Chapter 134

 

Barabbas — A Picture of Substitution

 

ÒAnd the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto PilateÉ(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this [man], and release unto us BarabbasÉAnd Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their willÉAnd when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.Ó

(Luke 23:1-33)

 

Of all the doctrines taught in the Word of God, none is so vitally important as the doctrine of substitution. Men everywhere talk about the doctrine of substitutionary atonement. They speak much about Christ, the sinnerÕs Substitute. But their language is vague. And very few people understand what the Bible teaches about substitution. In the historic narrative given in Luke 23:1-33 we have a clear illustration of the nature of ChristÕs death. It was a substitutionary sacrifice and atonement. The innocent died in the place of the guilty; and the guilty must go free.

 

Background

 

You are all familiar with the story of Barabbas. It is recorded by all four of the Gospel writers. During the days of IsraelÕs subjection to Rome, a strange custom was regularly practiced. On the day of the Passover the Roman governor released a guilty prisoner. No doubt, this was intended to be an act of benevolence on the part of the Roman authorities toward the Jews. The Jews probably accepted it as a significant compliment to their Passover celebrations. Since on that day the Jews were themselves delivered out of the land of Egypt, they may have thought it a most fitting thing for some prisoner to obtain his freedom.

 

Since some prisoner must, by the arrangement of Divine providence, be released on the Day of Atonement, Pilate thought that he now had opportunity to allow the Savior to go free, without compromising himself in the eyes of his superiors at Rome. So he asked the people which of the two they preferred, a notorious criminal or the holy Savior. Without hesitation or dissension, the crowd cried for the release of Barabbas and the death of Christ. PilateÕs last effort to release Christ had failed. — ÒAnd Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their willÓ (vv. 24-25).

 

Who Barabbas was we do not know. His name signifies ÒHis fatherÕs son.Ó Some suggest that there is an indication here that he was particularly and specially the son of Satan. Others suppose Barabbas was an endearing name, a name given to him because he was his fatherÕs darling, a child indulged by his father, or as we would say Òhis daddyÕs boy.Ó Certainly, there is a warning here for us. — Overly indulged, spoiled children are the most likely persons to become injurious to society, griefs to their parents, and curses to all around them. Looking at the cases of EliÕs two sons, Absalom, and Barabbas, we are warned as parents not to be excessive in the indulgence and pampering of our children.

 

Substitution

 

At any rate, Barabbas appears to have committed at least three crimes. He was imprisoned for robbery, sedition, and murder. We might well pity the father of such a son. This wretch was brought out and set in competition with the holy Son of God; and the poor inhabitants of Jerusalem were so hardened in their unbelief and sin, so thirsty for the innocent blood of Christ, that they preferred this obnoxious creature to the man who is GodÕs own Fellow!

 

            This fact is very significant. There is more teaching in it than we might realize at first glance. In this act of freeing the guilty and binding the innocent, we have a vivid example of salvation by substitution. The guilty is set free and the innocent is put to death in his place. Barabbas is spared, and Christ is crucified. We have in this striking event a display of the manner in which God pardons and justifies the ungodly. He does it because Christ has suffered and died in their stead, the Just for the unjust.

 

            We deserve to die for the punishment of our sins; but a mighty Substitute has suffered our punishment. Eternal death is our due; but a glorious Surety has died for us. We are all in the position of Barabbas by nature. We are guilty, wicked, condemned, and shut up under the law. But when we were without hope and without strength, Òin due time Christ died for the ungodly.Ó And now God, for ChristÕs sake, can be just and yet Òthe Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus

 

Two Birds

 

In the Old Testament rite of cleansing lepers, two birds were used. One bird was killed, and its blood was poured into a basin. The other bird was dipped into the blood, and then, with its wings covered with crimson, it was set free to fly into the open air. The slain bird typified our Savior whose blood was shed at Mt. Calvary. And every soul that by faith is plunged into the...

ÒFountain filled with blood,

Drawn from ImmanuelÕs veins,

is set free, owing his life and liberty to the Savior who was once for sinners slain. That is substitution. It comes to this: Barabbas must die, or Christ must die. You the sinner must perish, or Christ, the immaculate Lamb of God, must be slain. Behold, the Incarnate God dies that we may be delivered. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered in the place of sinners like Barabbas, satisfying the wrath and justice of God; and, like Barabbas, all those sinners for whom Christ made satisfaction must go free. I want you to see four things about this man Barabbas.

