Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / Choosing Barabbas Over Jesus | Mark 15:6-15 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series)

Transcript

Choosing Barabbas Over Jesus | Mark 15:6-15 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Bible Study Series) · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

0:03
One of the most powerful prayers in all of the Bible is found in
0:09
Psalm 73, verse 25, where Asaph tells the Lord, Whom have I in
0:18
heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth I
0:23
desire besides you. Only those who have tasted of
0:30
the goodness of the Lord and experienced His all satisfying
0:35
presence can Amen such a verse. There is truly no substitute for
0:43
Him in this life. No one, no thing can come close
0:52
to bringing the needy human soul to this height of happiness and
0:59
this depth of wholeness. The only God can provide.
1:05
And I really hope and pray that everyone of us in this place can
1:09
genuinely say that knowledge of God and communion with God has
1:18
no comparison. To walk with him, to talk to
1:24
him, to sit alone at his feet and discover him.
1:33
There is nothing else that can come close to the joy, the
1:37
thrill, the fulfillment of that kind of pursuit.
1:42
It is no wonder that the prophet Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 923 to
1:47
24. Thus says the Lord, Let not the
1:53
wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in
1:59
his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him
2:06
who boast, boast in this, that he understands and knows me,
2:11
that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and
2:16
righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight,
2:20
declares the Lord, wisdom might riches do not come close to the
2:29
one who knows him. And if you're there, then
2:35
perhaps at one point in your journey you have asked yourself
2:40
this. Why and how do people choose
2:47
other things over this? How does someone reject a saving
2:57
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?
3:02
And I've I've pondered over that question many times, especially
3:08
in the early years of my walk with Christ.
3:11
As I've observed, loved ones and close friends and coworkers and
3:15
classmates have such a tight grip on falsehood and idols
3:21
instead of their Creator and Redeemer.
3:25
And if you've wondered that yourself, then know this, that
3:29
we're going to arrive at some answers to this mystery.
3:33
Because what we have before us in our main text today is a
3:38
scene, a dramatic scene with a variety of characters who have
3:43
this one striking trait in common.
3:47
They renounce the Lord Jesus Christ and shockingly, chose an
3:53
inferior option. And as I meditated on what we're
3:58
about to read, I realized that though these parties all had the
4:02
same decision, they did so for different reasons.
4:08
In other words, there were different factors at work that
4:10
encouraged each of these parties to deny Jesus Christ, and we're
4:17
going to explore those reasons in detail.
4:20
But let's first read this text and see how the stage is set for
4:25
this strange decision to be made.
4:30
Mark 15 beginning in verse 6. Please meet me in that place and
4:38
we will read down to verse 15. Mark 15, verse 6 reads Now at
4:47
the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they
4:51
asked. And among the rebels in prison
4:54
who had committed murder in the insurrection, there is a man
4:59
called Barabbas. And the crowd came up and began
5:02
to ask Pilot to do as he usually did for them.
5:06
And he answered them, saying, Do you want me to release for you
5:09
the king of the Jews? For he perceived that it was out
5:13
of envy that the chief priest had delivered him up.
5:17
But the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have him released
5:19
for them Barabbas instead. And Pilate again said to them,
5:23
Then what shall I do with the man you called the king of the
5:26
Jews? And they cried out again,
5:28
Crucify him. And Pilate said to them, Why,
5:32
what evil has he done? But they shouted all the more,
5:36
Crucify him. So Pilate, wishing to satisfy
5:41
the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged
5:47
Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
5:51
Lord, we need your help with this word.
5:56
May the Holy Spirit be our portion and our help.
6:01
And Lord, we just ask that not just the accurate explanation of
6:05
this text, but the precise, empowered delivery of this word
6:11
would be as you wish. And Lord, we do ask, we all ask
6:15
together, that we would only see and hear your Son Jesus Christ.
6:20
And so, Lord, do miracles today. We believe that your word can
6:24
perform miracles, but we don't trust just in human words.
6:30
We need what First Thessalonians 15 tells us.
6:32
We need power, we need conviction, we need the Holy
6:36
Spirit, and we ask and trusted that will be true today in Jesus
6:41
name, Amen. Evidently there was a tradition
6:45
that Pilot established with the Jews during his reign, during
6:49
his political career, and it's made known to us in this
6:51
passage. Once a year, around the feast of
6:55
the Passover, Pilot would release for the Jews any
6:58
criminal that they would want to be free.
7:01
Now we are not given any explanation for this custom, but
7:03
we can guess. There's a strong guess.
7:05
Why Pilot instituted such a thing?
