Pilate’s Choice

Introduction

Why would the Jews not just accept Jesus? Why was it that it came to the scene in Matthew chapter 27, where Pilate is deciding the fate of the Christ? What had Jesus done to this group of people that had them so stirred and riled that they not only wanted him out of their lives, but they wanted him crucified. Not just accepting death or imprisonment, but wanting the torturous death that only the Roman citizens could give. They needed the choice of Pilate to be to crucify the Christ. I hope you look with me in your Bibles at Matthew chapter 27 this morning. As we think about this story, we know the story of the cross, and of course the gospel message is centered around understanding that Jesus came into this life as a man, and he was crucified on the cross at the behest of the Jews.

But not because the Jews overpowered Jesus or they overthrew the plan of God, as if man could do such a thing, but because it was God’s plan from all the beginning of the world. Now, when you think about Matthew chapter 27, you see in verse 11, Jesus is standing before Pilate. It has reached the culminating point where Jesus has been betrayed by Judas with a kiss. He is coming before the Roman governor who could free him. Pilate could have let Jesus go. But we see Pilate was a weak ruler. Pilate was not into justice. In fact, this trial of Christ was perhaps the biggest show of injustice that this world has ever seen. But we see some of those reasons why in the text I want to read this morning.

Read with me beginning in Matthew chapter 27 and verse 11. Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus said, You have said so. But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, Do you not hear how many things they testify against you? But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they then had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas?

Or Jesus, who was called Christ. For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, Have nothing to do with that righteous man. For I have suffered much because of him today in a dream. Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release for you? And they said, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus, who is all who is called Christ? They all said, Let him be crucified. And he said, Why? What evil has he done? But they shouted all the more, Let him be crucified.

So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, I am innocent of this man’s blood, see to it yourselves. And all the people answered, His blood be on us and on our children. Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him up to be crucified. A horrific story, a horrific tale of Jesus, not just because scourging is terrible and crucifixion is wrong, but that Jesus was perfect. Jesus had done no wrong to the leaders other than step on their toes with the true intent of the law, other than chip away at their following to the point at which even Pilate recognized Jesus was handed over because of envy, not because of any wrong that he did.

And yet Pilate, as we see in verse 24, was unwilling to take a stand. He saw he was going nowhere, gaining nothing, as my translation reads in verse 24. And so what did he do? He took water and he washed his hands. He said, I am innocent. And the crowd was so bloodthirsty for Jesus to be crucified. What did they say? His blood be on us and on our children. The focus could be and has been in many a sermon in a Bible study on why did Pilate not do more? Because when you think about Pilate’s role in this, this could have stopped pretty early on. When Pilate realized that Jesus was innocent, he could have let him go. But we see obvious reasons just in this one text, this one gospel account alone of why Pilate didn’t do that.

And it was because he feared the crowd. The Jews were in a frenzy to have Jesus crucified. But what’s interesting about this account, and it’s echoed in each of the Gospels, is that extra character thrown in there. Did you see that beginning in verse 16? When Pilate was going to go with this custom of releasing a prisoner to the Jews, he picked one that was so awful that surely these people would have to let Jesus go. Surely Barabbas, this notorious prisoner, would be chosen by the Jews to continue on to be crucified. Surely Jesus would be let off now. Rather than taking a stand, Pilate tried as if this would be a successful strategy to let the Jews free Jesus. But they had none of it.

1. Barabbas, a Notorious Prisoner

But I want to think about Barabbas for a little bit this morning and think of his descriptions in other scriptures. Look in John chapter 18. Not only was he a notorious prisoner, not only was he well known for his rebellion, but look at some of the other descriptions. In John chapter 18, note the description given in verse 40. In John chapter 18 and verse 40, after Pilate has gone back in verse 38 to the Jews and said, I found no guilt in Jesus. He says, You have a custom I should release one man for you at the Passover, verse 39. 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.

