Title: The Death of Barabbas
Text: Matthew 27:15-26
Date: 1-3-10
Place: SGBC, NJ
The gospel I declare to you is the truth of substitution. Christ’s death at Calvary was a substitionary sacrifice and atonement. Christ died in place of the guilty. Therefore the guilty must be set free. This morning I want you to see it in, THE DEATH OF BARABBAS.
Matthew 27:16: And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
I. BARABBAS WAS GUILTY
Barabbas was guilty of insurrection, sedition.
Barabbas was a rebel. He hated authority and rebelled against it. His name means “his father’s son.” Our first father Adam, rebelled against God’s command and all who are born of Adam are “his father’s son.” We are born with a rebellious nature. We rebel against THE Authority and because there is no authority but of God we are naturally rebellious against all authority.
Barabbas was guilty of robbery.
Adam’s one transgression was robbery against God. We rob God of his glory, refusing to worship him. We rob God of his honor, refusing to believe his Word. We rob God, using everything he has made for ourselves, without regard to God. In so doing we rob ourselves and our fellow man.
Barabbas was guilty of murder.
Every man’s heart by natural generation is full of murder--Envy, hatred, anger, wrath, and malice are all the same as murder before God’s law. (Matt. 5:21-22). We pass it to our children from generation to generation. We are guilty of the blood of the Son of God.
Seditious, robbing, murder is the substance of every man’s heart by nature
Matthew 15:19: For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
Just as Barrabas was captive, so is every man by nature. We are taken captive by Satan at his will. We are in bondage to our nature. By natural generation we are bound under the curse of the law.
Romans 3:19: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Barabbas was guilty and the law demanded he die.
This is the case with every chosen child of God given to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:10: For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
The soul that sinneth must die and shall die. God’s law demands it. God’s holiness demands it. God’s justice demands it.
THINK LONG AND HARD ON THIS
Every sinner in this room without Christ is sitting in that jail cell with Barrabass. You are on death row. Is there any hope for Barrabas? Is there any hope for you? How can God can be faithful to his holy law and pardon your sin? The only way God will be merciful to you is if one can be found to take your place.
II. CHRIST JESUS THE SON OF GOD IS THE ONLY SUBSTITUE.
Matthew 27: 15: Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. 16: And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17: Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? 18: For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. 19: When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
Pilate saw this as an opportunity to allow the Lord Jesus to be released, and yet remain in good standing with those over him in Rome. Barabbas was a known criminal and Pilate knew the Savior was not guilty of any crime. Surely they would set him free.
Matthew 27: 20: But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
The chief priests and elders—those who had the word of God, who had the shadows and the types, the law and the prophets and the psalms—persuaded the rest to set Barrabas free and crucify the Prince of life. But in their rebellion they did exactly what God determined before to be done.
The sinner’s Substitute must meet God requirements and be willing to die.
Christ Jesus is the GodMan. He is God, able to satisfy eternally. He is man and man must die. In order to be a Substitute for others, our Redeemer must be perfect and sinless - “He knew no sin.”
The Lord Jesus Christ willingly suffered the just punishment due to those given him as our Substitute.
2 Corinthians 5: 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Isaiah 53: 8: He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9: And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth…10: Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11: He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
III. AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF SUBSTITUTION.
Matthew 27: 21: The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. 22: Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23: And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24: When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, sayingI am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25: Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
Put your place in that cell with Barabbas.
He is guilty. He knows today is the day he dies. All he hears is his name being shouted by the angry mob, “Barabbas, Barabbas, Barabbas.” Can you hear the mob calling your name? Then the noise dies down for a moment. But then all Barabbas hears is “Let him be crucified!” Barabbas hears the jailor approaching. The jailor opens the doors, unlocks Barabbas' shackles, and he says, “Barabbas you’re a free man. Jesus is going to die in your place.”
Matthew 27: 26: Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
THAT IS SUBSTITION!
Christ Jesus died for those chosen of God and given him in eternity. Every single one of those for whom the Son of God shed his blood at Calvary must be set free. It is not possible for the law to punish the Substitute and punish those for whom he died, too.
“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.”
“With his stripes we are healed.”
That is the doctrine of substitution, particular redemption, THE VERY GOSPEL wherein the righteousness of God is revealed.
Illustration: Do you think Barrabas had to be persuaded out of that jail cell? When you behold Christ neither shall you!
My prayer for you who do not believe this morning is that the Spirit of God might enter into your heart with this gospel, and like that jailor, unlock the door, remove the vale off your heart and cause you to behold the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus.
For you whom Christ has made free indeed, come now, let us remember the victory of his substitionary death for us in this unleavened bread and this cup of wine.