Give us Barabbas RCC

I want to begin this morning with a question...

What do you have your sights set on?

(WHERE YOU SET YOUR SIGHTS IS THE DIRECTION YOU GO)

Colossians 3:1–4 NLT

1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Colossians chapter 3 is my favorite chapter…

ESV “Seek things that are above, where Christ is”

NLT “Set your sights on the reality of heaven”

KIDS WITH A CAR

Your focus drives the vehicle…

Today in our passage we will see where the crowds had their sights set on

Over 2,000 years ago, a Man stepped onto the scene—one whose presence began to stir and shift the hearts of the people.

And because of this his popularity began to accelerate very rapidly…

Word spread quickly about His powerful teachings—He spoke with authority and power, which quite unlike what they heard from their religious teachers.

Crowds gathered as stories of miracles followed Him. Signs and Wonders unfolded before their eyes which left many astonished...

The crippled, confined to beds and left behind by life, stood and walked again—restored, renewed, and rejoicing.

The unclean, rejected and forgotten, were made whole—cleansed and given a future filled with purpose and promise.

The blind, once bound to a life of darkness, recieved a touch from this Miracle worker—and light flooding into their eyes as they would shout “I can see!”

The deaf, once isolated in silence, had their ears opened—and for the first time, the sound they heard, was the life-giving message of hope: the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven.

What many believed would be the crescendo of his fame,

was when he called a man that was dead in the tomb to come back to life.

With a loud voice this Charismatic figure shouted,

Lazarus, come out!

Shocked as everyone looked intently at what was just spoken,

a man slowly came walking out of the tomb, still bound with his grave clothes.

You could only imagine with news of a man being raised from the dead would spread like wildfire.

And this great teacher, miracle worker, and friend, grew in fame as large as the mountaintops,

as His name was carved into history to never be forgotten.

But with His popularity growing faster and faster,

there was now a decision that needed to be made.

The decision was do we except this man as who he says he is,

or do we reject this man as a fraud.

It is important to understand that this Man made a statement multiple times,

that required people to respond either in faith or doubt.

The statement was “your sins are forgiven”

Today we might hear this and not understand its meaning.

What this man was saying is that he is God,

because God is the only one able to forgive sins.

So in the height of this man’s fame,

and with the response that He required,

caused some bowed down to worship him and become his disciple...

But others....

saw him as a fake and liar,

and wanted to end this man’s life on earth…

(The decision needed to be made… no middle ground… not just a prophet…)

[Jesus… holy week or passion week]

Before Jesus enters into Jerusalem,

he calls for two of His disciples to get a donkey for him to ride into town.

This is significant because, in Judaism, this is how Kings enter into cities proclaiming that they were the new King.

An example of this is in 1 Kings 1:33,

where Solomon rides a donkey into town as he is recognized as the new king of Israel.

Not only was this symbolic for Jesus’ Kingship,

but him riding into Jersualem on a donkey also fulfills a prophecy given in Zechariah 9:9 about the Messiah.

Zechariah 9:9 ESV

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

As Jesus entered into Jerusalem,

the crowds shouted “Hosanna,” which means Save us now.

They put their coats and branches on the ground before Jesus,

as they proclaimed and lifted up one voice saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matthew 21:9b)

(One voice lifted in praise)

This moment as Jesus enters the city…Great insight & Great misunderstanding.

The great insight was that they recognized Jesus as King.

Luke 19:38

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Therefore, they recognized Jesus as King,

they understood that Jesus was the Messiah, (Christ the anointed one)

They believed that he was from the line of David, the long-awaited Ruler of Israel, the fulfillment of all God’s promises. (Great insight)

However, the great misunderstanding was, that Jesus would enter Jerusalem and destroy the Roman rule by force to set His people free from political oppression.

(Military leader)

[they missed God’s mission)

Remember wherever our sights are set, that is the direction we are going.

And because the crowd’s focus was on the realities of this earth,

not the realities of heaven,

the direction they were heading was to satisfy the here and now, not the enteral.

Because their gaze was on the system around them,

their attention was on what could be gained from this Jesus…

The crowds wanted to be saved politically… Not saved spiritually...

(They were looking for Jesus to bring a political reformation not a spiritual reformation)

So as they cried out “Hosanna,” many in that crowd where saying Save us from Rome now…

It is important to remember that Rome was not a kind institution of government,

they were known for their political tyranny.

Thus life for the Jews was difficult, so when Jesus came into Jerusalem,

they believed this was their moment to be freed of roman oppression.

Now when Jesus comes into the town the people believe he is going to bring about political reformation,

by raising up a mob to clear out the Romans of the Holy City of Jerusalem.

But instead of clearing out the Romans,

Jesus clears out the Temple… (House shall be a house of prayer… turn into a den of thieves)

The crowds wanted a messiah to do the business of the people,

But the Messiah they got did the business of His Father…

(Jesus was always about His Father’s business....)

[Will of the people, Will of himself, Will of the Father]

Clearing out the Temple was the last straw for the religious leaders...

