Give us Barabbas

Colossians 3:1-4

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Let’s go back some 2,000 years ago…

A Man comes on the scene gaining great influence

Coming from the unassuming town of Nazareth “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

We must remove ourselves from today’s western culture

That focuses on individualism….

My individual performance

My individual accomplishments

My individual influence

2,000 years ago influence was by…

Race

Town

Family

Born in a barn and growing up in the town of Nazareth one could say that He was the underdog.

Certainly not Someone you would expect to be gaining such great popularity among the people.

Some called Him a great Teacher (taught with great authority)

Some called Him a great Prophet (signs and wonders)

The Lame walk

The Blind see

The Mute speak

The Deaf hear

The Demonized set free

And what heightens His fame is that He raises a man named Lazarus from the dead

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

The Religious leaders now are focused on putting an end to the rise of this Man of Nazareth.

The Religious leaders view Him as a threat to a religious system in which they have worked so hard to establish.

The temperature in Judaism at this point is external not internal meaning it was a whole lot about what your faith looked like then your the state of your heart

The Man from Nazareth saw this and came against this legalistic performance and exposed the corrupt nature of this system

His disciples are seen as rebellious against the ceremonial performances as they are caught in not following the customs of the elders.

Ceremonial handwashing was a custom passed down from the elders, and they disregarded it.

Mind you that the customs of the elders were not the law given by God but were viewed by the Religious leaders as law.

There is one important detail about this Charismatic figure that I have not mentioned yet.

This Man has not only performed signs and wonders.

He has offered forgiveness of sins.

The religious leaders recognize what this Man from Nazareth is proclaiming is that He is God because only God can forgive sins.

This outrages the religious leaders to the point that their sole focus is to kill This Man from Nazareth.

The Nazarene’s fame is growing with tremendous acceleration but so is the religious leaders hate for Him

This is all the backdrop to what is called “the passion week.”

By now, I am sure you have all realized that this Man from Nazareth is none other than Jesus Christ

God in the flesh.

It is now time for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem to proclaim His Kingship

Jesus calls for two of His disciples to get a donkey for him to ride into town, which is significant because, in Judaism, this is how Kings enter into cities proclaiming that they are the new King.

1 Kings 1:33 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 it also fulfills a prophecy given in Zachariah 9:9 about the Messiah

As Jesus enters into Jerusalem

The crowds shout “Hosanna,” which means Save us now

The moment as Jesus enters the city is a moment of

Great insight

Great misunderstanding

The great insight was that they recognized Jesus as King.

Luke 19:38 (ESV)

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

Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of David, the long-awaited Ruler of Israel, the fulfillment of all God’s promises.

This was true…

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.

One must recognize the crowds' focus was on the things of the earth

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

It is with this in mind that we move quickly through the passion narrative

We see Jesus clears the temple

A few days later

Jesus washes the disciple’s feet, and they break bread at what is called “the last supper.”

Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss for only 30 pieces of silver

Jesus is arrested and whipped 39 times

Peter denies Jesus 3 times

These events now lead us context for today’s focus

Mark 15:6-13 (ESV)

6 Now at the feast he 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.”

There are 2 important takeaways from this passage that will lead me to my main point today.

Takeaway number 1.

a. The crowds were easily influenced.

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

I want to propose to you that the reason that they were easily persuaded is because their gaze was in earthly realities instead of the Heavily realities.

Colossians 3:1b-2 NLT

“set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

Their focus was on the things of the earth.

Remember shortly before this seen the crowds cheered

Hosanna (save us now)

But their focus was on Jesus giving them political salvation, not spiritual salvation

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 instead of who the Messiah actually was.

Jesus main message was the Kingdom of Heaven

Is Kingship was present in that Jesus was here now which called for repentance

The Kingdom was coming in that Jesus was establishing His Heavenly Kingdom

Hebrews 12:28 (ESV)

“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”

God’s Kingdom will not be shaken!

The crowds gaze was upon an earthly kingdom, not the Heavily Kingdom

I ask the question to us today what kingdom has our gaze?

Takeaway number 2

b. The crowds were easily fooled

Who was Barabbas?

Today many have been given a false impression about who Barabbas was. The topical idea was that Barabbas was a filthy robber, and Jesus was the loved savior.

With this view in mind when we read the actual text, it is very confusing in why they did not choose Jesus Christ?

Let me give some clarity to this matter.

Barabbas identity

Matthew = “notorious prisoner” (ESV and NLT)

(Matthew 27:16)

Mark and Luke “insurrectionist and murderer” (ESV)

John “robber” (ESV) “revolutionary” (NLT (John 18:40).

Robber in their eyes like Robin Hood

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.”

It is important to remember that throughout the Bible, crowds usually got it wrong

Moses went up to Mount Sinai Gold Calf

Joshua and Caleb good report

Stephen stoned

The crowds are given 2 options

Barabbas or Jesus

Political savior or Jesus Christ the Savior

Earthly kingdom or Heavenly Kingdom

Their gaze was on the earthly kingdom so they chose accordingly

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

They did this because their focus and gaze were on the realities of this earth, not the realities of Heaven.

The point of this message is to learn from the scene between Jesus and Barabbas and not fall prey to the same trap

We can do this by focusing on the realities of heaven

We must be people of the Kingdom

“People of the Kingdom”

People of the Kingdom are not easily influenced by corruption like the crowds were.

The religious leaders influenced the crowd to choose Barabbas.

People of the Kingdom are influenced by the voice of the Lord.

Jesus said in John 10:27

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

There are many false voices today telling us their version of truth.

People of the Kingdom know the voice of truth is the voice of Jesus and obey Him no matter the cost.

John 8:31b-32 ESV Jesus said…

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

People of the Kingdom are not easily fooled.

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

Their wants

Their needs

Their desires

Their agenda’s

People of the Kingdom are not concerned with their own interests but rather the interest of their King.

People of the Kingdom know what it means to sacrifice because their King demonstrated the greatest sacrifice.

Jesus said in Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

It is important to seriously ask ourselves if we individually have walked in the way of the Kingdom

Are we thinking on the things of heaven or the things of earth?

What has our attention?

What do we ponder more on?

The things of this earth?

Or

The realities of heaven?

If we were in the crowds some 2,000 years ago would we have chosen Barabbas or Jesus?

Talk is cheep!

What if the Heavenly Kingdom were to cost us our friendships?

What if the Heavenly Kingdom where to cost us our jobs?

What if our Heavenly Kingdom were to cost us our lives?

Let me put it this way…

What if not choosing Barabbas cost us friendships?

What if not choosing Barabbas cost us our jobs?

What if not choosing Barabbas cost us our lives?

You might say is that not the same?

Yes and No

Let me explain

See today in the church we have often had the idea that we can live in the world and be partakers of this world

We love the idea of being loved

Jesus said that if we belong to Him the world will hate us

I believe very strongly that there is becoming a great divide

Who will be your master?

Jesus said Matthew 6:24

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The divide is happening right before our very eyes

Church that have served their empires they have built while claiming to serve God has shown to be a foundation for corruption

It is time for the church to return to being man and women of the Kingdom

There is a sacrifice for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Set your sights on the reality of heaven.

Why? Paul continues as he writes

Colossians 3:3 NLT

“For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Finish with story of Steve Tucker missionary in Haiti