"Jesus or Barabbas?"
03/12/13 09:03
December 3, 2013
“Jesus or Barabbas?”
Blessings folk!
Today’s reading:
Matthew 27:15-23
Mark 15:6-14
Luke 23:17-23
John 18:39-40
pastedGraphic
One would think that the decision would be simple.
Who to choose?
Jesus?
Barabbas?
Pilate had a problem.
He knew that Jesus had been brought before him due to the envy of the Jewish leadership.
His wife warned him about Jesus. She had a dream.
Pilate wanted to release Jesus.
Pilate thought he could “massage” the situation by providing polar choices for the feast prison release.
He was wrong.
Barabbas was a “notorious prisoner”, an “insurrectionists”.
He was a political prisoner.
Think “freedom fighter”.
The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to choose Barabass over Jesus.
Such was their hatred for the Son of Man.
There was no reasoning with the crowd or their leadership.
There response to questioning?
“Crucify Him!”
Most of us readily condemn those who did not choose Jesus...but there is more to the story.
Even today, many within the professing Body of Christ “choose Barabbas”.
They believe that the Kingdom of God is to be expedited and manifest through the strategies and structures of man - especially governmental and organizational religion. Such is not truth.
They think that political approaches are worthy of the Kingdom.
Wrong.
They choose “Barabbas” when Jesus is the solution.
Who do you choose?
“Jesus or Barabbas?”
Blessings folk!
Today’s reading:
Matthew 27:15-23
Mark 15:6-14
Luke 23:17-23
John 18:39-40
pastedGraphic
One would think that the decision would be simple.
Who to choose?
Jesus?
Barabbas?
Pilate had a problem.
He knew that Jesus had been brought before him due to the envy of the Jewish leadership.
His wife warned him about Jesus. She had a dream.
Pilate wanted to release Jesus.
Pilate thought he could “massage” the situation by providing polar choices for the feast prison release.
He was wrong.
Barabbas was a “notorious prisoner”, an “insurrectionists”.
He was a political prisoner.
Think “freedom fighter”.
The chief priests and elders persuaded the crowd to choose Barabass over Jesus.
Such was their hatred for the Son of Man.
There was no reasoning with the crowd or their leadership.
There response to questioning?
“Crucify Him!”
Most of us readily condemn those who did not choose Jesus...but there is more to the story.
Even today, many within the professing Body of Christ “choose Barabbas”.
They believe that the Kingdom of God is to be expedited and manifest through the strategies and structures of man - especially governmental and organizational religion. Such is not truth.
They think that political approaches are worthy of the Kingdom.
Wrong.
They choose “Barabbas” when Jesus is the solution.
Who do you choose?