As Jesus went away the religious leaders met in the dark with a man who was supposed to be a friend of Jesus,

his name was Judas,

but what seems to be all to common,

there is a price to break friendship,

and for Judas it was 30 pieces of silver.

After the deal is made with Judas and the religious leaders…

We have the scene of the last supper,

Jesus washes his disciples feet and shares a meal with them…

(Judas shares in this moment… Jesus then tells him to “do what your going to do”)

Jesus goes into the garden to pray and it is so intense that his sweat turns to blood.

Jesus makes the statement,

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

After this,

Judas comes to give Jesus the kiss of betrayal,

and Jesus is arrested...

Mark 15:6–13 ESV

6 Now at the feast he (Pontius Pilate) used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 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.”

Think of the pain for Jesus… Hosanna a few days before, now Crucify him...

The scene with Jesus highlights the instability people can have.

When there is no foundation, people are easily influenced.

Mark 15:11 “chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas”

Matthew 27:20, "the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

The reality is that because they had no foundation, they were easily manipulated by the religious leaders.

Also, in the minds of many in that crowd, Jesus was not what they wanted.

The crowd already had their sights set on the realities of this earth,

and when Jesus did not fit the Messiah they wanted,

They were ready to throw him out immediately.

When they shouted Hosanna,

they ment it because they were saying save us now from Rome,

not save us for all eternity.

The messiah they were looking for was an earthly messiah,

not a heavily messiah.

The crowd already had pictured in their own mind,

of what this prophesied messiah would look like,

and in their mind Jesus did not match what they created.

Here me when I say this…

A created jesus of our own imagination will always disappoint us 2x

Little j

The crowds worshiped saying Hosanna (save us now) to the messiah they had in mind, not

Jesus Christ the Messiah who was before them.

When Jesus cleared the temple instead of the city,

the crowds decided Jesus was not who they wanted…

The crowds turned away from Jesus the Messiah,

and turned their hearts to a different messiah… Barabbas

Now who is this man named Barabbas?

Today many have been given a false impression about who Barabbas was.

The typical idea was that, Barabbas was a filthy robber that was despised by all.

Thus with this view in mind,

when we read the actual text, it is very confusing in why they choose this hated man over Jesus.

Let me give some clarity on who Barabbas truly was...

Matthew = “notorious prisoner” (ESV and NLT) (Matthew 27:16)

Mark and Luke = “insurrectionist and murderer” (ESV)

John = “robber” (ESV) Greek word lestes “revolutionary” (NLT) (John 18:40).

Robber in their eyes like Robin Hood (Robbed to found his campaigns)

Mark 15:7 ESV

“who had committed murder in the insurrection,”

INSURRECTION was a rebellion against an established government. (Chad Brand 827)

It is likely that Barabbas was a Zealot which was a Jewish political group which sought to throw off the yoke of Rome by violence. (Walter A. Elwell 263)

Scholars believe Barabbas to be a popular rebel leader,

whom the Jewish commoners would have looked up to,

for his fight against the Roman oppression.

Some Scholars believe Barabbas was in the branch of the Zealots called the Sicarii; another name was “dagger bearers” This group was assistants that would carry a dagger under their rob as they entered into crowds of people and stab Roman soldiers. (Richard R. Losch 55)

What is certain is that the crowd did not view Barabbas as a detestable robber,

but rather someone they admired.

D.A. Carson writes,

“Barabbas was no ordinary villain… In the eyes of many of the people he would not be a “notorious” villain but a hero.”

When reading this text,

it reminds of a biblical reality that shows up throughout scripture.

This reality is that the crowds historically have gotten it wrong...

Moses went up to Mount Sinai Gold Calf

Joshua and Caleb good report

Stephen stoned

The crowds usually get it wrong because their hearts are set on what they want and think is best.

People tend to do what is right in their own eyes...

The crowds are given 2 options

Barabbas or Jesus

Political savior or Heavenly Savior

Earthly kingdom or God’s Kingdom

Their gaze was on their earthly kingdom, so they chose accordingly.

The crowds preferred the political rebel and nationalist hero, over the Son of God. (Carson 569)

They cried out give us Barabbas...(They ment give us the keys to the kingdom now, in order for us to do as we please)

Give us Barabbas....

Give us the one who destroys our enemies not loves our enemies.

Give us Barabbas...

Give us political freedom not spiritual freedom.

Barabbas was the choice of the crowds because they were influenced by

Their wants

Their needs

Their desires

Their agenda’s

Give us Barabbas....

Pilot than asked the crowd,

what should we do with Jesus.

Crucify him they shouted,

because Jesus was not the Messiah they wanted,

Barabbas was the Messiah they wanted...

The crowds were looking for a Messiah like Barabbas,

therefore Jesus did not fit what they wanted...

When Jesus did not do what they wanted,

they were offended and ready to throw Jesus out of their lives.

I wonder how many times that has happened with us....

Jesus does not give us what we want so we turn to our own Barabbas...

(Barabbas fills the needs in the hear and now...)

Close with this question...

What do you have your sights set on?

Sights set on the realities of heaven? Jesus

Sights set on the realities of earth? Barabbas