7:10
It's very likely because he wanted to be on good terms with
7:12
the Jews, especially because when you look at, yes, in the
7:15
Bible, even in history, Pilate did not do a lot of things that
7:18
made the Jews happy. And so this is one thing to give
7:22
them some kind of relief, some kind of understanding that Rome
7:26
is somewhat merciful. And so he gave them a level of
7:31
supposed power and authority, though it was very limiting.
7:36
And we see here that Herod, even in the Bible acted in a similar
7:39
way. You don't have to turn there.
7:40
But in Acts chapter 12, when we're told there that Herod
7:43
killed James, the brother of John, he perceived that it
7:46
pleased the Jews. And so he proceeded to arrest
7:49
Peter also. So this is this is what Pilot is
7:52
doing. He's doing what a lot of
7:53
politicians like to do. He's promising them a yearly
7:57
amnesty here to maintain and enhance his popularity and
8:00
political standing. But on this particular Passover,
8:05
things are different, very different.
8:09
Pilot is known as a brutal man, a cold man.
8:13
But even a man like Pilot, after briefly investigating the Lord
8:17
Jesus Christ, determined he's innocent, He's not deserving of
8:24
any of this. And you get the sense as you
8:26
read the Gospels that this man, yes, tough, yes, powerful, yes,
8:33
very indifferent to the Jewish people, is wrestling.
8:36
He's wrestling with this specific case.
8:39
He doesn't want to deal with it lightly.
8:40
He doesn't want to deal with it unjustly.
8:43
And so you find him here now hoping to release Jesus, hoping
8:50
that through this custom though the religious leaders are
8:53
convinced that they want this man dead.
8:56
Perhaps the populace, the majority, the masses in their
9:00
vote with this custom will overrule the religious leaders
9:03
and they can't do anything about it.
9:05
That is what Pilot is hoping for.
9:09
And if you have any doubt that this is what he wants, let me
9:13
quote to you Luke 23 verse 20. It's a very brief verse just to
9:17
prove my point. It says there Pilot addressed
9:20
them once more desiring to release Jesus.
9:26
He wanted to set this man free. Then you see with the
9:30
combination of the Gospel accounts how even in Providence
9:33
there are different ways that Pilate perceived that he had to
9:38
he had to try to disassociate himself with this.
9:41
You remember his wife had a dream about Jesus and she
9:43
approached Pilate says have nothing to do with this man.
9:48
But what do we read? Pilate never releases Jesus.
9:54
Instead, he releases a man named Barabbas.
9:59
Who is this Barabbas? We don't know much about him,
10:02
but what we do have suffices. In verse 7, he is a rebel.
10:08
He was in prison. He had committed murder, but he
10:11
was not just a murder. He was part of an insurrection.
10:15
An insurrection is a violent uprising against any
10:18
authoritative body or government, and to do that at
10:22
this time warranted a death sentence.
10:27
In another Gospel account, we're told that Barabbas was a
10:30
notorious criminal. He was a famous prisoner.
10:36
Ironically, his name, Barabbas, means Son of the Father.
10:44
And what do you have here? You have the people choosing a
10:48
murderer though, Son of the Father instead of Jesus the
10:53
sinless son of the Heavenly Father.
10:58
How could this happen? How could bloody Barabbas
11:03
receive pardon while Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God face a
11:09
horrific death? Simple answer.
11:14
Barabbas was the People's Choice.
11:16
Staggering, isn't it? Indeed it is.
11:20
And I want to present to you in this brief time before we break
11:22
bread together, at least three reasons why the people exchanged
11:28
Jesus for Barabbas. And what you're going to realize
11:33
is that the very same reasons that explain why the people did
11:36
this will also give some kind of commentary to why people today,
11:41
maybe even in this room, are replacing Jesus for another
11:47
option. Number one, some people reject
11:55
Jesus, replace Jesus because they want to be their own God.
12:05
Look at verse 9 and 10 again with me.
12:09
And he answered them saying, do you want me to release for you
12:12
the king of the Jews? For he perceived that it was out
12:15
of envy that the chief priest had delivered him up.
12:18
Pilate wasn't dumb. He was a smart man, a strategic
12:23
man, and he could read people, at least to an extent.
12:28
And at this point he could easily pick up that this whole
12:31
proceeding was fueled by one thing, jealousy.
12:36
It's not very difficult to see how this is boiled over because
12:42
of envy. In fact, most people who are
12:45
envious tend to expose themselves when they resent
12:50
somebody else for something that they have or something that they
12:52
do. They tend to reveal themselves
12:56
in a way that they might not even realize.
