Barabbas the Guilty Released, Jesus the Innocent Crucified in Barabbas’ Place

This Good Friday, it would be good to also think of Jesus and Barabbas. The account can be read in Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, and John 18. Good Friday celebrates the atonement Jesus did on the cross for the sins of the world. It’s simple for us to talk about Pontius Pilate as a spineless ruler and people-pleaser. It’s simple for us to talk about Barabbas as the guilty man who was a murderer and a rebel, worthy of crucifixion. It’s simple to say that the majority isn’t always right based on this situation. The crowd chose the wrong person named Barabbas. What we need to address is that in this process, this was all done for our sake. The crowd’s sinful behavior played right into God’s sovereign plan. Later, in Acts 2, we can read the conversion of some people who once joined this sinful crowd.

Does John 20:23 Justify the Need to Confess One’s Sins to a Priest?

As a former Roman Catholic, I even thought of the majesty of my first Communion. At one point, I contemplated the priesthood. If I ever got into a situation that bad, maybe I may have prayed like Martin Luther. I may have said, “Mother Mary, if you will deliver me, I will be a Jesuit!” I remember my first confession which I was told, “Unless you confess your sins to a priest, you can’t be guaranteed forgiveness.” Before my first confession, I was told “If you like watching the Family Rosary Hour, why not sign up for the priesthood?” Who knows, I might’ve become like Luther, trying to achieve everything. Maybe, the Jesuit confessor will tell me to return if I did something worse, a mortal sin. I might’ve even written my own version of the 95 Theses and nailed it at the parish. Luther spent time at the confessional, hoping to achieve righteousness.

God the Father’s Sovereignty in the Arrest of Jesus

As I was reading through the Lenten reading, one particular verse struck me from Luke 22:48-53. It’s Luke 22:53 which Jesus says these stinging words to an unsaved crowd:

When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay your hands on Me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

This is a dreadful thought. Jesus had revealed that even His arrest was perfectly laid out. The words “But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” can reveal God’s sovereignty, even over the forces of darkness.

Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer

The final scheduled post for Maundy Thursday, it would be the whole chapter of John 17. Since I prefer to mix topical posts and expository preaching, I would like to write on John 17 in its entirety. It’s because the entire topic is what’s often called the high priestly prayer. This is an important lesson to show Jesus’ role as the high priest of the New Covenant. The Levitical priesthood was coming to an end. It was a shadow of things to come. This would be very important to reflect on this prayer that came before the Lord Jesus’ agony in the garden. This was a prayer set for Jesus’ followers. I haven’t bothered to write about this prayer. Now, I’m burdened to write about it.

Follow Jesus, Expect the Hatred of the World

After discussing the relationship between the vine and the branches, the Lord Jesus Christ discusses the hatred of the world. John 15:18-25 writes the sad proclamation. It’s often said if you do good, you’ll never get into trouble. However, the contrary is true as doing good can get you into trouble. Do you think a gangster will be grateful if you called the cops on them? Sure, your neighbor will be grateful but the gangsters and their associates wouldn’t. If some unsaved people can understand that truth, how much more the Christian should understand it? The foolish statement says, “If you become more like Jesus, more people will love you.” Okay, they might as well explain why Jesus was handed over to be crucified to the Romans, not just by the Pharisees but by an entire bloodthirsty crowd? The crowd isn’t the best judge of character. The same crowd that opposes a tyrant can also be the same crowd that allowed the tyrant to rise up in the first place. The crowd’s judgment is often fickle. That’s why popular opinion is best called, popular opinion.

The Lord Jesus as the True Vine

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This is another scheduled post for Maundy Thursday. John 15:1-17 talks about the relationship between Jesus as the vine, the Father as the vinedresser, and the Christians as the branches. We need to understand the context between faith and works. Salvation isn’t faith plus works but faith that results in works. The passage can often be mistaken by the conditional security crowd to say that works are needed for salvation. In contrast, it’s all about works as a result of salvation. Some use James 2 to justify salvation by works but end up ignoring James 2:10-11, a verse that condemns all people regardless of who they are.

Jesus Christ as the Way to the Father and the Promise of the Holy Spirit

This Maundy Thursday (and this is a scheduled post), it would be a good time to reflect on Jesus’ statements after the Last Supper. This time, the reading would be from John 14:1-14, all that before Jesus promises the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells the disciples in John 14:1-4 these words:

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house there are many rooms. If it were not so would have I told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.”