Let's turn together to John, chapter 18, John chapter 18, reading the last half of verse 39, or rather the last half of verse 38 through verse 40. I'm reading from the English standard version, it is the version in the rack there in your pew. I do encourage you to have your own scriptures open before you that you can become more and more acquainted with them each week when we study together. John, chapter 18, pilot after speaking with Jesus, you might recall he asked Jesus what is truth, but in a post-modern cynical spirit, he did not wait for an answer and then we read. After he said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews? They cried out again not this man, but Barabbas. Now, Barabbas was a robber. May the Lord bless the reading of his word. The Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all relate the life and ministry of Christ, all are inspired by God, each are written in a style unique to the apostle from whom's pen or quill, as you will, the story is told. In many cases, a particular event or miracle is captured. Sometimes it is related in great detail and other times you find another gospel that the event or ministry is completely omitted. We might be told by one apostle of a particular event and then not told by another. John acknowledges as much in chapters 20, chapter 20, verse 30, when he writes, now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book. So, John even confesses not in a negative sense, but he tells us and teaches us that Jesus did many more things than he was able to record in his own book. But taken together, the four Gospels weave for us a rich tapestry and present a well-rounded and multi-dimensional portrait of the Savior's life. When in the midst of all the diversity we find in the Gospel accounts, we do find an event that is mentioned by all four we need to take note. We need to take note that all four Gospel writers chose to mention a specific event. In the case of the story of Barabbas, John is actually one of the more brief accounts, briefer than any of the other three accounts which we find in the scriptures. The verses used to tell the story of Barabbas number 38, 38 verses that are used to relate the story of Barabbas. That's more than the space that the scriptures take up to relate to us the story of Judas' betrayal. John takes only about three verses to give us the basic account of Barabbas. The other Gospels give us a more expanded explanation. The outline of the story of Barabbas seems simple enough. It's a fairly basic outline. In verse 38, Pilate announces to the Jews that he's concluded his inquiry of Jesus' case and that he judges that Jesus is innocent. He finds no fault in this man. In Matthew, Mark and especially Luke, the roar of the crowd's accusations is mentioned. Jesus's silence before the crowds emboldens Pilate even more concerning Jesus' innocence. The crowds begin to roar as it's related in the other accounts. Pilate, we must imagine looks over it. Jesus expecting Jesus to protest or to proclaim his own innocence. Jesus remains silent before the crowds which are calling for his crucifixion and Pilate marvels at that and becomes even more convinced of his innocence. In verse 39, the curious event occurs. Having found no guilt in Jesus, we would expect Pilate in a stroke of justice to release Jesus. He's already proclaimed that he finds no fault but instead he seems to ignore his own judgment and he presents it to the mob as a way, more advice than a judgment. Even though Jesus is innocent, he now turns to the gathered mob and I use that word on purpose because that's how they're acting is like a mob and he seems to be asking of them what he should do. I find him to be innocent but what do you think we ought to do? Clearly, the whole situation from the concerns of his wife who had a disturbing dream about Jesus perhaps his own animosity towards the Jews and then his conversation with Jesus seemed to have caused Pilate to be all balanced. He's not sure what he should do about Jesus. We gather from the other gospels that is at this point that Pilate hears the Sanhedrin expanding their charge of sedition to the time when Jesus lived in Galilee. They're saying even when he was in Galilee, right up to the time now in Jerusalem, he's been seditious and he's been a criminal against the state and no friend of Caesar. Pilate sees his own the opportunity and he sends Jesus to Herod when he hears that Jesus was in Galilee but nothing is accomplished with Herod except that he donated an old purple robe that perhaps was even his own and was now tattered and worn out and he puts it on Jesus and sends him back. Again, Pilate goes out and he affirms that he finds no reason for condemnation. He finds no reason that Jesus should be sentenced to die. He's torn between his own misgivings over the injustice that is being done to Jesus and some sort of a fear of Jewish complaint to Rome or perhaps some mob action and insurrection. By the time Jesus returned to Pilate from Herod, the crowd had begun to gather in the court and it's there that Pilate now finds himself. He seeks an escape, doesn't he, through custom and tradition, through custom and consensus opinion. Maybe he expected some sympathy with the mob when he asked the question that would somehow help bolster his position against the will of the Sanhedrin. He had to be aware that only five days before that Jesus entered to great accolades and a great reception at the triumphal entry. He had to know that there was some popularity with Jesus among the people. So perhaps when he asked the