Preached at Faith Baptist Church
    By Pastor Steven Mays

    Barabbas or Jesus?

    TEXT. De 30:19

    I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:


    TURN ALSO TO...

    TEXT: MARK 15:1-15

    1 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
    2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.
    3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.
    4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
    5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
    6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
    7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
    8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
    9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
    10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
    11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.
    12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
    13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.
    14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
    15 And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

    LIFE COULD BE EASILY SUMMED UP BY THE CHOICES WE MADE. EVERY DAY WE ARE FACED WITH GREAT AND SMALL CHOICES. THE STATE OF MATURITY IN LIFE IS PERHAPS THE STATE WHEN WE ARE MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES....

    IN OUR TEXT WE SEE THE LORD OF LORD AND KINGS OF KINGS ON TRIAL FALSLEY BY GUILTY INDIVIDUALS. WE READ IN VERSE 10 THAT THE CHIEF PRIESTS HAD "delivered him for envy". THEY DETERMINED THAT THEY WOULD RATHER HAVE BARABBAS THAN JESUS.... THIS MORNING THAT HAS TO ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS CHOICES OF ALL TIMES. IT IS A CHOICE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL, BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG. THE CHOICE WE SEE TODAY IS A CHOICE BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT WORLD.

    IT WAS A SOLEMN DAY WHEN JESUS STOOD IN SILENCE BEFORE PILATE AND A WORKED UP SEMI-RELIGIOUS CROWD.... THIS WAS A DAY WITH FAR REACHING CONSEQUENCES EVERYWHERE ABOUNDING.... IT WAS A DAY WHEN SOULS WERE BEING CALLED UPON TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION FOR THE WORLD OR FOR GOD HIM SELF....

    THIS MORNING I WANT TO NOTICE FOR A MOMENT
    "BARABBAS OR JESUS".

    I. NOTICE WHO THESE MEN ARE....

    BARABBAS AND JESUS

    1.) BARABBAS.....

    7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.

    Barabbas. The word means "son of a father". Some have made him a type of the guilty human race. HE IS A LAW BREAKER, HE IS SELF WILLED. HE IS IN CUSTODY BECAUSE HE LED A INSURECTION AND DURING THAT INSERECTION HE COMMITTED MURDER. HE ALSO IS A ROBBER. HE HAS NO USE FOR GOD AND ONLY WANTS WHAT HE CAN GET FROM HIS FELOW MAN.

    John 18:40 ....Now Barabbas was a robber.

    BARABBAS TYPIFIES MANKIND. HE IS LOST, NEEDY, HE IS DEAD IN TREASPASSES AND SINS, BUT HE DOESN'T SEE IT! HE THINKING HAS BEEN CLOUDED BY HIS FEELINGS AND HIS DESIRES!

    2.) THE LORD JESUS CHRIST........

    10* For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.

    JESUS. THE WORD MEANS SAVIOUR... HE IS THE SON OF GOD AND THE FRIEND OF ALL MAN KIND. ONE WHO ALWAYS DID GOOD AND NEVER SAID ONE WORD OUT OF PLACE. HE IS IN CUSTODY ACCORDING TO VR. 10 BECAUSE OF THE ENVY OF THE HIGH PRIESTS. HE IS GOING TO SUFFER FOR CRIMES THAT HE HAS NOT COMMITTED, FOR SIN WHICH HE NEVER KNEW.

    1. LK. 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
    2. Lu 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. 32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
    3. Eze 34:16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

    II. NOTICE WHAT THESE MEN ARE...

    THEY ARE REPRESENTATIVES OF TWO DIFFERENT KINGDOMS...

    THE BARABBAS KINGDOM

    IS THE KINGDOM OF THE PRESENT WORLD. THIS KINGDOM IS GOVERNED BY DARKNESS AND THE DEVIL. THE GREAT BUSINESS OF THIS KINGDOM IS TO ROB MEN OF ALL THEY HAVE. THIS IS A DECEITFUL KINGDOM. THIS KINGDOM PROMISES PLEASURE RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW!

      THIS KINGDOM EXALTS SELF:

      SELF ADVANCEMENT
      SELF ESTEME,
      SELF EXALTING,
      SELF-ISH-NESS,
      ELF CENTERED-NESS,
      SELF DEPENDENCE,
      SELF ENJOYMENT,
      SELF INDULGENCE,
      SELF LOVING,
      SELF PITTY,
      AND EVEN SELF PRAISE!

    MEN IN THIS KINGDOM ARE SET FREE TO SIN ALL THEY WANT!

