WATCHWORD:
One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. Mark 15:7
As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you—Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Matthew 27:17
But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” John 18:40
Meanwhile, the leading priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas to be released and for Jesus to be put to death. Matthew 27:20
Meditation:
Barabbas, Man of God?
Most of us have been introduced to Barabbas, the notorious leader of the Zealots in Jerusalem during that time leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. His life is referenced in eleven verses of the New Testament and then he disappears. However, he emerges as an unlikely hero on the pages of a work of historical fiction, my novel A Life for Barabbas.
The novel details Barabbas’ spiritual transformation from an unrepentant rebel to a strong Christian leader. The pattern of this man’s faith journey mimics the critical points of our own faith development. He was saved from certain death by crucifixion. We are saved from the wages of sin and death through Christ’s death on the Cross. He had an encounter with Christ on Calvary. We encountered Christ when we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior.
Barabbas struggled with “why did that man die in my place?” We have the same question. He has a difficult time understanding and accepting what he had heard and seen. His struggles were resolved through the Resurrection and the fellowship with the disciples. Even today, we have questions that seem illusive, yet, our faith calls us to trust and obey, and follow the nudgings of the Holy Spirit.
Very often our own faith journey starts with someone else’s understanding of faith. For many it’s the faith of our parents or significant others in our young lives. Something happens along the way and we come to the realization that the borrowed faith from others has become our personal faith. What we believe has become a real thing that impacts the practice of living. In the practice of our Christian faith we find support and encouragement from fellow believers.
Granted, most of our lives, our Christian walk, may not be as scary, or colorful, or heroic as detailed in the novel, but if we are honest with ourselves we do arrive at a point when we walk, as Jesus would have us walk, we emerge transformed. My definition of a Christian is pretty simple; that quality emerges for believers as grace through our efforts to imitate Christ.
Our lives, as Christians, are not fictional, they are real and as we travel, day by day, we encounter hills and valleys, smooth roads and rough ones, successes and failures, yet at the end of each day we know we are loved by God. Each day contains opportunities for us to practice the presence of God. Amen.
Bulletin Board:
“There was Jesus nailed cruelly to the cross. Barabbas desperately wanted to leave, to run away, to erase this scene from his mind, but something within him told him to stay, to remember this scene.” (A darkness settled over Calvary.) “Then a guard called out that it was just a dust storm, nothing more. Barabbas wasn’t sure about that. He looked back to the cross and realized that Jesus was now looking at him. Him! He was not mistaken… it was as if Jesus was reaching out and touching him. From the cross, Jesus touched him!” Excerpt from A Life for Barabbas, pages 16-17.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, we are so grateful to have a loving God who we can approach! Thank You for receiving our prayers and for reconciling our relationship with You through Jesus Christ. Our only hope rests in You Jesus, and we praise Your holy and worthy name! Holy Spirit, engage us and bring to our minds the promises of God that we may be comforted in hard times and lifted up… always remembering our Father in Heaven who is for us! In the name of Jesus, Amen.
