40 Days of Easter 2011 April 13

40 Days of Easter - April 13, 2011

Why Barabbas
Mathew 27: 15-26

Focal Verse - Mathew 27: 26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

As a child growing up, my siblings and I had a strict "no tell" policy. As I am the youngest, I had no vote. I just grew into the system. It was our normal. We would all take punishment before one informed on another. Within us, we have the ability to sacrifice for others.

I remember one instance when my oldest sister was already in a lot of trouble when she broke a window trying to get into the house. She was scared of what might happen if she got in trouble for this one more infraction. So, she asked us to stand in her place. My other sister did. Have you ever stood in the place of another?

What we know of Barabbas is recorded in this one story. According to Arthur S. Maxwell's The Bible Story, Barabbas is a generic name with "Bar" meaning "son", and "abba" meaning "father". Literally, his name means "son of father." We are all sons or daughters of fathers.

Was Barabbas just another criminal in history or a symbol of sinful man? Was Jesus just another man sacrificing for a man, or the Lamb sacrificed for all men?

We have the ability to sacrifice for others. Jesus was the only one who could/did sacrifice for all of us.