But not only was he a robber, look with me in Mark chapter 15. This man was not just a notorious criminal, he was not just a thief, but it gets worse. In Mark chapter 15, note Mark’s account in verse 7. In Mark chapter 15 and verse 7. And among the rebels in prison who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. So we learn more about this thief, this notorious prisoner. He was a murderer involved in insurrection. And if there was something that a Roman governor should be paying attention to, it would be some Jew or anyone who was causing insurrection, because that’s what the Romans did not deal with at all. There was not an ounce of mercy in the Roman Empire for those who were going to try to lead any sort of rebellion or mob or riot.

2. They Did Not Accept Jesus as King

And yet it’s this Barabbas, the murdering thief who was leading in rebellion and insurrection, who the Jews said, free him. Because we want Jesus to be crucified. It’s a stunning choice. And it kind of makes you scratch your head and think, how had the people fallen so far to whether they would choose, when Pilate gave them the choice to free Jesus or this terrible, wicked man Barabbas, why would they choose Barabbas to be freed? I think it’s pretty obvious from the text. As we look back at Matthew chapter 17 27 first, you see that they did not accept Jesus as king. And there’s a good reason for that, because if they accepted him as king, it would have changed everything for them. Look in verse 18 again.

In Matthew chapter 27, after Pilate had put before them Barabbas and the Christ, the response is that he knew it was out of envy that they had delivered Jesus up. What was it that they were envious of? Jesus came before them. They had him seemingly under their control. They had him before Pilate. He was about to be crucified. The numbers were in their favor, as we see in the rest of this reading. What were they envious of Jesus for? It is clear from passages like Matthew chapter 23 and Matthew 15 that there were a great many reasons that the Jewish leader should be envious of Jesus, and they all go back to this one problem. They were not following God’s will, and their leadership in such a fake establishment would have been challenged and destroyed if Jesus is king.

If Jesus is the Christ, if Jesus was the chosen Messiah, their entire pyramid of power and their enjoyment of looks and being the foremost in Jewish culture would have been shattered and eliminated. These people could not accept Jesus as king because they were not willing to live out what that confession would mean. Not just that he wouldn’t be crucified, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. But that they would have to submit to this Jesus’ authority. That they would have to do as he commanded. And when you see in John chapter 18, the point is that we’re part of Jesus’ kingdom. We answer to the king, excuse me, whether or not we like it, because his kingdom is not of this world to begin with. In John chapter 18, note the nature of Christ’s kingdom.

Just before our reading, in which Barabbas is noted as a thief or a robber. In John chapter 18 and verse 33, Pilate is questioning Jesus, and he says, Are you the king of the Jews? Note the response in the exchange in verse 34. Jesus says, Do you say this of your own accord? Or did others say it to you about me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? You your own nation, the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world. And Pilate said to him, So you are a king.

And Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born, and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. And of course, Pilate asked him that great question in verse 40. What is truth? But when you think about this exchange, we learn a couple things about Jesus, is that he did come and he was the king of the Jews. But Jesus’ kingdom was not a fleshly, earthly Israel. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords of all mankind. We have the choice to submit to his kingdom, and I’ll tell you, we might choose Barabbas. We might choose a life of sin rejecting the Christ for similar reasons that some of the Jews did, some of the Jewish leaders.

Because if we accept Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, as King. What do you do with the king? You follow his edicts. You submit to His rule. And if Jesus is our king, I have to change the way that I live. And I don’t like to change the way that I live because I like my lifestyle. Because after all, I don’t agree with everything that that king says, so I won’t be a part of the kingdom. The problem with that on the forefront here is that we’re going to be judged by Christ regardless of whether or not we acknowledge him to be true. So if you’re here this morning and you accept the authority of Jesus, I urge you to reading the scriptures, trust that Jesus is your only way of salvation.

That without him we are stuck in our sin. But if you wish to reject him, that is your choice. But just like the Jews who crucified Christ, his blood will be on our hands. We will answer to God for the sins that we have committed. But we think about accepting Jesus. When you consider what does that entail, it means emptying self and going for Christ. I think there’s a good example of this and a more ready application in Matthew chapter 19. Perhaps this is more closely to the point of how we would feel about accepting Jesus as king. Look there with me in Matthew chapter 19. We come into a pretty well-known character in Matthew chapter 19, beginning in verse 16. And behold, a man came to him saying, Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?