12:57
And one of the ways that they do that is they desperately try to
13:00
find something in that person to denounce.
13:02
And it is indeed a reach. And they want to do so in order
13:07
to disqualify that person in one way or another.
13:10
And that's exactly what these Pharisees are doing.
13:12
But Pilot isn't buying it. He sees right through it, and he
13:16
understands that this is personal.
13:19
This is not about law. This is not about righteousness.
13:21
This is about insecurity. This is about power, this is
13:25
about position. But why?
13:28
Why are the Jews envious of Jesus?
13:33
He healed, He restored, He forgave, He fulfilled.
13:41
Well, it's clear there are at least two things that Jesus
13:45
Christ of Nazareth possessed that these religious leaders
13:49
lack. Two things number one, authority
13:55
#2 popularity. Authority and popularity.
14:02
You have to understand that before Jesus Christ arrived on
14:04
the scene, these religious men were esteemed as the pious
14:10
theologians and experts they demanded, and they secured the
14:15
praises of the people. And all that would change in
14:21
such a short amount of time, because now this rabbi from
14:24
Nazareth comes and he performs miracles, and he does so with
14:28
great power, unparalleled ability, and his teachings, his
14:32
words, even compelled the crowds.
14:35
They would make Him have people wait out in the wilderness for
14:38
three days without eating because they wanted to hear what
14:43
He had to say and they wanted to see what He can perform.
14:47
And So what these Pharisees and the Sanhedrin and the chief
14:51
priests and elders knew and enjoyed was taken away from
14:55
them. Do you remember what the
14:58
Pharisee said and reaction to Jesus when he healed more than
15:02
just healed when he resurrected Lazarus from the dead?
15:04
Let me remind you. And if you want to see with your
15:06
own eyes, you can in John chapter 12, verse 18 and 19 and
15:16
John 1218 and 19, it says here the reason why the crowd went to
15:20
meet Him was that they heard He had done this sign.
15:24
What sign? He raised Lazarus from the dead.
15:26
That's authority. That's power from heaven.
15:31
Christ had the Spirit without measure.
15:33
And so people were coming to Him, flocking to Him because He
15:35
had done this sign authority. But look at verse 19.
15:39
So the Pharisee said to one another, you see that you are
15:42
gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after
15:47
Him. That's popularity.
15:52
And these Pharisees looked at one another, and they couldn't
15:54
help but confess it. Look what's happening.
15:56
You're losing. We're losing.
15:59
The world is going after him. And because they realized that
16:03
this was being taken away, they determined we're going to get
16:07
rid of him. That's how the Pharisees felt.
16:12
This man is robbing us of what we ultimately desire.
16:17
That's why they said you are gaining nothing.
16:20
And what was it of the ultimate desire?
16:21
Praise, prestige, power. And they lusted after that so
16:29
much that they were willing to kill for it.
16:34
Do you know why some people reject Jesus?
16:38
Because they feel that if Christ takes his rightful place in
16:42
their hearts, that he will take something from them that they
16:46
really want to keep. They see Jesus Christ as an
16:53
obstacle, more than a treasure, as a hindrance, more than as a
16:59
savior, as an intrusion, more than a glorious intervention.
17:07
Someone that threatens their self-made image, their ambitions
17:12
that give them purpose and worth, their cherished
17:16
relationships, the resources that they invested, blood, sweat
17:22
and tears and, and oh this one. We can't forget about this one,
17:25
right? Their favorite sins.
17:29
It's as simple as that, my friends.
17:31
In John 319 we are told that this is the judgment that has
17:35
come to the world, that light has come to the world, but
17:38
people loved darkness rather than light, for their works are
17:45
evil, saying why do why? Why do people turn their back on
17:50
Jesus? You ready for this deep insight?
17:52
They love something else more, their idols, their sins, their
17:59
autonomy, their ability to govern, the sense of freedom
18:05
that I have. Nobody who is telling me what to
18:09
do. And if you think that this is a
18:14
new thing in our day, no, no, no.
18:15
It's ancient. It's been there since the
18:18
beginning. So there are some people who
18:22
reject Jesus, like these Pharisees, because they feel as
18:25
though if I invite Jesus in, he's going to take over.
18:29
No, I'm not trading this. I'm going to protect it.
18:35
And if protecting it means that I have to choose Barabbas over
18:40
Jesus, give me barabbas #2 Why do some people reject, replace,
18:50
deny, choose an inferior thing over Jesus?