 

A Guilty Man

 

The first thing I want you to see is the fact that Barabbas was a man guilty of many offenses. We sometimes say that a man is Òas guilty as sin.Ó Barabbas was as guilty as sin. His life was a life of riotousness and sin. He was tried in a court of law and found guilty of robbery, sedition, and murder. As such he is a fair representative of all men by nature. We could all be named ÒBarabbas.Ó We are all the sons of our father Adam. His image, his nature, and his character are reflected in us all.

 

            Like Barabbas, we are all rebels. Barabbas stirred up sedition. He was a revolutionary. That is a modern name for rebels. He would not submit to authority. This is the problem with our race. We are proud, self-willed rebels. We hate authority.

 

            In our father Adam, we rebelled against GodÕs command. We are born with a rebellious nature. In pride and self-will, we rebelled all the days of our lives against GodÕs throne. We sinfully rebel against GodÕs holy law. Man acts like he does simply because God says, ÒDonÕt do that.Ó Man sees the good and refuses to do it simply because God says, ÒDo it.Ó And we are steadfast and persistent in our rebellion.

 

            As children, we rebelled against parents and teachers. As adults, we rebel against moral and civil authority. Even as believers, we have a nature within us that rebels against everything holy and good (Romans 7:14, 15, 18).

 

            And like Barabbas, we are all robbers. It was AdamÕs determination to rob God of His authority, of His creation, and of His glory. And that is what man does by his sin. We have robbed God of His glory, refusing to worship Him. We have robbed God of His honor, refusing to believe His Word. We have robbed God of His creation, stealing that which God has made for Himself and using it for ourselves, without regard to Him. We have robbed ourselves and our children of the blessedness of our original creation, fellowship with God, the image of God, true freedom, the favor of God, and of life itself. Through our sin and rebellion our race is reduced to nothing but emptiness and vanity. Once we were princes of GodÕs creation. Now we are empty handed thieves (Ephesians 2:11-12).

 

            Yet, there is more. Like Barabbas, we are all murderers. In the course of his rebellion and robbery, Barabbas had committed murder. So have we all. There is not a guiltless one among us. We have all committed multiple murders in our hearts. Envy, hatred, anger, wrath, and malice are in the eyes of GodÕs law equal to murder (Matthew 5:21-22). We have infected our children with the deadly disease of sin. Sin is a plague of the heart. It is a family disease passed on from generation to generation. What is more, we are all guilty of the blood of the Son of God. Yes, we are guilty of slaughtering the Lord of Glory!

 

            We must never forget what we are by nature. There is no evil deed, or atrocious crime, or an infamous sin recorded on the pages of human history which does not reside in the heart of every man, woman, and child in the world (Matthew 15:19). We all might be most properly named ÒBarabbasÓ! We are all the descendants of Adam. We are all of our father the devil. We are all, by nature, Òchildren of wrath, even as others

 

A Condemned Prisoner

 

In the second place, Barabbas was a prisoner under the sentence of the law. Barabbas had been found guilty. The sentence was passed. He must die. On the day when the Jews observe their Passover, two thieves will be crucified. And Barabbas will be crucified in the midst of them, for he is the vilest of the three. Take him away. Bind him hand and foot in the prison until the day of his execution.

 

            Picture Barabbas in the prison. He expected very soon to be taken out, nailed to a cross and hung up to die, as the just payment for his crimes. He was held under the sentence of the law. That is just the condition of every person in the world by nature (John 3:36; Romans 3:19; Galatians 3:10, 22-23; Ephesians 2:3).

 

            ManÕs bondage is as cruel and terrible as it is sure. Men today like to boast of their independence and freedom. People think, ÒIÕm going to do my own thing.Ó But they are only doing exactly the same thing that men have been doing throughout history. Man is not free. He is in bondage. He is in bondage to religious tradition, social custom, and peer pressure. And man by nature is in bondage to sin. He is in bondage to his own sinful nature and the lusts of his own corrupt heart. — ÒCan the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evilÓ (Jeremiah 13:23). Men are taken captive by Satan at his will (1 Timothy 2:26). Man by nature is prone to every kind of evil. It is only the restraining grace of God that keeps any of us from the wicked things we pretend to abhor.