And he said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments. He said to him, which ones? And Jesus said, You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Young men said to him, All of these I have kept. What do I still lack? Let me stop for just a moment and say, this is a good man. This is a man who is trying to obey the law of Moses. This is the law that Christ was living under. This is the law of the land for the Jews.

And when Jesus says you need to follow some of these commandments and loving your neighbor as yourself, this man can perhaps rightfully I take him at his word and say, I have kept these. This is a good man. This is not some wicked, horrible, bloodthirsty chief priest or elder at the scene of the crucifixion. This is a different man entirely. This is probably more like us. We’re religious. We’re here on a Sunday morning. But note how the exchange continues. Jesus said to him, If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, follow me. Verse 22, when the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful. For he had a great many possessions.

You see, accepting Jesus as king doesn’t mean just keeping some commandments. This rich young man could do that. And he had been doing that, again, taking him out as word. But when you consider verse 22, you see that there’s something more to accepting Jesus as king than doing some good things, than showing up for some sort of worship, or doing some rituals that are a part even of Christianity. You see, in verse 22, this young man was unwilling to fully submit to the law that he was under. Because he enjoyed his things. He had a great many possessions, no doubt that he was a very blessed and a wealthy individual in his right. And yet, would we say that this man was willing to submit to Jesus?

No. I have to ask myself, I have to ask the question of everyone taking part in the assembly this morning. Do I accept Jesus as king just in word? Because it sounds nice? Because I know I’m supposed to? Or indeed? Am I like the rich young ruler? Or am I like the disciples who follow Christ even to the point of their martyrdom? Will I follow Jesus no matter what he says? Only I can answer that question. And just like those who reject Jesus have that choice, I have the choice this morning, this day, and with this breath that the Lord blesses me with, to choose to follow Jesus and Jesus alone. You think also, though, when you go to Matthew chapter 27, why would anyone choose to seek for Barabbas?

3. Persuaded: It’s Easier to Be With Everyone Else

Look back there. I want you to see something kind of interesting in Matthew chapter 27. Around verse 19 and 20. In verse 19, Pilate was happy to send this to the Jews because his wife wanted nothing to do with him. But do you see in verse 20 what happened? In verse 20, we’re going to see this for the next two points. The chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to destroy Jesus. Why would it be that the chief priests and the elders would have to persuade the crowd? Did not all Jews just hate Jesus? Well, that couldn’t quite be the case because just a few chapters over in Matthew chapter 21, there was the triumphal entry in which Jesus was praised, recognized as the king that he is.

Of course, there’s a great deal of misunderstanding, and not everyone had the clear picture, and sometimes we don’t have a clear picture. But you know the truth of the matter is, just like Pilate faced with the crowd, the crowd members, the multitude, would undoubtedly were persuaded by the chief priests and the elders. What did they do? They said, choose Christ. Choose Barabbas to be freed, choose Christ to be crucified. What did Pilate receive in message? Release Barabbas. Crucify Christ. It’s not a coincidence that the religious leaders influenced the people, and the people submitted to their rule. It’s easier to be with everyone else. Every aspect of this reading in Matthew chapter 27 can hit that point. Pilate gave in because it was easier to go with the crowd than to face the riot that was undoubtedly forming.

The multitude undoubtedly answered to the chief priests and the elders who stirred up the people and persuaded them to ask for the release of Barabbas rather than Christ. And so I have to think about it and say, you know what, that doesn’t just happen at a mob scene near the cross. That happens in my life. If you look in Galatians chapter 1, you see Paul faced an interesting uh dynamic. As Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as Paul, the great Jew that he was, in Galatians chapter 1, in verses 6 through 9, we have that great passage where he’s astonished, he’s upset that the Galatians were already turning aside from the one true way, the true gospel. He says, There’s not another gospel. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

But look with me in verse 10. Paul concludes that section saying, let anyone who preaches you a contrary gospel be accursed. And in verse 10 he says, For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. I gotta say, that’s one of the more true scriptures that is ready that has a ready-day application of any that you might pick up and read in your Bible. Because if you think about trying to please man, it is not going to be being here on a Sunday morning. That’s just not the way man reasons. But consider if even if it was part of it.