18:55
Because some people are impressionable and easily
18:58
persuaded. Come here and look at verse 11
19:01
and Mark 15. But the chief priests stirred up
19:06
the crowd to have him released for them.
19:08
Barabbas instead stirred up the crowd.
19:13
In Matthew's account in 27 Matthew 2720, we're told that
19:17
the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd.
19:21
They persuaded the crowd. Now, you have to remember that
19:24
this setting is in Jerusalem, and it's very, very, very likely
19:29
that most of the people who were in that crowd before pilot this
19:32
morning, we're also there a few days earlier, chanting honor and
19:37
praises for Jesus as he entered into Jerusalem on a donkey.
19:44
Now, most of us are familiar with that insight.
19:47
The same crowd that said Hosann are the same people who said
19:50
crucify him. But have you ever just sat and
19:53
meditated on how this happened? How were they able to switch so
20:00
easily? How were they able to change
20:04
their minds? Especially because check this
20:07
out, there was no investigation made on their part.
20:12
There's no idea here that there was reflection and contemplation
20:16
and compare comparison. No careful analysis at all.
20:22
They just accepted whatever they were being told from supposed
20:25
trusted voices. And I make the case today that
20:31
this crowd reflects the masses who put little to no thought on
20:38
the claims of Christ and Christianity, and because of
20:41
such negligence and apathy, they ignore and ultimately deny Jesus
20:47
Christ. I've seen it throughout the
20:49
years, especially in those days where we evangelize on the
20:52
streets for many months and you ask people, why do you believe
20:57
what you believe? And here's what you get.
20:58
This is what I saw at least on so many occasions.
21:02
Again, with apathy. I, I don't know.
21:04
I just, you know, I guess this is just how I grew up.
21:07
But why do you believe what you believe?
21:13
I never really thought about it. I like, look, we all have our
21:16
truth, I guess, and this is my truth.
21:19
Listen, if you think like that and you're sitting here today,
21:21
please, I say this in love. Eternity is too long to be wrong
21:24
about this. Well, I just read a book and I
21:31
just heard this guy, oh, this guy that I looked up to said
21:33
this and I thought it was pretty convincing.
21:36
No scrutinizing of the legitimacy of things, no
21:40
thought. Like if Jesus Christ claims to
21:44
be Lord and Savior of the world and he is not my Lord and
21:47
Savior, why why isn't he? What convinced you to be on this
21:55
side? 1,000,000 millions are like
22:01
this. Just whatever is the newest
22:04
thing. Just going with the crowd.
22:05
This is what I heard. This is what I've been taught in
22:07
my living room, in my classroom. No challenge, no pushback, no
22:11
litmus test, no pondering, no reflection.
22:16
Just this is what? OK, Yeah, your soul, are you
22:20
gambling with eternity? You are gambling with eternity.
22:26
This crowd is a sobbing illustration of how susceptible
22:29
we are, we all are, to believing lies and even believing them to
22:34
be absolute truth. And you know, when I was musing
22:37
over this part, I wondered if there was any way to know what
22:40
the Pharisees said, what they whispered with their slippery
22:45
snake like tongues to whip this crowd up in a frenzy.
22:50
And you know what? I believe there is a major clue
22:53
in this very chapter that we just read together, at least
22:56
this section of the chapter. Look back at verse 7.
23:00
And among the rebels in prison who had committed murder in the
23:04
insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas.
23:08
He was not just a murderer, he was an insurrectionist.
23:13
You know what that means, right? That Barabbas was a Jewish man
23:17
who was part of a revolt aimed at toppling the oppression of
23:22
the Roman regime. So in the eyes of the Romans,
23:27
Barabbas is a man worthy to be put to death.
23:32
But in the eyes of the Jewish population, it's very likely
23:35
that he was seen as a hero. Now, you have to remember that
23:42
most of the Jews at this time, we're so attracted to Jesus
23:45
because he displayed and manifested such power.
23:48
And he had these claims and they put it together and they
23:50
thought, here is this man who is very likely going to fulfill the
23:54
political aspects of the messianic promise.
24:01
But on this morning, what they saw, I'm sure, deflated whatever
24:06
misguided hype they had. Because the same Jesus who
24:10
healed people with his hands and commanded demons to flee with
24:14
his word is now standing sheepishly at the mercy of Rome,
24:19
bloody, with dry spit on his face and hair.
24:28
This is the one that we've been shouting about just a few days
24:30
earlier. Look at him.
24:33
All Pilate has to say is he's done and he's done.
24:36
And I have a hunch that these clever Pharisees took advantage
24:40
of this. And so they split up and they
24:43
went to pockets of people and they began to remind them your
24:47
hopes in this Jesus being the son of David.
