Though we have been robbers,
traitors and murderers!
Not this man, but Barabbas!"
John 18:40
Barabbas was a murderer, a felon, and
a traitor. This fact is very significant.
There is more teaching in it than at first
sight we might imagine. Have we not here
in this act of the deliverance of the sinner,
and the binding of the innocent--
a sort of type of that great work which
is accomplished by the death of our Savior?
You and I may fairly take our stand
by the side of Barabbas. We have
robbed GOD of HIS glory; we have
been seditious traitors against
the government of Heaven; and if he
who hates his brother is a murderer--
then we also have been guilty of that sin.
Here we stand before the judgment
seat; the Prince of life is bound for us--
and we are allowed to go free!
The LORD delivers us and acquits us--
while the SAVIOR, without spot or
blemish, or shadow of a fault,
is led forth to crucifixion!
Two birds were taken in the rite
of the cleansing of the leper.
The one bird was killed, and its
blood was poured into a basin.
The other bird was dipped in this
blood, and then, with its wings all
crimson, it was set free to fly into
the open field.
The bird slain well pictures the SAVIOR,
and every soul that has by faith been
dipped in HIS blood, flies upward
towards Heaven singing sweetly
in joyous liberty, owing its life and
its liberty entirely to HIM who was slain!
It comes down to this:
Barabbas must die--
or CHRIST must die.
You the sinner must perish--
or CHRIST Immanuel,
the Immaculate, must die.
HE dies--
that we may be delivered!
Though we have been robbers,
traitors and murderers--
yet we can rejoice that CHRIST
has delivered us from the curse
of the law, having been made
a curse for us!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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