Jump Start # 540

Luke 23:32 “Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him.” 

  The cross of Christ is central to the New Testament. It is the core of Biblical preaching and it is the single event that changes the eternity of thousands of believers. We sing, “Jesus keep me near the cross,” which is more than a song, it is a way of life for us. Keeping us near the cross reminds us of that great sacrifice and hope that rests for those that walk with Jesus. Keeping us near the cross has a way of keeping us out of trouble. It is near the cross that we are reminded of how much God loves us. It is at the cross that we discover the horror of our sins.

 Our passage today is about the cross of Jesus. He had been whisked through a series of trials, stood before Pilate, then King Herod and then Pilate again. The angry mob was growing impatient with the indecision of those in charge. They demanded His execution. Jesus who had shown mercy to multitudes, received none on that terrible day. Found to be innocent, Pilate closed His eyes to the murderous thirst of the mob. To the cross Jesus went.

  Our verse tells us that two others were led away to be executed with Jesus. This passage leads me to some questions that to be honest I don’t fully know the answers to. For instance, did the Romans “re-use” crosses for execution, or was each cross assembled and then destroyed afterwards? Did the soldiers already have three crosses ready at Calvary that day or was there enough lumber to make five crosses if they needed to? Or, could it be that they had planned to execute three criminals that day, however one got a pardon and Jesus took his place?  It makes you wonder if Barabbas was supposed to be executed that day. He was a well known criminal and may have been the ring leader and connected with the other two that died. Pilate’s offering the crowd Barabbas was not random. He chose the worst of the worst. He was a thug, thief and killer. His freedom and return to the streets meant more trouble and more heartache for the citizens of Jerusalem. It would have been breaking news the day he was arrest. People would have felt a sense of relief. With his freedom, more crime was surely to follow.

  Three crosses on a hill. Three lawless men were to meet their justice and doom. A gang that terrorized the streets of Jerusalem was to be eliminated. Finally, the law wins. It would show that crime doesn’t pay. This seems to fit the flow of the gospels. 

  But what a twist. The worst of the worst is released. He is released without turning over more names, more evidence or some compromise. He’s released to keep a mob from become riotous.

  I wonder if Barabbas could hear his name being called by the crowd? Tucked away in the prison, knowing his criminal life was about to come to an end, he hears a mob shouting his name. He doesn’t know why. He can’t hear Pilate. The governor asks who should be released and the crowd shouts, “Barabbas. Barabbas.” Pilate then asks, what about Jesus? The crowd shouts, “Crucify him. Crucify him.” Put those two loud statements  together and Barabbas hears his name and he hears, “Crucify him. Crucify him.” He feels that the end is coming. The guards appear. The prison door opens. He expects to be tied up and led to his death. Will he struggle and fight them all the way? Will he spit in the face of his executors? Instead, they tell him to go. Confused, but not wanting to stick around, he hurries out to his freedom. Someone else took his place that day. The guilty got away and the innocent died.

  We ought to see ourselves in Barabbas. It was us, not Christ who sinned. It was us, not Christ, who were held captive by Satan. It was us, not Christ, who disobeyed and disappointed God. There was a cross on a hill that was for us. It was assembled for us. Instead, Jesus took our place. Just like Barabbas, freedom is offered and our status has changed from guilty to innocent.

  I don’t know what ever happened to Barabbas. I don’t know if he ever knew what all happened and who took his place. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t care and worse, never changed his ways. Did he return to his criminal behavior and selfish attitudes? Did he die a violent death in a first century shoot out with Roman soldiers? Wouldn’t surprise me in the least. Jesus took the place of one like that. To think that the death of Jesus may have had no impact upon the one who got freedom.  That’s so hard to grasp.

  As we see ourselves in the role of Barabbas, we must ask, “has the death of Jesus had any impact upon our lives?” We walked out of that dark prison, and away from execution hill to what? To return to our old ways?

  The cross of Jesus ought to affect us in many ways. It ought to draw us closer to Christ. It ought to make us thankful to God and make us realize that He saved our lives. How can you ever repay someone for that? Much more, how do you ever repay God for such wonderful love and grace? The cross ought to drive us to be holy and to bow our hearts and wills to the way of God.

  Three people were executed that day. Had Jesus not been there, this story would have been lost in history. Because Jesus WAS there, history has been rewritten. Our history and our future has been rewritten.

  This is more than the Gospel message. It is our story. Freedom. Salvation. Hope.

  Jesus, keep me near the cross…

  Roger