Recap
If anyone tells you the Bible is boring, then there’s one thing you know for sure — they haven’t read it! The Bible is action packed. It’s full of twists and turns, treachery, political intrigue, murder — it leaves Hollywood for dead! Let’s recap the Passion account, Jesus’ last few hours on earth: (1) Judas agrees to betray Jesus, (2) Jesus prays in the garden, saying: “Take this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done,” (3) Jesus is betrayed with a kiss, arrested, and ‘darkness reigns,’ (4) Peter denies being a disciple, Jesus looks at him, he weeps bitterly.
In our reading today, the morning dawns & the camera turns to Jesus’ trial. He’s taken before Pilate, then Herod, then Pilate again. Then, for a brief moment, the camera zooms in on this guy called Barabbas.
Barabbas is a guilty usurper
Who is Barabbas?
(a) He had caused a riot, ‘insurrection in the city,’ basically he tried to cause the city to rise up and overthrow the Romans, taking their place.
(b) He was a murderer, probably during the riots.
(c) He was in prison, on death row, awaiting execution.
(d) He was guilty and deserving of punishment.
Have you ever heard of the English word “usurper”? A “usurper” is someone who tries to take someone else’s place. Barabbas was a usurper. He wanted to kick out the Romans and take their place.
Jesus is an innocent usurper
In comparison to Barabbas, Pilate declares Jesus innocent three times:
(1) “I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him” (Luke 23:14).
(2) “Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death.” (Luke 23:15).
(3) For the third time he spoke to them: “Why [crucify him]? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.” (Luke 23:22).
Jesus is accused of being a usurper. Pilate says, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion” (Luke 23:14).
But here’s the irony: even though Jesus is accused of being a usurper when he’s innocent of any crime, Jesus becomes a usurper. The innocent Jesus takes the place of the guilty Barabbas. Barabbas is set free (even though he’s guilty) and Jesus is sentenced to death (even though he’s innocent). The innocent usurps — takes the place — of the guilty. Stop and let this soak in for a moment.
We are guilty usurpers
This exchange, where the guilty Barabbas is acquitted and the innocent Jesus is condemned (Proverbs 17:15), describes our relationship with God also.
You and I are usurpers. Our broken, sinful nature tries to kick out God, who’s in charge, and take his place. Scripture uses all sorts of different words to explain urge to usurp: “sin,” “rebellion,” “idolatry.” Basically it’s putting something else in God’s place. Some examples might be: money, pleasure/fun, reputation.
Because we are guilty of usurping God and trying to take his place, like Barabbas we deserve death. We are placed on death row. As St Paul says, ‘the wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23).
But also like Barabbas, Jesus usurps us. On the cross Jesus takes your place. Even though you are guilty and deserve death, you are unexpectedly set free! Jesus receives the death you deserve. He dies in your place. He is an innocent usurper.
Scripture talks about this exchange in many places. King David writes: ‘I acknowledged my sin to you. I said, “I will confess my sins to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.’ (Psalm 32:5). St Paul says: ‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. … While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Romans 5:6–8). ‘For Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God’ (1 Peter 3:18).
Being set free changes your life
Put yourself in the shoes of Barabbas for a moment. He knows he’s guilty, he’s in prison on death row, but then suddenly he’s set free. Try to imagine how he would have felt! We don’t know what happened to him next, but I often wonder how he lived his new life!?
Let me illustrate further by telling you about ‘The Innocence Project.’ Unfortunately the USA has capital punishment, where people are put on death row for their crimes. Sometimes the human judicial system gets things wrong, and innocent people are sentenced to death.
‘The Innocence Project, founded in 1992 …, exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. The Innocence Project’s mission is to free the staggering number of innocent people who remain incarcerated, and to bring reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment.’
Let’s hear from a few men who were sentenced to death, but set free, by The Innocence Project: https://www.innocenceproject.org/about/
It’s not quite the same as our gospel reading, because Barabbas and you and I are guilty, whereas these men were innocent. But I think we get a glimpse of what’s it like to be on death row and then set free.
Can you remember some of the things the men experienced after being set free? “Overwhelmed with joy.” “Great relief.” “Walked out a free man.” “See the simple things in a new way” (e.g. holding grandkids, going to church, going out for a meal). ‘Overwhelmed.” “Thankful.” “Everything looks different.” “A totally different experience.”
Living the Christian life is like having been on death row but then set free. It changes how you see the world. You’re overwhelmed with joy. Every day, as you return to your baptism and are washed clean again, you feel great relief. You see things in a new way. You’re thankful for every little thing that happens. The world looks different. Life is a totally different experience.
Sometimes people talk about Christianity being a ticket to heaven; they wrongly think that being a Christian only helps you after you’re dead. But the Christian life is much more. The Christian life is also about the now. When you experience Jesus taking your place, dying for you so that you are set free, it changes your entire perspective on life.
Maybe you’ve never experienced this life changing experience. Or sometimes we can lose this perspective as we journey through life. Regardless, King David wrote a prayer in Psalm 51 which can help us: ‘Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation.’ (Psalm 51:10,12).
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, through Jesus, you have taken away the guilt of my sin. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Open our eyes to experience your mercies new every morning. For great is your faithfulness. Amen.