24:50
Look at it. You think this is your savior?
24:54
If you really want liberation, which is all.
24:56
This is what they really wanted, freedom, liberty.
25:00
If you really want liberty, your best option out of the two is
25:04
Barabbas, because he proved it before.
25:08
He was willing to put his life on the line to overturn Rome.
25:12
So why don't we give him another chance?
25:15
Look at Jesus. He didn't do anything like
25:16
Barabbas said. Barabbas is our better option.
25:19
Pick him. Do you see?
25:25
I was going to make this a separate point, but I'll just
25:27
say it here. The reason why some people
25:32
choose something else over Jesus is because they believe that
25:37
something else has something better to offer than Jesus.
25:43
Barabbas has more promise that there are better saviors out
25:48
there, that there are better masters out there, including
25:51
yourself. And I was going to say that
26:00
Barabbas here, though he did promise something.
26:04
It was cheap and limiting. I hope you know this well.
26:10
And if you don't, let me tell you this good news.
26:12
Only the Lord Jesus Christ can offer a lasting and meaningful
26:19
healing, restoration, and forgiveness, because what He
26:23
brings reaches the innermost parts of your being, a
26:27
redemption from the penalty and the power of sin.
26:33
No other option can grant that. And yeah, there is an allurement
26:38
out there, many allurements, just like Barabbas was enticing.
26:44
But what kind of comparison is there?
26:46
No comparison. Oh, I was reading this late last
26:50
night and this text came to mind.
26:52
Let me share it with you. In Isaiah 55 verse 2 where the
26:57
prophet says on behalf of the Lord, why do you spend your
27:02
money for that which is not bread and your labor for that
27:06
which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me and eat
27:10
what is good and delight yourself in rich food.
27:12
Look at that second line. Doesn't it move your soul?
27:17
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bred and labor
27:22
for that which does not satisfy? How many are doing that?
27:27
How many? Maybe there's somebody in you're
27:29
laboring. People outside of Christ are
27:33
working very hard to know satisfaction.
27:35
You understand that, right? They're not doing it aimlessly.
27:39
So there's a quest out there. There's a universal quest that
27:43
people are on to know this kind of completeness, the sense of
27:47
serenity and wholeness that I, I, I have wait to my life now.
27:52
I'm not just floating around here.
27:54
I actually have a sense of purpose.
27:56
That's something that people are searching for and working hard
27:59
for. And they try to find it in
28:01
career paths. They try to find it in having as
28:03
many children as they can. They try to find it in even
28:06
ministerial positions. They try to find it in money.
28:09
They try to find it in their bicep size, they try to find it
28:13
in health, they try to find it in influence.
28:15
They're looking for something and they're investing and
28:18
paying, whether it's money or health or energy or
28:21
relationships. I need, I need to be satisfied.
28:24
And here's the prophet who says why do you spend your money for
28:27
that which is not bread and your labour for that which is not
28:29
satisfied? In other words, you're not going
28:34
to find satisfaction. Apart from what the last part,
28:37
listen diligently to me. That's where you're going to
28:40
find your satisfaction. Listen diligently to me and eat
28:44
what is good and delight yourself in rich food.
28:46
Rich food. OK, well, you piqued my
28:51
interest. Now I am looking for
28:52
satisfaction. And I can say that confidently
28:55
about perhaps some here because I myself at 20 was looking for
28:59
satisfaction. I know what it's like to hunger
29:01
and have that ache in your belly.
29:04
So you piqued my interest. What does it cost?
29:10
Do I have to go to school for it?
29:12
Do I have to? What kind of investments do I
29:13
need a guru? What does it cost for me to know
29:17
the satisfaction? The price is found in verse one.
29:22
Come everyone who thirst come to the waters and he who has no
29:27
money come by and eat. Come buy wine and milk without
29:30
money and without price. It's free.
29:37
There is no price tag attached to it.
29:40
There is not anything that you have to do to yourself or for
29:43
yourself in light of the gospel. Jesus Christ paid the price.
29:48
He shed His blood in order to wash your heart and to make it a
29:54
home for the presence and the glory of God to abide in.
29:58
He made a way. And what you do is you realize
30:03
that yes, your soul needs saving, it needs your your
30:07
record of sin to be dealt with, but your soul also needs
30:10
satisfaction and Christ provides it.
30:15
And when you realize the price that has been paid, you come and
30:21
you open your hands and you receive it.
30:23
And not only do you receive a theoretical idea or confession
30:27
or a worldview, you receive satisfaction.
