1/20/19 - Ordained To Die - John 18:38-40; 19:1-16

"No, Pilate! You must give us Barabbas and crucify Jesus!" These angry words from a hostile crowd bring different words into the life of an undeserving criminal: "You're free to go..."

Imagine the scene…Barabbas is awaiting preparations for his death. How much time does it take to prepare the wood and the nails? It can't take long. As he sits within those dark, damp, four prison walls, full of fear and hate, he awaits the inevitable. Those same impending walls surround us but in a different way. We are incarcerated by our past, our bad choices, and our selfish decisions. We’ve been found guilty. We sit on the prison floor waiting for our final moments. Our executioner’s footsteps echo against stone walls. We know what he’s going to say. “Time to pay for your sins.” But we hear something else. “You’re free to go. They took Jesus instead of you.” The door swings open and the guard shouts, “Get out!” We find ourselves in the warmth of the morning sun, chains gone, crimes pardoned, wondering– what just happened? Grace happened! Jesus bore the cross that was meant for Barabbas and for us.

The crowd rejected Jesus and chose another. People today still reject Jesus and choose another. Their Barabbas might be lust, it might be intoxication, it might be the self-indulgent comforts of life. Spurgeon made this comment: “This mad choice is made every day, while men and women prefer the lusts of their flesh before the lives of their souls.” So where do we find help? Look to Jesus. See what he endured for you. He gave up his power so you could find yours in Him.

Pilate thought he had all the power. Jesus corrects him. It is God that grants Pilate any and all power he has. What do you do with power? How do you keep it from corrupting you? Of all people Christians should handle it best because we don't find our identity or self-affirmation in earthly power and therefore it doesn't control us. We have something far better.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

The love of Christ controls us and therefore we can use whatever earthly power we have to serve and love others.