-Caveat Lector-
>From http://www.pbc.org/dp/dorman/4450.html
>>>The "anointed" one? <<<
> Two "Sons of the Father," one of whom died to set the other free.
> Thank God that the innocent one died so that all the rest of his
> Father's children could be set free by believing in him.
}}}>Begin
JESUS, BARABBAS, AND ATONEMENT
by Dorman Followwill
In this message we are commemorating the enormity of the cross of Christ. We need
such a remembrance because most of us stand before a cross that is too small, one
that is on the margins of our lives. If you are like me, the cross of Christ is made
small by distance, partly because we shrink back from remembering that ancient rite
of gory execution. Its violence is scandalous. But the cross is also made distant and
smaller for us because it is enshrouded in foggy theological terms. For example,
many of us know the theological significance of the cross: It was on the cross that
Jesus made his substitutionary atonement for us. But it is difficult for each of us to
know what substitutionary atonement means for us personally, as a man or woman
before God. The only way we can know this is from the vantage point of the guilty
criminal sentenced to death. Until we stand in the place of the condemned and watch
while Jesus Christ takes our scourging, and go free while Jesus Christ goes to our
Calvary, we cannot discover for ourselves the personal relevance of this
substitutionary atonement.
Fortunately, our Lord knew how he could engage us in learning about our
atonement---he gave us the gift of Barabbas. The story of Barabbas appears in all
four gospels, so it is not a minute detail in a larger story. It is a crucial detail.
Let me
tell you the story of Barabbas and Jesus Christ, based on close readings of each
gospel account and on the best historical information I could uncover.
Our story begins with a man alone in a cave. It was late at night, and he was sitting
against the smoke-blackened limestone wall of an underground dungeon. It was
totally dark. A hero of sorts among the Jews, he was a zealous patriot who had led a
desperate insurrection against the Romans. He is described as a murderer and a
robber in the gospels, but the murder and robbery had been carried out in the cause
of Jewish freedom. He was in fact a freedom fighter. His formal charge, written on
parchment and posted on a wall near his cell, might have read as follows:
Name: Barabbas
Alias: Possibly Jesus Barabbas
Location: Cell #6, lower level
Charge: Leading an insurrection against Imperial Rome, resulting in the deaths of
several soldiers and collaborators
Verdict: Guilty
Sentence: Death by crucifixion
Barabbas, whose name means "Son of the Father," sat brooding about his past
failures and wondering how painful his impending crucifixion would be. In the
stillness of the night, rest eluded him.
Suddenly a striking sound broke the stillness: Marching on the stone pavement
above, marching that took many minutes to die down. By the sound of it, an entire
cohort of Roman soldiers had just passed by---a tenth of a legion, six hundred men.
Barabbas paused in his musings. Where were six hundred soldiers going at this time
of night?
They were led by a man whom Barabbas might have known, given that they were
both revolutionaries---a Zealot named Judas Iscariot. Judas was leading six hundred
armed men to apprehend one man who was praying in a garden just across the
Kidron valley. The man prayed so intently that drops of blood beaded up on his
forehead. Three times he made the same request about the cup passing from him,
and three times his ears were met by a silence deeper than the night. At the end of
the third prayer he resolved to accept his Father's will and drink the cup of God's
wrath. Almost in answer to his resolve, he began to hear the soldier's footsteps
descending the valley. He looked over at his friends, who had traded sleep for
prayer. His name was Jesus, and he was the Son of the Father. For a few moments
he sat alone in the darkness of the garden, nodding his head slowly in agreement
with his Father, as the sound of the soldiers' steps grew louder and nearer.
Soon Judas arrived, followed by the Roman soldiers with swords drawn. A few thugs
from the chief priests and elders were also tagging along, waving heavy clubs. Jesus
stepped forward to meet them. He stood between the olive branches, a man of
peace facing the men of violence. He asked whom they were seeking. They told him
they sought Jesus the Nazarene. He said in reply two words that have reverberated
through history: "I AM." The statement Moses heard Yahweh utter from the burning
bush, and the statement that inflamed the Pharisees' hatred of Jesus in John 8, was
made again in that hour of darkness. His word was so powerful that the entire cohort
of six hundred and the others gathered against him were flattened by its force. When
they got up, Jesus repeated his question, they repeated their answer, and then Jesus
spoke more quietly and let them have their way. Even at the moment that he gave
himself over, he was still in total control.