30:32
God the Holy Spirit will make his way in your life where you
30:34
know you know. In the same way that you know
30:38
you're full. When you stuff your face, you
30:41
will know. There's something in the
30:43
innermost part of my being that's settled, and it's free.
30:48
That's why we as Christians call this the Good News.
30:51
Not one penny, so to speak, needs to be reached for
30:55
everything has been covered by the cross of Christ.
31:02
But unfortunately, some people don't even want to look into the
31:05
claims that I'm making. You know, if we really believe
31:07
we are people of truth, then we are not intimidated by scrutiny.
31:13
Take it. Don't take my word for it.
31:14
Take the Bible. Look at these things, examine
31:18
them and see if they're true. Some people, unfortunately, are
31:22
so impressionable, so easily persuaded, so mindless, just
31:28
want to float around in life and not consider the implications of
31:30
their existence, of death, of afterlife.
31:36
And that's a shame because unfortunately, it's many of them
31:38
just like this crowd. Let's come to our final thought
31:40
of why some people replace, reject, deny, choose an inferior
31:44
option to Jesus. Some people, some people are
31:50
afraid to choose Jesus because of the potential repercussions.
31:57
Come back to Mark 15. Let's read the final verses
31:59
together, verse 12. And Pilate again said to them,
32:07
then what shall I do with the man you called the king of the
32:09
Jews? And they cried out again,
32:11
crucify him. And Pilate said to them, why,
32:17
what evil he has done. But they shouted all the more,
32:21
crucify him. So Pilate, listen to this
32:25
devastating phrase. So Pilate wishing to satisfy the
32:30
crowd released for them Barabbas and having scourged Jesus, he
32:36
delivered him to be crucified. You know how you're supposed to
32:38
rightly understand this? So Pilate wishing to satisfy
32:43
himself satisfied the crowd saying, what do you mean?
32:49
Turn to this passage to understand in John chapter 19
32:52
verse 12, when Pilate was so close to giving the word to say
33:00
set the Nazarene free. We read this in John 1912.
33:07
From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried
33:11
out, If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend.
33:17
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.
33:23
Read between the lines. This is a threat.
33:27
This is a threat that's being made against Pilot.
33:29
In essence, what they're saying is this.
33:31
If you release this Jesus who claimed to be a king, then you
33:35
are challenging and betraying the authority of Caesar, making
33:41
yourself an enemy. You want us to report you to
33:47
Caesar after you released this man who claims to be a king?
33:51
Pilot understood the threat and Pilot understood I'm not willing
33:55
to get myself in that kind of trouble.
33:59
And so this was really the final thing that pushed Pilot over the
34:04
edge. It boiled down to this, my
34:06
friends self preservation. He caved since he could not
34:13
imagine facing Caesar with such accusations.
34:16
But do you know what Pilot overlooked?
34:19
Something that some people perhaps even hear overlooking.
34:22
Pilot will one day stand before God, never mind standing before
34:29
Caesar. Who's Caesar?
34:34
He's going to stand before God. You know, history tells us that
34:37
an AD 36 Pilot made another very unwise decision.
34:43
He called for an ambush against some Samaritan worshippers who
34:46
were making pilgrimage to Mount Gerasim, and he slaughtered them
34:49
at the foot of that mountain. And so great was this slaughter
34:54
that the Samaritan leaders called to the governor of Syria.
34:59
And this all ended up having Rome recall Pilot and remove him
35:05
from his position. We're not certain what happened
35:10
to Pilot after this, but he just seems to fade from the public
35:15
scene and more than one historian tells us that
35:18
eventually Pilate, the same pilot who years before that had
35:22
Jesus of Nazareth put to death, ended up committing suicide.
35:30
However this man may have died, one thing is for certain, he has
35:36
an appointment with the judge of all the earth, and the same one
35:42
who thought he had the fate of Jesus in his hand will have his
35:47
eternal fate in the hand and the decision of Jesus.
35:56
There's some people who do not want to choose Jesus because
36:00
they are afraid, so they go with Barabbas.
36:06
They fear what it might cost them in this life, what their
36:09
family might say or do, how their spouse might react, what
36:13
their employer might say, what their childhood friends, because
36:17
some of them are Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist or gay activists or
36:21
agnostics. What, what will they say if I
36:23
become a true follower of Jesus? Never mind what Caesar has to
36:27
say. God is going to get the last
36:30
word, and God's Word is all that matters.
