Mark - We Want Barabbas

The Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark, generally held to be the first gospel recorded, and is the shortest Gospel in our bible.

John Mark, the writer of the gospel and cousin to Barnabas and missionary companion to Paul.

The Gospel of Mark was likely written to persuade Gentile readers in Rome that Jesus’ death on the cross did not invalidate his claims to messiahship or his proclamation of the kingdom of God, but rather that his resurrection, miracles, and prediction of his death justified his claims.

“We Want Barabbas”

Announcements:

Tonight we are packing goodie bags for the church to hand out to people.

This Sunday night we have a movie night!!!

Intro:

Tonight's sermon is supposed to be relatively short so that we will have enough time to packing these goodie bags

But… for it us to have enough time to pack the bags I need you all to do me a favor!

I need you to close yours eyes and picture yourself there on the day Jesus was crucified.

Sermon:

Placing yourself there:

- Open your eyes… Today is the day, the day where Pilot will customary pardon prisoner before the feast of passover.

- Imagine you are standing in a crowd of people as a murdered named Barabbas and a man named Jesus stand before you with Pilot.

- A Roman guard yells to control the crowd as more Roman soldiers run in front to contain the Chaos.

- the chief priest stands before the crowd accusing Jesus of many crimes

- Pilot states that every year he pardons a prisoner, and today it will either be Barabbas or Jesus

- The Head priest begins to stir up the crowd chanting “Release Barabbas”.

Mark 15:12–15 ESV

12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

The Crowd

Do you understand what the crowd is doing?

Crying out for a condemned sinner, a man who has murdered, who has committed sin, a criminal, someone who was on death row and deserved it.

Choosing Barabbas over the very person that they were laying palm trees on the ground when he entered their city, praising His name.

Crying out to murder the very person who they witnessed perform miracles and heal people.

this is Heresy! this is blasphemy!

Mark 15:15 ESV

15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

We Are Barabbas

The Roman guard puts the key in the lock on Barabbas’ hands and feet and releases him. Scripture doesn’t say that Barabbas turns to Jesus thanking him saying “I owe you my life”

If it were me in the crowd that day… I would be crying, Jesus! fight back, don’t just stand there.

But scripture says Jesus stood there humbly listening to the words of the people because He knew the will of the father.

That He would need to be treated like Barabbas, in order for Barabbas to be treated like Jesus.

Young people when we look at scripture carefully we can clearly see that each one of us was there that day. We were standing next to Jesus.

Are name was the name being cried out by the crowd! are shackles were the shackles that were unlocked.

Conclusion

The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language Chapter 3

25–26  God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

1 Peter 2:24 ESV

24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Young People, on that day… Jesus was treated how we deserve to be treated so that we be treated as Jesus deserved to be treated.