Judas stepped forward and kissed Jesus, a mockery to all who long to show him
affection. But even after such a farce, Jesus called Judas his friend: "Friend, do what
you have come for." Judas jerked his head toward Jesus, and the Romans seized
him. Jesus' disciple Peter cut off the ear of a member of the rabble with a sword, but
Jesus healed that man's ear and then instructed Peter's ear---his kingdom was not
one of violence, darkness, and death; but of peace, light, and life. He was
establishing his kingdom not by sword, nor by word, but by a deed too deep for
words, to accomplish a victory beyond the power of the sword.
They swiftly took Jesus to the palatial house of Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was then high priest. Annas questioned Jesus about his disciples and his
teachings, both of which were public knowledge. Jesus' honest answer was met by a
blow from an officer, and Jesus was sent on to Caiaphas' house. Annas knew it was
unlawful to hold a legal council of the Sanhedrin at night, so he wisely passed the
prisoner on to his son-in-law. He probably thought, "Let Caiaphas deal with him. After
all, it was Caiaphas who said it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the
people."
Caiaphas, whose whitewashed home on Mt. Zion was one of the architectural
treasures of Jerusalem, proved to be much more interested in the affair than Annas
had been---in fact, he had engineered the whole thing. When Jesus arrived, there
was a host of witnesses arrayed against him. However, Caiaphas had scarcely had
time to coach them, and their stories were contradictory at key points. Questions flew
left and right, and accusations were coming out of nowhere. In the center of all this
buzz, Jesus stood as silent as an oak. His dignified quiet infuriated Caiaphas, who
finally said to him, "I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are
the Christ, the Son of God."
Jesus spoke very deliberately, quoting from Psalm 110 and Daniel 7: "You have said
it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at
the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven."
At this unequivocal self-revelation, Caiaphas tore his robes, saying, "He has
blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now
heard the blasphemy; what do you think?"
Caiaphas' cronies on the Sanhedrin cackled, "He is deserving of death!"
But about this time a cock crowed somewhere. It was almost dawn, and the dark
furies of the night seemed a little less powerful. What they needed now was the real
political power of Rome to carry out the execution. So the Sanhedrin held another
council early in the morning. They knew Pilate couldn't care less about blasphemy;
that was a purely religious dispute. So they needed to trump up a political charge that
would force Pilate to play into their hands. Thinking quickly, they decided to
transform
Jesus into a revolutionary endangering Rome, a leader of political insurrection. They
wanted to make him look like Barabbas, an already confirmed criminal. When they
brought Jesus to Pilate, they told Pilate, "We found this man misleading our nation
and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King."
Pilate probably yawned, then asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered him, "It is as you say."
But Pilate was not very threatened by a man of calm composure whose reputation
was that of a healer and a teacher, not a violent traitor. In fact, even when the
people
had acclaimed him as King the week before, he had made no motion to capitalize on
his popularity and lead a revolt. Pilate looked at the hate-filled faces of the Jewish
leaders with disgust: They were obviously jealous of Jesus because he was a
genuine holy man who exposed them as imitators and pretenders.
Pilate perceived that Jesus was not going to lead a revolt, so he said, "I find no
guilt
in this man." Sensing their control ebbing with Pilate's ambivalence, the chief priests
began to accuse Jesus very harshly. Pilate was questioning him, saying, "Do You
make no answer? See how many charges they bring against You!" But Jesus
remained silent in the face of the false charges lodged by the chief priests. Now,
everyone knew the charges were false, including Pilate, the chief priests, and Jesus.
Pilate would hardly have been surprised if Jesus had remained silent in the face of
true charges. But Jesus' silence in the face of these ridiculous charges lodged by
these envious Jews astounded him. Why didn't he defend himself, even with a
simple denial? The man's reserve was entirely puzzling. Didn't he know his life hung
on Pilate's words? Pilate tried to take the measure of the Man, but his yardstick was
far from long enough.
While Pilate was pondering these things, someone in the crowd cried out to him,
"Procurator, are you going to release a prisoner today, according to your custom?"