36:37
If you really frame your life, especially this decision in
36:40
light of eternity, you find a lot more courage and boldness
36:45
and strength. If you're limiting yourself and
36:48
your understanding of what happens in this life based on
36:50
your decisions is especially with the most important decision
36:52
in your life, you're setting yourself up for unnecessary
36:56
obstacles to the greatest way of life you can imagine.
37:03
And who cares? Honestly, in this day of age,
37:08
you should be more bold than ever.
37:09
Look at the craziness of the world out there.
37:12
Look at what you get when you deny God over time.
37:15
If anybody has a reason to be embarrassed, it's them.
37:21
So here's Jesus Christ, who in his love for me was willing to
37:25
be exposed and hung on a cross. And I'm ashamed publicly to say
37:29
I serve him. Far be it from me, far be it
37:32
from me. Let the world deny Christ.
37:36
He died for me. By His grace, I will live for
37:38
Him. Some people, though, can't see
37:45
it that way. They're so earthbound.
37:50
They fail to remember that one day your breath is going to give
37:53
up and you're going to leave everybody behind.
37:57
And on that final day, everybody will be in the backdrop.
37:59
The only one that will take center stage is the one who came
38:02
and died on the cross for you. That's where it's all leading
38:06
to, and I have determined, and I hope you have determined to make
38:11
your decision based on that reality.
38:16
How much more can be said? You can imagine, but let me end
38:21
it by saying this. This portrait offers us more
38:25
than just an exhibition of the depths of man's wickedness and
38:29
depravity that they're willing to choose a Barabbas over Jesus.
38:36
I argue that what you have at the same time here is an
38:39
incredible manifestation and demonstration of the love of
38:42
God. You're saying how?
38:45
Because although the religious leaders had a say, and although
38:49
the crowd was persuaded, and although Pilate finally gave in,
38:53
the one who really had a choice in this matter was Jesus Christ.
38:57
I lay down my own life. No one takes it from me.
39:01
No pilot, no crowd, no Pharisees.
39:04
I make a decision to do this. So ultimately the destiny of
39:09
Christ is up to Christ. So you know what Christ does in
39:14
this moment. He lets Barabbas go free, and he
39:22
willingly chose to take his place.
39:26
This is a gospel picture, my friend.
39:30
The guilty are made innocent, while the innocent one is made
39:35
guilty. What's the story about Barabbas?
39:40
Yeah, it is about how people are willing to choose, for different
39:43
reasons, something inferior to Christ.
39:46
But it's also, more importantly, a picture of how Jesus was
39:49
willing to take this man's place as a precursor of taking a place
39:56
for all those who put their faith and trust in Him.
40:01
He can take your place if you have not yet repented and
40:03
believed on Him. A verse came to my mind that I
40:08
want to read to you. In closing, before we relish and
40:11
rejoice over this divine exchange in the gospel.
40:16
It's what Jesus said, and I want you to see it.
40:18
So if you haven't turned your Bibles much today, turn it to
40:21
this place in John 14 verse 30. And I think this will be a
40:26
wonderful way to prepare ourselves for this ordinance.
40:36
John 1430, Jesus says, I will no longer talk much with you, for
40:41
the ruler of this world is coming.
40:43
Look at this last part. He has no claim on me.
40:48
Have you ever thought about that?
40:51
The ruler of this world, he's not talking about Rome.
40:53
He's not talking about Caesar. He's not talking about Pilate.
40:54
He's not talking about Caiaphas. He's talking about Satan, who is
40:59
known as the Prince of the power of the air.
41:02
And at this time he was beelining it towards Jesus
41:05
Christ, thinking that he had some say and some claim on him.
41:10
And here's what Jesus says. He has no claim on me.
41:13
That means many things, but let me drive this one point.
41:16
What Christ is getting is that Satan had no legal claim on
41:22
Christ. He has an accusation against
41:25
every single one of us since Adam.
41:27
There is sin in us. There is sin that we've
41:30
performed, that we have done that gives Satan some ammunition
41:34
to use to even come before the throne of God and say he
41:37
deserves your wrath. She deserves your judgement.
41:41
But when it came to Jesus Christ, Satan could find
41:44
nothing. Nothing.
41:47
No thought, no word, no deed, no reaction, no action, no mis
41:50
action, nothing. And Jesus could confidently say
41:53
this is a declaration of his perfection.
41:55
He has no claim on me. He has no say in my fate.
42:03
I'm spotless, I'm perfect. I'm the exact imprint of his
42:08
nature, God's nature. And we rejoice in that because
42:12
we say, yes, he is perfect, He is God who became man.
