Easter Devotional: “What Can We Learn”
Which of the two do you want me to release to you? ‘Barabbas,’ they answered. ‘What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ Pilate asked. They all answered, ‘Crucify him!’” (Matthew 27:21-22).
From these verses we learn three things.
First, many prefer murderers to the Messiah. Sinners love sinners more than the Savior, when they are living in sin. If we think little of sin, we will never think highly of Christ.
Second, the crucifixion of Jesus allowed Barabbas to go free. He was on death row, without any hope. But because of Jesus Christ, he was set free from the punishment that he deserved. Likewise, Jesus took the punishment that we deserve, so we could be set free from the terrible judgment to come.
Third, Barabbas means son of the father. And the reason Jesus died was to make us sons and daughters of the Father. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God (1 John 3:1), wrote John. Jesus takes the worst of us and gives us a glorious future.
In Peter’s sermon in Acts 3:19, he said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.”
I’ve heard it said that when Judgment Day comes, and we are in God’s courtroom awaiting trial. All our sins are listed on a whiteboard for everyone to see. We try to erase our worst sins only to discover they have been written in permanent ink. They will not come off, no matter how hard we try.
Then Jesus enters the courtroom and pulls out an eraser dipped in his own blood. The moment it touches the whiteboard, all our sins disappear, and the board is left without a mark. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7) Repent, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.
Dennis Lee is Senior Pastor at Living Waters Fellowship, Mesquite, Nevada. He presently has two books, “From Here to There: A Journey to Spiritual Transformation,” and “Wells of Living Waters,” He also writes a religious column for a local newspaper entitled, “Rediscover the Bible for Life,” along with daily devotionals and thoughts that he posts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Living Waters Fellowship’s Website
I love that illustration with Barabbas how that so reminds of that Jesus truly did give His life for us so that we could be set free of sin and death. I also love that courtroom illustration. Because Jesus willingly paid the debt of sin that we all owed with His own blood, we longer have to walk in guilt once we have received His free gift of salvation by receiving Him as Lord and Savior. That should give us tremendous joy in every area of our lives and spur us on to share with others.
Debbie, thank you for the comment and how the love that Jesus displayed should spur us on to testify of it in our lives to others. Take care and God bless