Pilate shook his head to clear his mind, saying, "Of course. Whom should I release?"
Several of those in the crowd who loved Barabbas for his bravado cried out,
"Barabbas!"
Pilate remembered Barabbas, a man destined for crucifixion. Now, there was a man
who was guilty! His case was open-and-shut; the trial had been a mere formality.
Pilate remembered the harsh words Barabbas had railed against the Romans at his
trial. Pilate had looked forward to seeing him splayed before the people on a cross,
as an object lesson for future rebels. Barabbas deserved to die. Then Pilate looked
at Jesus. Clearly Jesus was not guilty. Jesus deserved to live. Pilate was clear in his
own mind: He wanted to release Jesus. But it was his custom to let the crowd make
the call.
The chief priests looked at each other when Barabbas' name was called out. Their
eyes narrowed in an instant of common evil, realizing that they could champion
Barabbas in order to ensure that Pilate could not release Jesus through this
loophole. What a fortuitous event---more fortuitous than they could ever imagine.
The chief priests and elders began circulating through the crowd, whispering in every
ear that Barabbas was their man.
Pilate's contempt for them grew as he watched. He knew they were up to no good,
that pure envy drove them to want to kill Jesus. So Pilate cried out to the audience,
"Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" His tone was a bit
sarcastic; clearly Jesus looked nothing like a king at this point. But by choosing one
prisoner over all the rest, it was obvious that he wanted to release Jesus to them. All
he needed was a few shouts of affirmation.
But the work of the chief priests had been too good and too fast. Not a voice in the
crowd cried for Jesus' release. Instead, the crowd cried out in one loud voice: "Not
this Man, but Barabbas."
Pilate knew he was sitting on a political powder keg. He had to follow the crowd, and
for the moment the crowd followed the religious leaders. He was now in the
unenviable position of following the Jewish leaders he detested. But Pilate wanted
the crowd to decide the fate of Jesus, if Jesus was not to be released, so he said,
"Then what shall I do to Him whom you call the King of the Jews?"
The crowd roared, "Crucify, crucify Him!"
But Pilate said, "Why, what evil has this man done?"
But they shouted all the more, "Crucify Him!"
Wishing to satisfy the multitude, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and having
Jesus scourged, he delivered him to be crucified.
Imagine what have might been going through Barabbas' mind during all this. Perhaps
he could faintly hear the yelling crowd. Perhaps he heard the crowd cry out his own
name. That got his attention.
"Barabbas," the crowd yelled in what seemed an angry voice. Then after a few
seconds more, they cried out far more wildly, "Crucify, crucify him!"
Barabbas' heart began to pound uncontrollably. He knew how ugly a mob could get.
Maybe they were calling for his crucifixion.
Before long, he could hear the marching steps of a small detail of soldiers. They
were coming for him. This was it. They were by his cell. They came in---but they
didn't grab him or bind him. One soldier merely grunted, "Let's go."
Puzzled, Barabbas followed them out of the cave. As they left, a soldier removed the
parchment on which his charge was written. He gave the parchment to Barabbas.
When they came up into the light, Barabbas was marched across a small pavement.
He stopped. Just opposite him, a man was being scourged. He was tied to a wooden
post, and he was being beaten with a leather whip into which were wound pieces of
metal. Barabbas watched in horror as the man's skin was shredded with each blow.
Barabbas asked the guard, "Who is this man?"
The guard muttered, "His name is Jesus of Nazareth, one called the King of the
Jews. Pilate wanted to release him today, but instead Pilate is releasing you."
Barabbas stopped. "What did you say? You mean I'm not going to be crucified?"
The guard said, "No, you're not...but this man is."
Barabbas continued to watch the horrible flogging even while a surge of relief flooded
him. He was being released! He turned to walk toward the gate, and each step he
took toward freedom seemed to synchronize with the blows of the whip.
Barabbas stepped out into the open courtyard where the crowd was waiting. A
deafening cheer went up, to which Barabbas raised his fists in triumph. The crowd
followed Barabbas as he went to the centurions on guard at the gate.
"Where is your charge?" asked the tallest centurion.
Barabbas handed over his parchment. The centurion poured some wax on it and
stamped it with his seal. Now Barabbas was legally released. The centurion waved
him through the gate. He was free!