Even if being religious was some sort of the pressure that you received, because you know when you come to church, you hear lessons on how good it is to be with the assembly and how we need to worship and praise God, and so you come because of that pressure. The question I have for you is is that the right motivation? You see, these points build on one another because if we accept Jesus as king, we go to worship him because the king has spoken. Because God deserves our praise. Not because I might be ostracized from my church family if I don’t. Not because of any social reason, but because of submitting to Jesus the Christ. Why did the crowd ask for Barabbas? They were persuaded to.

When I think about Galatians chapter 1 and verse 10, Paul makes a clear statement. If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. How can we think that we can be any different? And if we understand that to be true, I have a question this morning. When we live our lives, do we try to please man? Certainly in some aspects we do. Anyone who works for a company who has a boss tries to please that boss. We try to do the best we can do in our service here. But on an overall spiritual plane, who are you living for? Consider this day. Are you asking for Barabbas? Are you going with what’s easiest and what everyone else wants you to say?

Are you a Christian because that’s what people say? Or are you a true disciple of Christ who accepts Jesus as king and is willing to deal with the consequences? And when you think about consequences, you can’t help but think about Paul. All the consequences that he faced. There’s a list in 2 Corinthians that make a strong reading. But consider that Paul was willing to give it all up. Why? Because Jesus is worth it. Because Paul, like me, like everyone else here this morning, faces the consequences of sin, which is death. And without the antidote, without the salvation that Jesus offers, we are stuck in our sins. Let me say this clearly.

And if that’s true, and we know that it is, then why would I try to please man? If I answer to God, if I know that He is my only hope, why am I doing anything else with my life and trying to please Him? Perhaps I need to reevaluate my priorities and my thoughts if I’m choosing to put the cares and the desires of men over God. But look with me further at that passage and think again, it’s easier to go with religious leaders. You know why? Because religious leaders are leaders. They have authority. They can make it difficult. And boy, do the chief priests and the elders make things difficult. Look at me in John chapter 12, we’ll see a sad picture of a group of people.

In John chapter 12 and verse 42 and 43, and you tell me whether this is pleasing God or not. In John chapter 12 and verse 42, we see that some people believed. But let’s see where the story goes from there. In John chapter 12 and verse 42 beginning, nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him. But for fear of the Pharisees, they did not confess it. Why? So that they would not be put out of the synagogue. For they love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. Boy, does that not hit both points with the hammer. Why did the people not just believe confess Jesus? They did believe. The Pharisees caused fear in them. They didn’t want to be put out of the synagogue.

They loved the praise of men more than pleasing God. This is real. This is a true account. And I ask just because we’re here at the moment, consider for all those who teach a belief only salvation. Were these authorities saved? Was this the type of faith and belief that God requires? Is this the belief that in John chapter 3 and verse 16 allows us to take advantage of the blood and sacrifice of Christ? Of course not. Because their belief couldn’t even move them to confession. Why? Because they cared more about other people. They cared about the Pharisees. They cared about the glory that comes from men. We should not make that mistake. We know that is a problem. We know that’s not pleasing to God, and yet when I look at my life, I examine it, and I realize it’s just easier to go with other people, isn’t it?

If I was teaching something that was false doctrine, it’s easy to go with that because guess what? I have the microphone. I’m teaching. If the Bible class teacher is teaching false doctrine, it’s easy to go with that because they’re a good person. But that doesn’t make them God. Good people don’t always get everything right. But Jesus has been, will be, and forevermore will be the perfect king. If Jesus has said it, take it and go. If man says it, examine it. Don’t we have a great picture of that? You know the story in Acts chapter 17 with the noble Bereans. Why were they so noble? Look at this passage. We haven’t seen it in several weeks from the pulpit, anyhow. In Acts chapter 17 and verse 10, Paul and Silas are in Berea.

