“The crowd has gathered outside Pilate’s court
Cheering and jeering, they shout profanities at a mute defendant
Crowned with thorns, robbed in purple, stained with blood dripping from his wounds
His face unrecognizable from the dreaded Roman scourging
Body beaten, skin hanging, I wonder how his scourged back looks like underneath that royal robe
The crowd bays for His blood, shouting and screaming, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
The condemned man stands in silence; I just cannot understand this
His calm demeanor more than puzzled me, my mouth open with both disgust and pity, in shock and awe
Why is he not pleading for his life? Begging, screaming, crying?
Does He understand the kind of death He is about to go through? The torture? Humiliation? Pain?
As if He has not already been tormented enough…
His piercing dark eyes shout His innocence, yet they want Him dead
Who is this man?
What is His crime?
Why is His presence so intimidating?
Why does He, without speaking, emanate so much love, purity?”
“I on the other hand am guilty of murder and insurrection
My destination is the cross, and my bloody hands haunt me with the cries of those I’ve hurt
Pilate stands before the crowd, our religious leaders at the forefront, organisers of this kangaroo court
He’s already sentenced thousands of Jews to death, yet his face is ridden with contrition because of the battered man crowned with thorns
All Judea knows his cruelty and it came out clearly to me as he earlier cross examined me
But here he stands, pleading with the crowd to let the quiet man go free
The peculiar man reminds me of the dumb lambs, noiseless before their imminent slaughter
Ah, this is the Passover season; I still remember the religion that was drained into me as a child
My Jewish name literally means “son of the father”
Oh the irony
Decades later I am a stark contrast of that innocent child that went to the synagogue on Shabbat
I don’t even know if G-D exists and if He does, why are we under all this Roman oppression?”
“Suddenly, things take a turn for the worse for the Galilean, but for my betterment
Pilate asks who between the two of us should be pardoned
I roll my eyes thinking, ‘what a rhetorical question!’
I mean why need He ask? I am guilty, this man clearly isn’t
To my bewilderment the crowd led by the Pharisees and Sadducees shout for my release
Have they gone mad? What in the world?! This is my lucky day. Maybe God does cares about me after all…
But if God really did answer my mother’s prayers, why then was it at the Nazarene’s expense?
Pilate stands in horror knowing that he has just sentenced an innocent man to terrible execution
The soldiers remove the chains from my feet, hands and neck
My relief is soon turned to deep sadness when I lock eyes with the condemned man
The sparkle in His eyes and half smile convince me that He’s glad to take my place
Argh, but I don’t want to think about this. Let me enjoy this unanticipated freedom
As I pass through the crowds, no one wants to come near me
They set me free alright, but deep down, they know that I am guilty and the other Jewish man, blameless …”
Barabbas walked through the crowd into obscurity but as for the other man,
Let’s just say that those hundreds of Judean Jews two millennia ago knew not what they were doing for they made the condemned one the most influential and famous person in history
A sinner was set free, the righteous One, crucified in his place
A DIVINE EXCHANGE
Barabbas walked through the crowd into obscurity but as for the other man,
Let’s just say that those hundreds of Judean Jews two millennia ago knew not what they were doing for they made that condemned man the most famous man in history
A sinner was set free, the righteous One, crucified in his place
Dear reader, you may be reading this poem heaving with anger and resentment at that crowd
Yet it is your sins and mine that put the Messiah on that Cross
God made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to become sin for us so that we can be made the righteousness of God in Him
Christ became the Passover lamb and took away the sins of the world
He paid the ultimate price for you and me when He hung on the tree for our sins
God proved His love for us in that while we were yet a sinners, His Son died for us
Oh, what great love!
I deserved death and hell for my transgressions but Another took my place and I walk away free as a bird, safe a house
Jesus of Nazareth has made me “a son of GOD,” the Creator is my my eternal “Abba,” Father
By His shed blood, the Son of God made me a son of God
I ought to give my life for the cause of this man
Let the whole world know about Him because of His sacrifice for us
He took my cross, I take His up daily and follow Him
He has made me a fisher of men
That’s what I do
It’s the reason I live and breathe and have my being
He died in my place, I live for Him
I gave Him my all, my everything
He’s my King, my Saviour and my Lord
That’s a fair deal, a divine exchange
It’s the least I could do
And I do it with all my Love for Him because…
I AM BARABBAS: “SON OF THE FATHER“
If you are not a Christian i.e. born again/saved, or maybe you are backslidden, not sure that your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life please read this article. Jesus loves you ❤ too much my friend. God bless you 🙂
Ben-David Ministries 