IT’S FRIDAY. BUT SUNDAY’S COMING! Faces Around the Cross: The Face of Fortune

•He is an infamous face.

•Yet he never speaks a single word.

•We know nothing about his family.  His Age. Or marital status.

•He disappears from the Bible record as quickly as he appears.

•Yet movies have been made about him.  Books have been written.  Sermons have been preached.

Can you guess who he is?

Barabbas.

Joe Lowe was right when he wrote, “The face of Barabbas is truly the face of good fortune. Never has a better thing happened to a man on the day of his expected crucifixion.”

Matthew calls him a “notorious prisoner” (Matt 27:16).  Luke records that he was an “insurrectionist who had committed murder in the insurrection” (Lk.23;18). John reveals that Barabbas was a robber. (Jn 18:40).

It’s Friday and Barabbas is sitting in prison.  It’s where he belonged.  He was a scourge against society. A threat to law and order. A menace to mankind.

It’s been estimated that his cell was only about 300 yards away from where Jesus was being tried.  It’s likely that he could hear the cry of the crowd.  But probably couldn’t hear what Pilate was saying.

So imagine Barabbas sitting in that cell.  Thinking about his crimes.  Knowing that his execution was imminent.  What he may not have known is that according to the Jews’ custom a prisoner could be released at the Passover.

So, Pilate says to the mob, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”

The crowd cries, “BARABBAS!”

Then Pilate asks, “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?”

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

When Pilate tries to pacify the people and talk them out of crucifying Christ, they cry louder and louder, “CRUCIFY HIM!”

Now all Barabbas can hear is “BARABBAS….CRUICFY HIM….CRUCIFY HIM!”

So, when the Roman guard  opens the cell door, Barabbas knows this is the end.  But to his surprise the soldier says, “You’re free to go.”

What?  Why?  How?  Barabbas wonders.  And the guard explains.  “Someone else is dying in your place.  A man named Jesus.”

Barabbas the rebel.  The robber.  The killer.  And a blatant sinner before God.  Now released because Jesus took his place.  On that Friday he received grace.  Discovered redemption.  Found freedom.

What happened to Barabbas, has happened to me.  To you.  To us all.  We’re rebels.  Sinners.  Deserving of death.  The problem is that most of us look down on folks like Barabbas as bad people.  Like the Pharisee, we thank God, “we’re good!

But we’ve all sinned.  Cut corners.  Lied. Gossiped. Cheated. Falsely accused. Lost our temper. Mistreated others.

On the Friday that Barabbas found freedom, Jesus paid the price and died in my place that I too might be free.  Free from Satan’s shackles.  Free from sin’s imprisonment.  Free from the sentence of death.

What happened to Barabbas.  The Bible doesn’t say.  Legend says that he went to Golgotha’s hill and watched Jesus die in his place. You would like to think that he did.  And that following Jesus’ resurrection, Barabbas met Jesus and became His disciple.

Some sources say that Barabbas was later killed while taking part in another insurrection.

We don’t know what he did.  But we can know and choose what we will do.  Christ died that we might live.  May we make the right choice so we can sing with the poet Elvina Hall..

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman