Winston Salem church of Christ

Our God is a God of exclamation marks.  Our God gets involved in history not only to save us from our wicked choices, but to reveal how wicked our choices can be.  Our God intervenes to powerfully show how distorted our sins are by showing how hypocritical we are.  No event in all of history shows this as clearly as Jesus’ trials.  Barabbas or He who made Himself out to be the Son of God (Matthew 26:63-64; John 19:7)?  Choose.  Barabbas or He who claimed to be king of the Jews (Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2,9; Luke 23:3; John 18:36-37)?  Your Choice.  Barabbas or He who was declared innocent of any crime (Matthew 27:24; Mark 15:14; Luke 23:13-15, 22; John 19:4)? Which one? Jesus was innocent, and yet the Jewish leaders willingly chose a man known to be a murderer and robber (Luke 23:19, 25; John 18:40).  They chose to kill and become like Barabbas who killed.  They chose he who killed men and rejected He who died for men.  Jesus was executed for being the King of the Jews, and yet the Jewish leaders preferred an insurrectionist while claiming no king but Caesar (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19, 25; John 19:15).  They chose a king who crucified their brothers while choosing to crucify their own king.  God’s people chose to callously reject Jesus the Son of God for Barabbas.  Did you ever notice what Barabbas’ name means?  “A son of a father.”  They chose “a son of a father” and rejected the Son of the Father because He claimed to be the Son of God (Matthew 26:63-64). How wicked was the Jewish leaders choosing Barabbas?   God showed them with an exclamation mark.  Let’s look at ourselves and see what God is showing us.  And then choose. Perry D. Hall