22
“But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said, “Barabbas!”
Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”
The Friday morning of the crucifixion was a pivotal day in the life of the priests and the people. The chief priest and the elders of the people made plans on how to have Jesus executed. The Bible says that they bound Him and handed Him over to the governor to be tried. The only reply Jesus made to the charge of being king of the Jews was, “You have said so.” Judas, the man who betrayed Him, was filled with remorse but unable to reverse his deceitful deed, so he went out and hung himself.
Without a defense to the charges leveled against Him, Jesus was convicted and sentenced to be crucified. However, it was the custom during Passover that the governor would release a condemned criminal at the pleasure of the crowd. There was a well-known prisoner named Barabbas, who Pilate, the governor, asked the gathered crowd if he should release, or if they preferred that it be Jesus. Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent of the charges. Even his wife tried to influence him and sent a message that read, “Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.” But the crowd cried out, “Barabbas!” They rejected Jesus and told Pilate to crucify Him! The Bible says that Pilate “took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person.”
I wonder what the guilty thief thought about being set free while an innocent man was condemned to die. But an even greater curiosity for me is the mentality of the people who chose to free a guilty scoundrel and crucify the King of kings. Their demand for the release of Barabbas reveals their desire to remain in darkness, unenlightened, and lost. They had to know of the miraculous resurrecting of Jairus’s daughter from death, and His raising Lazarus from the grave. They must have been aware of His healing the man with the withered hand and giving sight to blind Bartimaeus. Yet they deliberately chose to reject Jesus and have Him crucified.
I would argue that a comparable position exists in the post-modern church. “Give us Barabbas!” I see how the modern-day church is following in that trend and failing the world by displaying a concept of God that belies that which was handed down to us from the Apostles. We don’t want Jesus, we want Barabbas.
Far too many of our modern-day churches are very entertaining, but not enriching; happy and snappy, glitzy, and glamorous, but void of transformative doctrine. We have chosen Barabbas over Jesus, and it is reflected in the lives of the people. Far too many churches are teaching a gospel that conflicts with the doctrine of love that Jesus taught.
If a church has a doctrine that does not embrace the broken, the beaten, the depressed, the poor, the hungry, the least and the rejected, then you know you have chosen Barabbas. A church (or an individual) that has chosen Jesus, teaches and preaches the great commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:37-39).
It’s easy to get caught up in the crowd mentality, asking for Barabbas. But genuine faith doesn’t give in and doesn’t give up. If I can quote the Apostle Paul, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Make sure that you choose Jesus.
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and is the spiritual leader of the Evangelical Church of God, both in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company/J Loren R Consulting, LLC for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096) and is the executive producer and host of “Matters of Faith: The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on the Matters of Faith YouTube Channel and Facebook Live. Be sure to ‘Friend’ us. Email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177.
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