They’re reasoning with Jews in the synagogue. And what is the reaction of the people in verse 11? Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. These people not only had an interest in what was being taught, they had an interest in make being taught truth. Why were they examining the scriptures daily? To see if these things were so. The teachings of Paul and Silas were subject to the same words of fear that Paul said in Galatians chapter 1. Do you remember that in verse 9? We referenced it earlier. If anyone preaches a gospel contrary to the one I gave to you, let him be accursed. That included Paul.

That included angels. That certainly includes Silas, myself, and anyone else who teaches. We need to not just go with what the majority says or go with what the leadership says. We go with Christ. At the song service this morning, a passage was read in Acts chapter 5. And Peter said he was going to preach Christ no matter what the consequence. If we believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that he was raised so that we too might defeat the one who has the power of death, being raised from the constraints of this body. Then we should preach that. We should teach that. We should be unafraid because we answer to our king. It doesn’t matter what’s easiest, it matters what’s right. And if we would focus rather on what’s right than rather on what’s easy, this world would be a different place.

4. Their Minds Were Closed to the Truth

And it would start with me. It would start with this group. If we choose to put Jesus first, we will be doing what’s right. And Jesus warns that what’s right is not what’s easy. Narrow is the path that leads to eternal life. Broad is the way that leads to destruction. Many are going to enter that broad gate simply because it’s easier. We need to be willing to do the hard things. We need to be willing to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow after Jesus. Consider one final point with me in Matthew chapter 27, going back to that. In Matthew chapter 27. When you see in verse 21, the governor said to them, which of the two do you want me to release for you?

And they said, Barabbas. Pilate said to them, Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? They all said, Let him be crucified. Pilate reasons, why? What evil has he done? They shouted all the more, let him be crucified. Is it any surprise that when it comes down to it, envy, jealousy, frustration, anger? There was no logical reason for Jesus to be crucified. The truth was their minds were closed to the truth. They did not want to hear it. They would not react to it when they did, and that’s how we got to this point to begin with. Because these chief priests and the rulers denied Jesus time and again, and they couldn’t deny him anymore in front of the people, so they said, we have to get him out of the picture.

Let him be crucified. There was no reason. There was no nice discussion with these people. They had closed their minds. They had rejected Jesus to the point that they had said in verse 24 and 25, His blood be on us and on our children. You see, a relative third party like Pilate could see with ease that Jesus was innocent. That Jesus was guilty of no crime. Certainly nothing of any worse than annoying the leaders of the Jewish people. But to the Jews, Jesus was a menace. He was a fly in their ointment. And they needed him out of the way. It’s a violent picture that’s made in these verses. And when they call for Barabbas, consider the insult that it was to Jesus to be even in the breath as Barabbas.

Imagine Pilate telling this group of people, I’m going to give you a choice. You can have this notorious thief who murders and is involved in insurrection, or you can have Jesus. Now imagine Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God being in the same breath as Barabbas, being treated the same, being held captive the same way. What an insult. And yet, Jesus knew it would happen. He knew that the Jews were closed off to truth. It didn’t matter what miracle Jesus worked or what teaching he had, or what old Testament prophecy he cited. They had closed their mind to truth. I’m afraid that we’re getting closer and closer to this mindset as a nation and as a world. That those who are for free thinking and tolerance are quickly becoming the most militantly intolerant and the most frustratingly unwilling to hear.

But when we are faced with that, the temptation is to respond in kind, to close our ears, to dig in our feet, and say, What I’m doing is right, and not hear any other position. But if we close our minds to the truth, if we close our mind to hearing and discussing with those in error, or those who are truthful, are we any better than those who close their minds and hearts to truth? Brothers and sisters, let us always have an open mind. Understanding that our pathway and our submission to God is never completed until the time we draw our last breath. When we can enter into heaven is when we are with God. That’s when we’ve won the victory. But until then, let us be of the camp that recognizes the innocence and the lordship of Christ and submits to his will.

