I Am Barabbas

As I reflect on the men’s retreat I just returned from, one truth has gripped me: I am Barabbas.

When Jesus stood before the crowd, Pilate presented two choices: Barabbas—a murderer, a rebel, a guilty man who deserved death—and Jesus—the spotless Son of God who had done no wrong. The crowd cried out, “Crucify Him!” And Barabbas walked free.

That wasn’t just Barabbas’ story. That’s my story. That’s your story. We are the guilty ones—liars, cheaters, thieves in our own ways. We are the ones who deserve the punishment of the cross. Yet Jesus stepped forward, not by force, but willingly, and said, “I’ll take their place.”

Think about that for a moment. Have you ever had someone take the blame for you? Maybe a brother, a sister, or a friend who stepped in so you wouldn’t have to bear the punishment? Now magnify that by eternity—Jesus took the wrath, the punishment, the shame that was ours.

Would you give up your son for someone else’s guilt? Most of us would say no. Yet God so loved the world that He gave His only Son (John 3:16). That is love. That is mercy. That is grace.

At the foot of the cross, the ground is level. Titles, jobs, status—none of it matters. We are all Barabbas, undeserving, and yet Jesus died to make us worthy, clean, and free.

The question today is: What will you do with the freedom He bought for you?
 

-Rev Carlos Figueroa