How can evil, pain and suffering exist if there is an Omniscient, Loving God?  

Evil exists when we remove God.  

The problem of God and Evil

I am Barabas

Don't we all hate when justice is not served....  When the bad guys prevails and the good guy loses out.  
Trayvon.....The Vera Monezi Story--A Brazilian woman speaks out about sexual harassment, and is victimized again, Modern Slavery around the world.  

List great injustices of our time.....

We as Americans love the good ending... and are really thrown through  a loop when a movie does not end happily ever after.  Clint Eastwood always kills the bad guy.  Will Smith always comes out on top.  

Matthew 27 tells us a story where Justice was not served.  

We pick up here after Jesus has been arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, by the religious police and he has already been brought before the Jewish high priest and elders, who had already convicted Jesus of blasphemy, but they based on Roman law, did not have the authority to sentence a man  to the ultimate punishment, the death penalty.  

They had charged and convicted him of blashpemy, for claiming that he was God.  But in order for them to get a death sentence they had to bring him to Pontius Pilate the high priest over their land.  They accused him of treason, claiming that he claimed to be king.  

Pilate really had no interest in dealing with this matter, but because of the large mob that gathered outside of his palace, he was compelled to address them.  

Pilate in part because of his wife informing him that Jesus was in fact a righteous man who he should not prosecute came up with what he thought was a plan to get Jesus released.  He offered up Barabbas....

Barabbas  was vile, Matthew calls him a “notorious prisoner” (27:16).
Mark says he was in prison with the “insurrectionists” (15:7) who had committed murder.
Luke says he was in prison for insurrection and murder (23:19).
John adds that he had taken part in a rebellion (19:40). Peter called him a murderer (Acts 3:14) Pilate, scared to stand for what he thought was right, figured that the people would want to have him crucified instead of Jesus and in an attempt to satiate the mob he would offer this evil man in Jesus' stead. 

Pilate severely underestimated the hatred the Jewish leaders had stirred up against Jesus. He thought that his declaration of this man’s innocence would be enough. Instead the people under the leadership of the high priest and his counsel, shouted for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to take his place.  They not only shouted for Jesus to take Barabbas' place, but for him to be crucified.  It was not enough to let the sinner go and imprison Christ, they wanted Christ to be put to death.  Barabbas was free to go, and Jesus was going to die in his place.  

Barabbas was just like you, he was just like me. No, you may not have murdered or robbed anyone..... lately, but If you realize it, admit it or not, Barabbas symbolizes each and everyone of us.  For we all sin, Romans 3:23.  and the wages of this sin is death, Rom 6:23 and the Gift of God is eternal life through His son Jesus Christ.  

Just like Barabbas we were imprisoned awaiting our sentencing, death,  deserving the punishment that we were to receive.    Barabbas had already been convicted, just as we were the second that Adam disobeyed God and ate of the apple.,  a death sentence was placed upon all of humanity one that Adam and Eve passed down to you and I.  The second you had that sinful thought.  

Just like Barabbas, instead of one day being a recipient of the death penalty that definitely awaited him, he was substituted for by Jesus.  Jesus died in his stead.  Jesus paid the price for his sin, to no fault of His own.  

Just like Barabbas, because of Jesus's self sacrifice, we are free. 

Barabbas was guilty.
Jesus was innocent.
Barabbas lived, Jesus died. 

There is no mention in the Bible of Barabbas before or after him being freed at Jesus' expense.  One can only imagine that he did not even have the decency to acknowledge Jesus, to thank Jesus for the sacrifice that he was making for his life.  

Just like Barabbas, too many of us do not have the decency let alone the humility or faith to thank Jesus for the sacrifice that he made so that we could have life.   
 

Barabbas probably thought it was his popularity, his political clout, the movements that he created , that freed him.  He was arrogant enough to think that he was free because of himself.  Or even better, that he should not have been locked up in the first place.  

Just like Barabbas, we credit ourselves, our popularity, our material with our successes.  We are arrogant enough to think that we succeed, let alone wake up in the morning or breathe because of ourselves.  

Barabbas basically ignored Jesus as the reason for this freedom.  

Do you?

We know that after Jesus took Barabbas' place He was tortured, and subjected to physical pummeling like nothing you could imagine.  We know that he was hung high on a cross on a hill in Jerusalem, where he took on the penalty of Barabbas' sin, your sins, my sins and all of the sins of mankind.    We know that he died on that cross, and his bludgeoned body was placed in a tomb, but on the third day, this borrowed tomb was empty as our Lord and Savior had defeated death, he had defeated sin, so that the sins of Barabbas, the sins of mine, the sins of yours, for all who believe in him in their hearts and confess with their mouths we can like him, not live once but have eternal life.  

2014-04-02 03'19'48'

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James Andrews 20