Bat Cave : Revolutionary

Revolutionary

There's a song I quote often by Aimee Allen and it says this. "I'd start a revolution if I could get up in the morning." Tuesday night I was reading in John 18 and something caught my attention. It was leading up to the crucifixion of Christ. John 18:39-40 "But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this 'King of the Jews'?" But they shouted back, 'No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!' (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)". Here's the crazy thing that struck me about that. When you read through the gospels the teachers of the law were constantly trying to convince Roman rulers that Jesus was stirring up revolts wherever he went. Then you get to Pilate's court and these same leaders of the law demand an actual revolutionary to be released to them. In Matthew 26:55 read Jesus exact words. "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the temple? I was there teaching everyday." The very crime they accused Jesus of that he didn't do they demanded that type of person to be released to them. Here's the irony of it. After the Resurrection in Acts 17:1-9 Paul and Silas were accused of causing trouble all over the world and disturbing the city. Hmm sounds like another revolutionary accusation to me. In Luke 23:19 we find out more about Barabbas. "(Barrabas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.)". The same info is provided in Mark 15:7. Did you know that Jesus not only died for our sins but he took Barabbas place on the cross that day? The murderer and revolutionary was replaced. Here's the thing though Barabbas could have been any one of us. "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." But there was hope that day in that substitution before the death penalty. In Romans 5:8 "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." It's love that replaced the revolutionary that gives us life. "We need a love revolution ." Scripture doesn't say what happened to Barabbas after that day that I know of but I can guarantee you one thing his life and ours will never be the same once we encounter Christ and let him change our lives.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 "And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!' For God made Christ, who never sinned to be the offering for our sin so that we may be made right with God through Christ."

Way Beyond The Blue by Steven Curtis Chapman