question, he thought that the mob would simply affirm his own testimony concerning Christ and that that would isolate the Sanhedrin and that he would be able to push his way on forward through the Sanhedrin but instead, instead he finds the mob to now be influenced more by the Sanhedrin. In verse 40, the mob returns their verdict. Do not release the innocent man but release the robber, Barabbas. By robber we know that what is intended by that is that Barabbas was an insurrectionist and according to the expanded accounts in the other Gospels even are murderer. Insurrection was the very crime Jesus was being accused with and here his innocence has been proclaimed after he has been judged and a real insurrectionist will be released while the innocent man accused of insurrection will be killed instead. This goes far to reveal the true concern of the religious party. They came saying we're concerned because this man Jesus is going to cause the people to have an insurrection which then will bring Rome down upon us and overthrow our rule and put Rome into captivity. Recall for a moment we discussed several weeks back the great privileges which Rome had granted to the Jews. They were even excused for military service. They were allowed to conduct their own worship and they were not required to bend a knee to the gods of Rome and to render a homage and to pay homage to Caesar. These are great privileges. The Sanhedrin was allowed to make judgments and rulings all the way up to but not including the death penalty. They were concerned they said that they would lose these things if Jesus the great insurrectionist was allowed to go free but now they call for an actual insurrectionist. One who had already proven that he was an insurrectionist one who had actually been condemned for murder they're asking for him to be released because Jesus his threat to them is not through Rome but through the Spirit. The Sanhedrin here proved once for all if there was any question left that they were a people under tremendous conviction from the teaching of Jesus. They recognized the truth of his teaching. They had no answer to his teaching and they wanted him destroyed. They wanted him gone even if it meant the release of one who actually was guilty of what they said they were concerned with. Frederick Krumacher commented on the present implications from the verdict of this Jewish mob in his book titled simply the Suffering Saviour. He said more than an echo of this cry resounds through the world to this day for all who reject Christ as the Savior of sinners and are eager on the contrary for the upholding of the honor and dependence and liberty of their old man. In Barabbas we see the great exchange. We see what is formally called vicarious atonement an innocent man condemned a guilty man set free. A rejection of Jesus is a decision to remain unmoved in a cell where we have been placed condemned to die for our own sin. James Montgomery boy speaking to this very same issue elaborates on a similar point. He says the decision of the mob was the world's decision. The world will never choose a robber rather allow me to rephrase that. The world will ever choose as an always choose a robber an insurrectionist or murderer to the guiltless Christ. Why? Because Barabbas is of the world and is the world. Barabbas is one of them and however dangerous he may be he is at least controllable. They can handle him but how do you handle Jesus? Let me try to synthesize these two positions or these two perspectives into one thought because both of them are true and both need to be kept in mind when we hear the words. Free Barabbas. One of the saddest narratives in the gospel is that of the rich young ruler and that story a rich young ruler comes to Jesus and he asks what he can do to guarantee his eternal life. His tone is respectful his question is relevant and he certainly has asked the one person involved in all of history who can give him an accurate and right response. Jesus tells him simply this and I summarize the intent of what Jesus said that this man must divest himself of everything in life that gives him a sense first of all of his own self righteousness but then more important than that even self-sufficiency. And then he is to take his life and he is to commit it to discipleship living under the constant presence and direction of the Lord. Obviously the young man expected something a bit more manageable. By manageable I don't mean anything except that he something that he could direct something that he could control something that he could opt in or opt out of something he could do partially something where he if he had some preoccupation or issue in his own life he could simply set aside the calling of Christ and to carry on with what he had in his own life according to the world and the end he leaves and he returns to the life that he knows and the life that he is comfortable with. This is applicable to the rich man of course but it's also applicable to the poor. It's applicable to the educated as well as the illiterate. It's applicable to the young and the old. Can a leopard change his own spots in the end where told a dog will always return to its own vomit? Pilate asks the people, what shall I do with Jesus? And as if bearing testimony to their understanding of the teaching of Christ they demand the light be removed from their darkness. Take the light away. Too much of Jesus. Too much light. Too much preaching of the gospel. Too much ministry of the church. Too much commitment being called upon. Too much surrender of our own lives to Christ. You're