    THE JESUS KINGDOM

    THE JESUS KINGDOM REPRESENT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. JESUS STANDS FOR THE SACRIFICE OF SIN, HE STANDS FOR ETERNAL LIFE! HE REPRESENTS THEKINGDOM OF LIGHT. THIS KINGDOM CONCENTRATES ON THINGS NOT SEEN, ON THINGS THAT ARE ETERNAL!

      THIS KINDOM ABASES SELF. HERE THERE IS ATTITUDE OF...

      1. SELF LESSNESS,
      2. SELF DENIAL,
      3. SELF DISCIPLINE
      4. SELF CORRECTION
      5. SELF HUMILIATION


    JESUS SETS MAN FREE FROM SIN IN HIS KINGDOM.

    III. NOTICE WHERE THESE MEN ARE...

    MATT. 27:21 21 The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.

    THESE MEN STAND BEFORE THE PEOPLE. THEY DEMAND A DECISION. YOU MUST CHOOSE.

    Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;
    1 KINGS 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions?

    ILLUSTRATION: A WHO WANTED TO REMAIN NEUTRAL DURING THE CIVIL WAR DECIDED TO GO ONTO A BATTLEFIELD WEARING A BLUE JACKET AND GREY PANTS DURING THE CIVIL WAR TO TRY TO STOP THE FIGHTING... HE WAS SHOT FROM THE NORTH IN THE PANTS AND FROM THE SOUTH IN THE JACKET.

    1. YOU CANNOT HAVE BOTH. MANY WOULD LIKE TO BE NEUTRAL. YE CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMON.. YOU CANNOT HAVE JESUS AND BARABBAS. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY STAND FOR... THEY ARE OPPOSITES..

    2. ONE WILL ALLOW YOU TO KEEP GOING THE WAY YOU ARE.. ONE DEMANDS IMMEDIATE CHANGE.. ONE OFFERS THE HERE AND NOW THE OTHER OFFERS THE HERE AFTER...

    TO ACCEPT ONE IS TO REJECT THE OTHER. THE RICH YOUNG RULER CHOSE RICHES IN THIS LIFE OVER RICHES IN THE NEXT.

    PERHAPS FROM GUILT OR MAYBE FROM CONVICTION PILATE LITERALLY WASHED HIS HANDS OF THE THE MATTER... BUT MAY I ASK YOU, DID THIS MAN WHO ALLOWED THEM TO RELEASE A MURDERED AND A ROBBER MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE? OF COURSE NOT. ALL HE DID WAS A LITTLE SOMETHING TO MAKE HIM FEEL BETTER ABOUT HIS GUILT! HIS HANDS MAY HAVE APPEARED CLEAN BUT IN REALITY THEY WERE DRIPPING WITH THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB OF GOD HE JUST PERMITTED TO BE CRUCIFIED.

    THINK ABOUT IT TODAY.. JOHN. 1: SAY'S, "HE CAME UNTO HIS OWN BUT HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT..." INSTEAD THEY CHOOSE A ROBBER...

    CONCLUDING THOUGHT...

    DL MOODY'S ILLUSTRATION ON WAITING ANOTHER WEEK.... ON A SUNDAY NIGHT LATE IN THE LAST CENTURY, DL MOODY WAS PREACHING ON, "WHAT SHALL I DO WITH CHRIST?", WHEN HE GOT TO THE CLOSE OF THE MSG. HE SAID, "NOW I WANT YOU TO GO HOME AND COME BACK NEXT SUNDAY, AND DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH CHRIST", THAT NIGHT THE FILLED AUDITORIUM EMPTIED AND WENT TO THEIR HOMES.... SOMEWHERE ON INTO THE EVENING THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE BEGAN... THOUSANDS OF BUILDINGS BURNED AND HUNDREDS DIED... SOME OF THOSE MOODY HAD PREACHED TO.... HE LATER STATED THAT, "NEVER AGAIN WOULD HE TELL PEOPLE TO GO HOME AND WAIT A WEEK TO ACCEPT CHRIST.... FOR WHO IS PROMISED A TOMORROW... LET ALONE ANOTHER WEEK.

    IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS... THINK ABOUT WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE WHEN THEY TOOK THE LORD....

      1. when Christ was apprehended, they were let go;
      2. when he was bound they were loosed;
      3. when he was condemned, they were released, and acquitted; and
      4. when the sword of CRUEL MOCK justice was awaked against him, the hand of grace and mercy was turned upon them.





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