On the solemn day after the Passover almost two thousands years ago, the Lord and Messiah Jesus died for the sins of the world. There were three crosses on that day. Three were crucified. On either side of Jesus, a criminal suffered and died, yet He Himself had no sin of His own.
Jesus was betrayed by one of His closest friends and was condemned by Pontius Pilate. Pilate freed a criminal named Jesus Barabbas, while he allowed the Jews to take Jesus of Nazareth and crucify Him.
Maybe, just maybe, Barabbas was supposed to be that third criminal crucified on that day. The Bible doesn’t tell us that it was so, but it is a possibility. Barabbas had taken part in an uprising and committed murder, so he was a likely candidate for crucifixion.
If so, image what Barabbas would have been feeling. His life was coming to a close. Like many other Jews, he hated the Romans and wanted a political Messiah to come and free them from under Roman rule. Maybe he thought that he was such a Messiah.
But then things went nasty for him. He was captured and sentenced to crucifixion—maybe the other two criminals were part of his band who were captured at the same time.
Imagine Barabbas sitting in the Roman dungeon on the morning after the Passover, waiting to be crucified later on that day. Maybe he heard the rooster crow just after Peter had denied knowing Jesus and known that his day of death had dawned. All hope was gone. He could do nothing.
But then, everything changed. He was released and another took his place—Jesus of Nazareth. Another took the whipping that he was supposed to take. Another was scourged and beaten in his place. Another carried the cross that he was supposed to bear. Another was spit upon and cursed when it was supposed to be him.
And finally, another was crucified in his place.
Maybe Barabbas was at the scene of the crucifixion, looking at the three crosses; those of the criminals like him, who deserved to die, and another, who didn’t deserve to die but had willingly taken his place. All the brutalities and condemnation that should have been inflicted upon Jesus Barabbas were inflicted upon Jesus of Nazareth.
We are all Barabbases. We have all done wrong things. We are all deserving of death because we have broken God’s holy commandments. We all should have been crucified on that middle cross.
But something happened. Another came—Jesus of Nazareth—Who had no sin, Who had done nothing wrong, and willingly took our place. All the brutalities, insults, shame and condemnation that should have been inflicted upon us He took upon His shoulders.
We are all Barabbases. But Jesus willingly took our place, pardoned us and set us free. This Easter, let us remember Him.
The Chronicles of Storyteller 