42:16
But you have to understand something with the complete
42:18
story of the Bible. Jesus says he has no claim on
42:20
me. But then we're told that through
42:22
the transaction of faith we receive Christ's righteousness.
42:27
Paul uses the word that we are clothed in his righteousness.
42:30
He uses the word that we are hidden in Christ so
42:34
positionally, not because of our own merit, not because of our
42:36
own efforts, but positionally. When Jesus says he has no claim
42:40
on me, we can also say he has no claim on us because we belong to
42:45
him. You're saying, Oh no, you're
42:46
taking this too far. No, no, I'm saying this is
42:48
exactly what the gospel is. And Paul said in his own way in
42:51
Romans 833. Who then can condemn the elect?
42:57
For it is God who justifies. Nobody can.
43:00
Nobody can condemn us. Nobody can change our position
43:04
before God, even Satan himself, because of what Christ has done.
43:09
He has no claim. He has no claim.
43:12
That is a legal truth. That is something that nothing
43:16
can obliterate. It has been set for eternity if
43:21
you truly belong to Him. That's how secure we are in Him.
43:25
He has no claim on me. I'm talking to a people today
43:28
who are ready to take some bread and drink from the cup, who
43:31
believe with all their hearts I'm free.
43:37
That even if Satan with all his hordes of demons choose to
43:41
whisper in my ear or even make an attendance before the throne
43:44
of God to say condemn him, destroy him, get rid of him,
43:49
because of what Christ has done on my behalf, there is no claim
43:53
against me. Totally free, totally redeemed,
43:57
totally secure because of Jesus Christ our Savior.
44:00
Let's pray. Help us, Lord, rejoice in that
44:14
truth, especially for those who have truly been born again, who
44:22
love you, who long for you, who desire you, but feel as though
44:27
their performance might cause them to doubt their
44:33
justification. Help us remember, Lord today,
44:38
that it's what You did on our behalf that wins our
44:42
righteousness. And Lord, if there is anybody
44:46
here today who does not believe on you, trust in You who has not
44:50
yet chosen you, Reveal to them the reasons why and show them
44:58
that these reasons do not compare to who You are and what
45:04
you have to offer. May faith be born in the hearts
45:09
of even one person here who has not trusted in Christ, who has
45:12
not surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Christ.
45:16
And so Lord, we thank you. We want to sing your praises
45:19
today as we reflect on the fact that we are redeemed and that
45:23
there is no accusation that can be made against us forever and
45:27
ever. We thank you.
45:29
In Jesus name we pray, Amen. Amen.
45:33
As a praise thing comes up, it is my duty to exhort you in this
45:37
manner. For those who you may not be a
45:40
Christian, we welcome you. We're so glad that you can join
45:42
us at this church service. But this, what we're about to
45:45
participate in, is reserved for Christians, for people who have
45:49
put their faith and trust in Christ and who are following
45:52
him. And so we ask that you would
45:54
just respectfully observe as people approach this table and
45:57
receive these elements. But we also want to look at you
46:01
and say, oh, we hope that one day you can join us at this
46:03
table. And the way that you can enjoy
46:06
this meal is when you understand your need for Christ.
46:10
Christ died for you. He wants to forgive you every
46:14
single sin that you've ever committed.
46:17
He does not delight in the death of the wicked.
46:19
The Bible says he delights more in granting mercy and in his
46:23
love. He wants to wash you and cleanse
46:25
you and transform you. And the way that takes place is
46:28
not through religious formalities.
46:30
It's not through jumping hoops. It's from you just realizing
46:33
your need, confessing with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord,
46:36
and believing in your heart that God raises them from the dead.
46:39
It's a personal decision that you make you between you and
46:42
God, even in this very room, can take you from death to life.
46:48
A believer, you're here to do something in honor of Christ and
46:53
help of your faith. As you approach this table
46:56
positionally, you are reminded that I am saved.
46:59
But also Christ wants us to come in an honorable manner.
47:03
And so if our practice knowingly is not aligned to our
47:07
profession, it's better for us to stop and to reconcile with
47:11
our brother, repent of our sins before we rush mindlessly to
47:15
this table. And so I encourage you now, even
47:17
as we sing, reflect on your heart, reflect on your life.
47:20
This doesn't mean that you have to be perfect because this whole
47:23
table is meant to tell you're not perfect.
47:25
Christ is perfect. But if there is any sin that you
47:28
know of that you have not repented of and you're holding
47:31
on to for whatever reason, let go of it before you grab hold of
47:34
anything here that will honor Christ more than anything else.
47:38
Let us stand together, shall we? Let's worship the Lord before we
47:41
worship at the table.