Trading Places

Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law—the entire high council—met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.” Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.

Mark 15:15 NLT

So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Jesus took the punishment for a man he had never even met...

What Jesus did for one person, he does for every person

What he did for Barabbas, he does for you and me

Mark 16:6–11 NLT

6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.” 8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened. Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen. 9 After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. 11 But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her.

:6-

Mark 15:6–15 NLT

6 Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested. 7 One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. 8 The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual. 9 “Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. 10 (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12 Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” 13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!” 14 “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!” 15 So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Mark 15:6-

What he did for my heart, he can do for yours.

Mark 15:9–15 NLT

“Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!” So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

Mark 15:9-15

Mark 15:6–11 NLT

Mark 15:12–13 NLT

Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

Mark 15:12-

Mark 15:12–14 NLT

Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

The crowd reminds me that...

1. The loud voice and the right voice aren’t always the same

Explain

“He said he was a king!”

Religious leaders couldn’t get him killed based on religion so they played politics

They know that Pilate is in a sticky situation too

He’s killed a bunch of people....he feels the need to quiet the riot

When given the choice between Jesus and Barabbas (between truth and their agenda) they chose Barabbas

I think we still choose Barabbas sometimes....

when the louder voices in our heads are screaming

when we are moving too fast to listen… those who didn’t know what the religious leaders were up too...

Story: Listen Slowly

a pastor was too busy. The voice in his head was telling him he had too much to do…to much to work on

he was eating his food too fast …snapping at this wife… being short with the kids.

“Daddy, can I tell you so real quick”

take your time...

then you have to listen slow

Listen to the right voices

What voice are you listening to?

Im too busy…I’m the worst…she’s the worst…that’s too much Jesus..

What about Voices that

point me towards Jesus

genuinely love me

that challenge my selfishness

my agenda

Mark 15:2–5 NLT

Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You have said it.” Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.

Mark 15:

Barabbas reminds me that...

Barabbas is proof that...

2. Jesus is more concerned about his work being finished than about it being fair

Explain

Barabbas is everyone and anyone

His name means ‘son of the father’ (bar) (abba)

He could have just as easily represented every person in that crowd

he rebel…he was the murderer

Crowd may have even gathered to see this ‘local hero’ set free…the ‘Nationalist’

Barabbas was the rebel…he was the murderer ()

But Jesus takes the punishment for being what Barabbas actually was

The real Son of Man (Jesus) trades places with the other son of man (Barabbas)

Story: Trying to be fair when my wife was pregnant...

“But that’s not fair!” Tarah just points to her belly

Give grace

Forgive

Conclusion: What Jesus did for one person, he does for every person

What Jesus did for one person, he does for every person

The crowd thinks that they chose Barabbas but really JESUS chose Barabbas

I wonder what Barabbas thought of this whole experience...

One commentator David Guzik points out that it’s possible Barabbas wasn’t even there

One commentator David Guzik puts it like this -He points out that it’s possible Barabbas wasn’t even there

We can imagine Barabbas, in a dark prison cell with a small window, waiting to be crucified. Through the window he could hear the crowd gathered before Pilate, not far away from the Fortress Antonia where he was imprisoned.

Perhaps he could not hear Pilate ask, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” But surely he heard the crowd shout back, “Barabbas.” He probably could not hear Pilate’s one voice ask, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” But he certainly heard the crowd roar in response, “Let Him be crucified.”

If all Barabbas heard from his cell was his name shouted by the mob, then the “Let Him be crucified,” when the soldiers came to his cell, he surely thought it was time for him to die a tortured death. But when the soldiers said, “Barabbas, you are a guilty man – but you will be released because Jesus will die in your place,”

Barabbas knew the meaning of the cross better than most. We wonder if he ever took it to heart.

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