Sunday, June 4, 2000   

INTRODUCTION: At the Passover Feast, commemorating the exodus of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage, it was customary to release some criminal who was under condemnation, pardon him, and let him go (John 18:39).

The people were permitted to name and claim this prisoner whom they desired to receive this executive pardon (Luke 23:17; Mark 15:6).

I. BARABBAS

     A. Barabbas was the most notable prisoner at the time (Matthew 27:16).

          1. He was a known robber (John 18:40).

          2. He had led an insurrection and in the insurrection had committed murder (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19).

          3. Barabbas was under the sentence of death and was to be crucified that day.

     B. Barabbas was scheduled to get what he deserved: death by crucifixion. In this, he is a type of the natural, unregenerate man.

          1. The natural man is a robber. He has and does rob God of the glory that is due His most Holy name (Psalm 107:8-12).

          2. The natural man, the unconverted, is an insurrectionist, a rebel against the mind, the will and being of God (Ephesians 4:17-18).

          3. The natural man is a murderer; he has brought on himself the sentence of death (Romans 5:12; 6:23).

               a. Romans 6:23 speaks of spiritual death. This is what man deserves.

               b. The wrath of God is abiding on the natural man (John 3:36).

II. COMMON CONSENT

     A. Pilate turns to the glowering crowd and says: “Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:17).

          1. With common consent, the crowd cries out: “Not this man but Barabbas.” (John 18:40; Matthew 27:21).

          2. In response to the cry of the people, Pilate proclaimed his innocence by washing his hand of the people’s decision (Matthew 27:24).

               a. The crowd answers Pilate’s words with “...His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matthew 27:25).

               b. How sad, the blood that redeems many becomes their curse.

     B. The common consent of the crowd is the common response of the natural man.

          1. I Corinthians 2:14, “The natural man receiveth no the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

          2. Man is trapped in spiritual darkness unless delivered by God through the blood of Jesus (Colossians 1:13).

III. THE GREAT SUBSTITUTE

     A. Pilate released Barabbas to the people and delivered up Jesus to be crucified (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; Luke 23:25).

          1. After the resurrection, Peter drove home the fact that the Jews had crucified Jesus (Acts 3:14-1 5).

          2. John says in John 1:11: “He came unto his own and his own received him not.”

     B. The precious Lord Jesus was crucified instead of Barabbas.

          1. When Jesus was hanging on the tree, Barabbas was a free man standing among the crowd.

          2. Jesus took the place of Barabbas; Barabbas went free.

               a. Jesus took the place of the murdering robber. Barabbas took the place of the holy and just Son of God.

               b. Jesus took the place of the guilty; the guilty went free with no condemnation.

               c. Barabbas lived because Jesus died in his place.

               d. Jesus suffered the just for the unjust, the innocent for the guilty (I Peter 3:18).

                e. What we see here is substitution.

     C. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came into this sin-cursed world to take the place of the sin-cursed sinner.

           1. Jesus is the substitute for all who believe.

           2. Will you rebel or will you believe on Jesus?

IV. OUR SUBSTITUTE ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES

     A. From Genesis through Revelation, the doctrine of substitution is found.

          1. We especially think of the death of the Passover Iamb as it sets forth the doctrine of substitution.

               a. The blood of the Passover lamb was applied to the door of the house. When God saw the blood, He passed over that house (Exodus 12:13, 27).

               b. God passed over because when He saw the blood He knew that the substitute had been offered for the people.

          2. The Bible tells us that our Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover. I Corinthians 5:7 says: “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us Paul declares, “How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3).

               a. “According to the scriptures,” means that Jesus Christ is the complete and perfect fulfillment of every Old Testament type of substitution.

               b. The death of Christ is the death of substitution: “According to the scriptures.”

               c. At the very moment, you believe this substitution is yours.

IV. WHAT SUBSTITUTION MEANS FOR THE BELIEVER

     A. The blood of Jesus Christ justifies the believers (Romans 5:9).

          1. We declared righteous because Christ was made sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21).

          2. Think of it! The believer is justified by the condemnation of Christ. Because He took our condemnation, we can go free. I Peter 2:24 says that Christ bare our sins in His own body on the tree. He bare our condemnation and penalty of our sins.

               a. Our guilt and iniquity were laid upon Christ (Isaiah 53:6).

               b. Because He bore our iniquity, we have His righteousness laid on us.

     B. Barabbas was not judged because the judgment due him was placed upon Jesus.

          1. The judgment due the believer fell upon Jesus. He took our place, our judgment.

          2. There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who took our place (Romans 8:1).

          3. We who believe will never come into condemnation (John 5:24).

          4. As He was for Barabbas, Jesus is our Great Substitute.

CONCLUSION: Here is the question for you: "What shall I do then with Jesus?" (Matthew 27:22).

1. You must do something with Him.

2. You cannot ignore Him.

3. You cannot get rid of Him.