Barabbas the Messiah
This morning I was reading with the Lord from the Passion Account. I’m reading it from The Story, a biblical narrative that pieces together the story of Scripture into a chronological and narrative format. It is stirring to read God’s Story in such a dramatic way. It truly is “the greatest story every told.”
I’ve come all the way up to the events of Jesus’ crucifixion. Among so many things that caught my eye and my heart’s attention, I noticed Barabbas.
With this Pilate went out to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”
They shouted back, “No! Not HIM! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising. (emphasis mine)
The Jews in Pilate’s mobbing audience that day had a choice to make. What sort of Savior would they choose? Barabbas had obviously been a participant, if not a ring leader in a political revolt. Messiahs were seen as an out for the Jews that were living as slaves in their own land. The promises of God were at stake here; they knew that if they were faithful to his Law that they would find rest from the Roman oppression (and Pilate’s anti-semitic prejudice).
But who to choose? Do we choose Jesus of Nazareth? A man who has done his fair share of miracles, causing the blind to see and the deaf to hear? But he is so slippery when it comes to following the Law of Moses – sometimes it looks like he loves it and other times he wants nothing to do with it…Jesus just didn’t make any sense. And who is to say that Satan was not behind his powers? Jesus pushed away armies of men when they tried to make him king, and as he stands before Pilate his 12 “soldiers”, his only followers, are nowhere to be found.
Or do we choose Barabbas? A man of impressive record. He has quite a following, an extensive military background, and is ready for action. He may not have miraculous powers to heal lepers, but he is ready for action and tired of Roman rule. He is zealous for God’s Law and God’s People. He especially is interested in freedom. None of this pithy “Kingdom of God is within you” stuff – he will bring God’s Kingdom to earth and smash our enemies, showing them once and for all who to serve! And look at all the supporters he has! We’ve got an army that could take out Caesar himself!
It makes me wonder if I have understood “The Messiah” poorly all these years. For me, it is so easy to follow Barabbas, and Jesus so easily slips through the crowds I have rallied together. Barabbas is the Messiah of Man – the messiah of vengeance, violence, and looking out for Number One. If given the opportunity, I believe Barabbas would have taken his place on the throne in Jerusalem, and every Jew would have believed that he was the Messiah prophesied about…until Barabbas’ rule became overbearing, then the people would have started looking elsewhere.
But Jesus is the Messiah sent from God. A messiah who subverts not only the government but the entire culture of humankind. He is the messiah of peace, sanity, and loving your enemies. He came to fulfill the Law, not just to uphold it. His rule is not only on this earth, but in our imaginations; our souls; and beyond. He is the governor of all things created in heaven or on earth. Jesus the Messiah transcends my need to preserve my rights as a citizen, or human, and even transcends my need for self-preservation. Jesus was not of this earth, and his revolt was not of this earth. His greatest battle was won in Hell after he was killed by his own people. He slay Death and Sin and arose in victory! He was working toward an infinitely greater goal than was Barabbas. And following Jesus is the only way to ever find freedom, as Jews in the first century, or Americans in the 21st.
But each day the question remains, “Who will be your Messiah?”