 

            Fallen men and women, without Christ, are bound under the chains of darkness. Your will is held in captivity by the fetters of iniquity. You have resolved many times to change. You may have even succeeded in reforming your outward behavior somewhat; but your character, your nature, your will is in bondage, helpless and hopeless!

 

            Christ alone can set prisoners free! — ÒIf the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed!Ó We were Òsuch as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron.Ó Then we cried unto the Lord in our trouble, and He saved us out of all our distresses. He brought us out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke our bands in sunder (Psalm 107:10-14).

 

            Fallen manÕs sentence is fixed and immutable. — ÒThe soul that sinneth, it shall die!Ó God has spoken. There is no reprieve. There is no amnesty. There is no repeal. GodÕs law says the sinner must die. GodÕs holiness says the sinner must die. GodÕs justice says the sinner must die.

 

            Man by nature is under the sentence and curse of GodÕs holy law. The law of God demands your death. You are not on probation. You are on death row. The God of heaven judges you guilty. Your own conscience consents to the verdict. The sentence is passed. The only thing lacking is the appointed day of execution. We died spiritually in our father Adam (Romans 5:12). And every unbelieving sinner must die eternally, because of GodÕs immutable law. Every sinner out of Christ is dead at law.

 

            Is there therefore no hope for a sinner like Barabbas? Must all the guilty forever perish? Will God not have mercy? Is there anyway whereby God can be faithful to His holy law and yet pardon sin? Is there any means whereby God can both satisfy His justice and let the sinner live? God will not show mercy at the expense of His justice. But He will show mercy if justice can be satisfied in a Substitute. Blessed be the name of the Lord, there is hope for sinners, for God has found a Substitute (Job 33:24).

 

A Substitute Found

 

So mark this third fact and rejoice. A Substitute was found to die in BarabbasÕ place. The Roman soldier came and unlocked BarabbasÕ prison door, took off his shackles, and said, ÒBarabbas, youÕre free to go. Jesus of Nazareth is going to die in your place.Ó That is real substitution. That One who suffered and died as BarabbasÕ Substitute is our Substitute. His name is Jesus Christ, the Lord. He is GodÕs own, well-beloved Son. He is the only Substitute God can or will accept (Romans 3:24-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24).

 

            The sinnerÕs Substitute must be a suitable person, able and willing to redeem. Whoever undertakes to reconcile the holy God and sinful men must himself be both God and man. He must be God, for only God is able to make infinite satisfaction. And he must be man, for man must be punished. Behold, the God-man, our Savior. Being God He is able to redeem. Being man He is able to suffer. Being the God-man He is an all-sufficient Redeemer, both able and willing to save!

 

            In order to be a Substitute for others, our Redeemer must be perfect and sinless. — ÒHe knew no sin.Ó The Lord Jesus Christ suffered the just punishment due to our sins, as our Substitute. He was made sin for us. He made our sins his own! Oh, wondrous grace! God took His darling Son without the camp. He hung His Son up in our place between two thieves. God forsook His well-beloved Son. He killed His Son! And He buried the body that bore our sin. And by a marvelous transfer of grace, the Lord God has made ChristÕs perfect righteousness our righteousness. We have been made the righteousness of God in Him.

 

Barabbas Set Free

 

Now, in the last place, I want you to see that because Christ died in his place, Barabbas was set free. Jesus Christ took BarabbasÕ place at Calvary. Therefore Barabbas did not die. There is a glorious truth here. — All of those for whom the Son of God died at Calvary must be set free.

 

            It is not possible for the law to punish my Substitute and punish me too. Not one soul for whom Jesus Christ died shall be found in hell. The cross of Christ can never be discovered a miscarriage. The blood of Christ cannot be spilled in vain. — ÒHe shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied.Ó I am talking to you about real substitution. Any doctrine that teaches that God will both punish Christ and those for whom Christ died is not substitution and is not the Gospel.

 

If Christ has my discharge procured,

And freely in my room endured

The whole of wrath Divine:

Payment God cannot twice demand,

First at my bleeding SuretyÕs hand,

And then again at mine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

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