asking too much. Take it away. Matthew explains that they ask for Pilate to in the words of the original upper lason that is destroy Jesus. They ask Pilate to destroy Jesus. How deep the hatred ran for the one who brought the gospel. But what of Barabbas himself? What of this man who was to be released while Hollywood likes to show us Barabbas standing by Jesus there at the top of the stairs with Pilate? The gospels do not give us an account anywhere that Barabbas is actually present when the mob is shouting. He most likely is still sitting in his cell, a place of darkness, a place without any hope of release. Every footstep that Barabbas would hear coming down the corridor he would most likely imagine was the executioner on the way to take him to his own death. But this time when he hears the footsteps and he hears the sliding of the bolt on his door as the door then as swung open. He receives word not that he's on his way to his own execution but that he has been spared. He's been released. He's not going to trial. His record is cleared and he is a free man. The people have decided instead to destroy an innocent and a righteous man so that the guilty man may be set free. The man who brings Barabbas this news is parallel to our only evangelist isn't he? Because the story he brings Barabbas is that this one they call Jesus he will die instead of you. This one they call Jesus is innocent but he will stand in your place and he will die while you are set free. We are burdened with sin and guilt. In fact because of our own treason against God our own insurrections against the Lord and his kingdom here in his own church we ourselves could be under the very same sonnets of death but then we are told of a glorious exchange his life for hours the righteous for the sinner. Going back to crew marker he eloquently states the implications of this after Christ has made the mysterious exchange with you we are commissioned of God to inform you in plain terms that from the moment in which the Holy Jesus took your place you assumed his and are installed into all the rights and immunities of the citizens of the kingdom. This is the justification that comes by faith. Justification and that no sin will be laid at our feet. We are the ones who are counted as righteous even as he took our place as the unrighteous not being prosecuted or condemned for any sin of his own but for our own sin which is placed upon him even as his righteousness is placed upon us and that great exchange of vicarious atonement any who are in Christ we're told. I've been judged already it's by faith and that those and only those who have heard the voice of the Savior and believed will be sprung from their dungeons and their sales. So many of the sacred hymns of the church have been written with this inspiration in mind. So many of the hymns which form the prayers and the confessions of faith of the church have been shaped with this idea in mind this vicarious substitutionary atonement of Christ that's what we mean when we say that Jesus died in our place the hymn amazing grace trumpets God's salvation of a blind and pitiful wretch who deserves nothing but condemnation. And John Wesley's great hymn and can it be that puts the issue before us plainly listen to just this one verse long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night thine eye defuse the quickening ray I woke the dungeon flamed with light my chains fell off my heart was free I rose went forth and followed thee. Isn't our experience much like that of brabus we've lived in rebellion against the holy government of God and yet God comes and releases us from our dungeon where we are condemned under sentence of death for high treason against the creator by breaking his law. H.A.R. inside tells a story it's a wonderful story of a Jewish man and his friend who was Christian they were very close and they frequently ate lunch together the Christian often would tell the Jewish man his faith desperately desiring that the Jewish man would come to faith. There was never any response by him he politely listened to his friend as he continued to tell him of his Christian belief in faith he listened and he listened and he listened one day a great sickness fell upon the Jewish man his Christian friend sought to see him but was told that because of his condition he would not be able to see him until finally at the very end he was allowed to come in he knelt in prayer beside his friend's bed he took his hand which had already grown very thin and was so weak he could hardly grip at all he continued to pray and he prayed aloud that God would save him and that Christ would visit himself upon his heart and his Jewish friend's eyes cracked open and his head turned over to him and his lips began to move and all he said before he passed was this not Barabbas but this man have you languished in dungeons of disbelief yourself are you still bound by that which you found empowered to control in your own life is religion just fine as long as it can be tamed and is on your schedule and according to the way you want it to be as long as you can shape it the way you think it ought to be as long as it appeals to your sensitivities and suits you and your preferences and the things you like to do is that how you like to craft your own church in a community are you still bound by those things that you are alone or able to control what would you have me do with Jesus we're told pilot stands and he says what would you have me do with Jesus will you receive him for who he claims to be will you at last be set free Barabbas