The scholars tell us that nothing is known about the subsequent history of Barabbas.
But let's imagine what might have happened to him. Imagine that he was swamped
by his zealous friends, who had been some of the first ones in the crowd to call out
for his release. Some of his relatives were there also, and they smothered him with
the affection due a man coming back from the cusp of death. Soon his friends and
family swooped him up on a chair and carried him above their heads, as orthodox
Jews do at weddings. Barabbas was free. Someone asked him, "Barabbas, where
should we go? Let's have a feast!"
Barabbas said, "I want to go home to my parents' house."
So off they went. It was a trip of some distance, and by the time he arrived home it
was nearing noon. The news had preceded him somehow, and Barabbas' parents
were waiting for him in the doorway of their simple house. Someone on the outskirts
of town saw Barabbas first, and called to his mother, "Woman, behold your son!"
While his father was a dignified Jew who would not run in public to greet him, his
mother couldn't restrain herself. When she herself saw him coming, she ran to him
and he picked her up in his arms. Everyone cheered again.
Barabbas whispered in her ear, "Mama, I'm home." It was a homecoming to
remember.
Perhaps that is what happened to Barabbas, but of course we don't know for sure.
But we know for a fact that on a hill not far away, another Man whispered to his
mother, "Woman, behold your son!" and nodded at a grief-stricken young man
named John. The Man who uttered these words was dying on a cross, and his
mother was gasping with grief. His was not a homecoming, but a homegoing.
Perhaps later that night Barabbas lay down on the bed he had slept on from his
youth, surrounded by family and friends who loved him and believed in his cause. He
probably laid his head back on his bed, wrapped himself in a warm coverlet, and
released a sigh of great contentment. But we know for certain that not far away, two
men had just laid a man down on another bed hewn out of cold stone. He was
wrapped in burial cloths, surrounded only by silence. He was dead.
Our story began with a man alone in a cave, sentenced to death. That man went
home, released only because there was another Man who took his place. Our story
ends with a Man alone in a cave, dead.
Two "Sons of the Father": One was sentenced to die for crimes of which he was
certainly guilty. The other was sentenced to die for the same crimes, of which he was
entirely innocent. One walked across the pavement a newly free man while the other
was shredded by the Roman scourge. One went out of the palace to meet the cheers
of friends, while the other silenced all who watched him carry a rough cross on his
bloodied back. One went to bed that night probably surrounded by family and friends
who loved him. The other certainly died and was hastily buried in a cave, his death
scattering all his friends. Two "Sons of the Father," one of whom died to set the other
free. Thank God that the innocent one died so that all the rest of his Father's
children
could be set free by believing in him.
Thank God for our Christ of the cross, who willingly stood in the place of the
condemned, who suffered the scourging due the sinner, who endured the
excruciating pain of the cross- --in place of Barabbas...in place of me...in place of
you.
Below is a famous hymn by Philip P. Bliss, Hallelujah, What a Savior! This hymn
means far more to me now after encountering Jesus, Barabbas, and myself in this
story.
"Man of Sorrows!" what a name,
For the Son of God, who came
Ruined sinners to reclaim!
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood---
Sealed my pardon with His blood:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Guilty, vile and helpless we,
Spotless Lamb of God was He;
Full atonement! can it be?
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Lifted up was He to die,
"It is finished!" was His cry;
Now in heav'n exalted high:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
When He comes, our glorious King,
All His ransomed home to bring,
Then anew this song we'll sing:
Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Amen and amen!
Good Friday Message
by Dorman Followwill ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
various
Single Message
April 14, 1995
© Discovery Publishing is the publications ministry of Peninsula Bible Church. This
message from the Scriptures was presented at Peninsula Bible Church, Palo Alto. To
receive additional copies of this message or a tape (a complete catalog is also
available) write or call: Discovery Publishing, 3505 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto, CA
94306; 415/494-0623.
End<{{{
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forwarded as information only; no automatic endorsement
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material
is distributed without charge or profit to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information
for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe
simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not
believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do
not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not
believe in anything merely on the authority of Teachers, elders or wise men.
Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it
agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all.
Then accept it and live up to it."
The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama Sutta
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will
teach you to keep your mouth shut."
--- Ernest Hemingway
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