If you look at Matthew chapter 13, you see a people who struggled with having their ears closed, their eyes shut. And Matthew chapter 13 and verse 10, the disciples ask Jesus a great question, why do you speak in parables? And verse 11, he answered them to you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled.

It says, You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them. But there was something different about his disciples. But blessed are your ears, for they see, your eyes, excuse me, and your ears for they hear. For truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous people long to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it. The truth is we can close our hearts and minds.

God didn’t shut the hearts out. God didn’t make the Jews reject Jesus. They chose to reject him out of envy, jealousy, frustration, and it all was not part of human victory over Christ or some sort of satanic victory over God’s plan, but it was the fulfillment of God’s plan from before the foundation of the world. The leaders and the Jews who followed them had their minds closed to truth. We have to be careful to not adopt that mindset as well, assuming that our way is right. Because if you remember, those chief priests and the rulers, those Pharisees of whom the authorities were afraid of in John chapter 12, these were religiously minded people. These were people who strictly adhered and enforced, well, at least they strictly enforced the law.

Should have been adhering to it as closely as they taught. We can be that way. We can close our minds to truth. Consider with me one final part of Matthew chapter 27, though. And consider the perspective of those who were there. You think about Pilate and Matthew chapter 27, and it’s been well documented this morning and in many other studies in Bible sermons, that Pilate made the wrong choice. That to look Jesus in the eyes, to know he’s guiltless, and to wash their hands and say, I’m innocent of his blood, is a betrayal of both his post as Reverend Governor and His answer before Jesus. When you think about the multitude and the chief priests and the elders, you can’t help but think, you fools. And again, I have to remind myself to not reject Jesus, to not think that I know it, and to cancel out those who are speaking truth.

5. Imagine How You Would Feel If You Were Barabbas

But I want to think for a final moment this morning about Barabbas. Imagine how you would feel if you were Barabbas. You were guilty of insurrection, you were a proven thief, you’ve committed murder. And of all the crimes that you’ve committed, because of a custom, because of this man, this Jesus, who’s called the King of the Jews, who is called the Christ, you have a chance of being released. And you know you’re a murderous thief. And the crowd cries out for you to be released, and Jesus the Christ to be crucified instead. Can you imagine what was going through his mind? I’m not here to say that that passage proves to us that this is an identical representation of us in sin. But I think the point can be made that when we stand next to Jesus and we look at our lives, we can see that we have been wretchedly involved in sin.

We have missed the mark of God repeatedly, both in purpose and in not knowing, being ignorant of his truths and ways. Without Jesus, we stand there guilty, stuck in our sins. But because Jesus was crucified, because it was God’s plan that Jesus be crucified and put to death at the hands of these vicious, vile and evil chief priests and rulers, we can stand free. Free from the wages of sin, which are death, free in the sight of God to enter into the kingdom of heaven because God loved us. Because God so loved the world that Jesus came. We need to be thankful each and every day, each and every morning, each and every afternoon and night for Jesus and his sacrifice. For the fact that Jesus stood up to all those people who did nothing but in a bloodthirsty way cried out, let him be crucified.

Conclusion

Because the truth is, no matter what we’ve done in our past, without Jesus, we might as well be Barabbas. Stuck in our sin with nowhere to turn. But we’re offered a release. If you’re here this morning and you have never answered the call, if you’ve never accepted Jesus as your king by choosing to deny yourself, empty yourself of what we’re living in this life for, and filling your life and your time and your resources with stewardship for God. Know that you have that chance this morning. That without being in the kingdom of God, we have no forgiveness of sins. But this day, this moment, you can have it all washed away. You can be released from the death which you’ve earned. Take advantage of the blood of Christ.

Be baptized into his death, burial, and resurrection. Become a new man. Submit to Jesus. Don’t choose sin. It may sound easier, it may be easier for now, but for all of eternity, it will not be easy nor light. Choose to be with God forever. If we can help you in any way to make yourself right before God this morning, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.