Jesus for Barabbas
One More... Read Romans 5 I was listening to the book of Mark being read on my audioBible on my way to work and I was struck by the fact that the crowd demanded the release of a known murderer in place of Jesus Christ! In Mark 15, Pilate offers the crowd the option of either releasing Barabbas or the King of the Jews. The crowd requests Barabbas! Then I read Romans 5:8, “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” In a very physical, literal way, Jesus took Barabbas’s place and died for him. What injustice! Imagine for a moment that you are the leader of a new religious movement that promotes service, taking care of the outcast, and following the ways of God. You’ve been brought before a judge who does not consider you a criminal. The judge thinks that a trial by jury will be your best defense and that an even better defense will be a jury that has to choose between releasing you or a known felon. You are brought before the jury and the...