Standing before a judge is never fun. It is a tense moment in which a stray word could sway their decision. Magnify that about a thousand times as Jesus stood before Pilate, who could have him crucified on a moment’s notice and for any reason.
Mark records, “As soon as it was morning, having held a meeting with the elders, scribes, and the whole Sanhedrin, the chief priests tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” And the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate questioned him again, “Aren’t you going to answer? Look how many things they are accusing you of!” But Jesus still did not answer, and so Pilate was amazed. At the festival Pilate used to release for the people a prisoner whom they requested. There was one named Barabbas, who was in prison with rebels who had committed murder during the rebellion. The crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do for them as was his custom. Pilate answered them, “Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?” For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd so that he would release Barabbas to them instead. Pilate asked them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Again they shouted, “Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them; and after having Jesus flogged, he handed him over to be crucified.” (Mark 15:1–15, CSB)
Who’s to blame for Jesus’ crucifixion? Pilate? The chief priests? The crowd that shouted, ” Crucify him? Jesus for not offering a defense? Most of the time, the answer reveals someone’s axe to grind. In truth, who is to blame? I am. You are. Everyone is. Our choices, our hatred, our lust, our greed, our backstabbing, our lies, our unforgiveness, our envy crucified Christ. The just wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Let’s think about that just a bit further. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, CSB) This article will be published a few days before Christmas – the season of gift-giving. Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem, whom shepherds marveled and Magi worshipped, is God’s gift to the world. But from that first breath in Bethlehem, Jesus’ mission was focused on His last breath on the cross. He paid our sin-debt, took our punishment, and offered us the gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Barabbas foreshadows that great exchange. He deserved death by the law at that time. In the eyes of Rome, he was a terrorist and murderer. Jesus’ condemnation redeemed his life. Barabbas deserved death, Jesus did not. Yet Jesus took his place on the cross. We are Barabbas. Jesus took our place on the cross.
“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16–17, CSB)
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