The Great Prisoner Exchange
Or
What Shall I Do With Jesus
Sunday June 25, 2023
Scripture To Consider:
“Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner named Barabbas. Therefore when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Christ?’ For he knew that they had handed Jesus over because of envy.”
“While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.’ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.”
“The governor answered and said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ They said, ‘Barabbas!’ Pilate said to them, ‘What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They said to him, ‘Let Him be crucified!’ Then the governor said, ‘Why, what evil has He done?’ But they cried out all the more, saying, ‘Let Him be crucified!’”
“When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult [riot] was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.’ And all the people answered and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children.’ Then Pilate released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.” Matthew 27.15-26
Something To Consider:
Pilate did not want to pass a sentence of death upon Jesus. He had given ample opportunities to the Jewish leaders to change their minds, but to no avail. His final attempt at releasing Jesus was a great prisoner exchange. He suggested releasing Jesus as was his custom at the Passover Feast to release a prisoner, a gesture of good will toward the nation of Israel. But the chief priests and elders having great power over the multitude persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas, whose name means son of the father.
Therefore, there has been a great prisoner exchange negotiated on the behalf of each of us! If we are a true believer in Jesus, our Father in heaven has negotiated a great prisoner exchange on our behalf. For according to Jesus, in John 3.16; “For God so loved the world [that is, the individuals in the world in every generation] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him [in Jesus] should not perish but have eternal life.”
Therefore, what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ or the Messiah? What then shall we do, what shall our families do with Jesus? Do we allow Him to be in control of our lives? Do we allow Him to be Lord of our lives or wrongfully think of Him as just Savior? For if Jesus is not our Lord, He is not our Savior, no matter what so-called religious appearing leaders and or church organizations claim.
Something Else To Consider:
The crowd cried out concerning Jesus, “Let Him be crucified!” How ironic that Jesus, the Son of God the Father, became the great prisoner exchanged for a notorious criminal named Barabbas, the son of the father. In reality, Jesus became our great prisoner exchanged for us so that our criminal acts of rebellion against God could be forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Thank You Father! Thank You Jesus!
Our spiritual crimes cried out along with others on that dark day in history of humankind, “Let Him be crucified!” Though we condemned Jesus due to our own sins, also according to Jesus in John 3.17, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world [every individual of every generation], through Him [through Jesus] might be saved.”
Therefore, what shall we do with Jesus and the fact that we condemn ourselves if we reject Jesus of whom God the Father sent as a great prisoner exchange? Be careful how we answer the question of what shall we do with Jesus who is called Christ.
Something More To Consider:
Pilate’s question must be answered by every man, woman, and child, past, present, and future. “What shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” The deceived multitude answered hastily and prophetically, “His blood be upon us and on our children.” And in less than forty years the blood of more than one million occupants of Jerusalem was spilled by the Roman army under the mighty hand of Titus.
History as told by Josephus, a first century historian, declared that ninety-seven thousand Jewish souls were taken captive as slaves and marched to Rome. The blood of Jesus will either cleanse us from our sins, or it will condemn us of our spiritual crimes. The choice remains our choice while we have breath within us!
Jesus further explained in John 3.19; “And this is the condemnation that the light [Jesus as the Word of God] has come into the world, and men [women and young people] loved darkness rather than light [Jesus and the Word of God, why], because their deeds were evil.”
Why do so many love darkness rather than coming to the light? According to Jesus, it is because they love darkness wrongly thinking the darkness conceals their evil deeds. For again according to Jesus, “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest their deeds should be exposed.” Therefore, the eternal need for a great prisoner exchange!
A Few Final Words:
The Jewish nation chose to reject the light of Jesus. They chose darkness over the light of the Word of God, which is revealing and an agent of exposure of the sin of every individual who loves the darkness!
So where is the good news? Speaking of God so loving the world, Jesus ended His light revealing discourse with these words; “But he [or she] who does the truth [who practices the truth of the Word of God] comes to the light [of Jesus the Word of God], that his [and her] deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God [or according to the Word of God].”
What we ultimately do with Jesus Christ, will not alter in the least who Jesus is, but will greatly influence our eternal condition! What then shall I do with Jesus who is called and is the Christ who is coming again?
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, thank You for the precious blood of Jesus and His becoming our great prisoner exchanged for our spiritual crimes. Thank You for Your willingness to forgive us our sins in and through the precious blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, our Lord, and our Savior. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 