The Lord used four different
men to write the account of the Lord's life, Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John. And I think it's interesting
that very few events are related by all four writers, just two
or three. And one of them is the story
of Barabbas. He is mentioned by all four riders. Christ took Barabbas' place. Barabbas didn't ask him to. Barabbas did not know that this
took place. But he found out it took place. People say, I got saved. Not me. I found out I was saved. And that's the experience of
every believer. The same experience of Barabbas. On a Friday morning, three men
were scheduled to be crucified. Two of the men, we do not know
their names, they were thieves, but the middle cross was reserved
for a man by the name of Barabbas. They were scheduled to be crucified,
a death reserved for the vilest of criminals by the Roman government. Barabbas was a wicked man. Matthew's
account tells us he was a notable prisoner. He was notorious. Everyone had heard of this man
because of his wicked actions. Public enemy number one. John
tells us he was a robber. And that doesn't mean a petty
thief. It means a man who with violence plundered In the text
we just read, we read of him being guilty of sedition and
insurrection. He was an out and out rebel,
a wicked, hardened man. And he was even a murderer. Someone
who had taken other people's lives. A menace to society. Would you want this man out on
the streets? Barabbas? His name means son of the father. And he gives us a glorious picture
of what a son of Adam is. And he gives us a glorious picture
of what a son of God is. The son of the father. Now, I doubt the night before
his crucifixion, he got much sleep. Can you imagine going
to bed and knowing that in the morning you were going to be
nailed to a tree? I doubt that he got much sleep
that night. What was going on in his mind? Bitterness at the events that
had led to this? Hard telling what all happened
to this man that he became such a man. There are a lot of events
that took place that led to this horrible, horrible end. Hardness, remorse, fear. Who knows what all was going
through his mind at this time, but I know this. He was dreading what was ahead
of him. And there he lays, Mark's account
tells us he was bound. He was bound. And there he lays,
perhaps all night long, and he hears the soldiers that morning
coming for him. Now while all this was taking
place, let's go to another scene that this was happening at the
same time. Matthew chapter 27. Beginning in verse 15. Now at that feast, the piece
of the Passover, Matthew 27, 15. Now at that feast, the governor
was want to release into the people a prisoner whom they would,
and like we read in Luke's account, he said it was necessary. Now
it wasn't necessary because it was prescribed in the law of
Moses. It was simply something the Roman
government did to pacify the Jews. You know, they were under
their control and so on, and they were giving them something,
I guess, to feel good about. So on the Passover, they would
release to them anybody they wanted. They could come out of
prison and they would be released. Verse 16, and they had a notable
prisoner, a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when
they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, whom will
ye that I release unto you, Barabbas or Jesus, which is called Christ?
Now, I don't have any doubt that Pilate thought they would say,
keep Barabbas in prison and release to us Christ. He thought he's
so bad. that they won't want him out
on the streets. So he tried to set this up to
where they would have to release Christ. He didn't want to have
him crucified. He wanted him released. So he
gives the worst prisoner they have. He names Barabbas. Who
do you want? Barabbas or Christ, having no
doubt that they would pick Christ to be released because we can't
have Barabbas on the streets. Verse 18, he was a savvy politician
for he knew that for envy they had delivered him. Verse 19,
when he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife said unto him,
saying, have thou nothing to do with that just man? For I
have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
How do you reckon that made Pilate feel? Here he has this one who
he finds to be innocent. His wife warns him, I had a dream
about him. Don't have anything to do with
him. Don't, don't do anything wrong with this man. But Verse
20, the chief priests of the elders persuaded the multitude
that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor
answered and said unto them, whither of the twain will ye
that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith
unto them, what shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ?
They all say unto him, let him be crucified. And the governor
said, why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the
more saying, let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could
prevail nothing but that rather a tumult was made, there was
going to be a riot. He took water and washed his
hands before the multitude saying, I'm innocent of the blood of
this just person. See ye to it. Then answered all
the people and said, his blood be on us. and our children, let
us be held responsible for this and our children. What a prayer. Don't you say the same thing?
His blood be upon us and our children. Now let's go back to the Roman
prison cell Brabus does not know that all of this is going on. And he hears the Roman soldiers
come and open his gate. No doubt he's filled with a sense
of dread and fear. And he hears these words. You've been set free. What? You're free. You're a free man. How did he
feel when he walked out of that prison, walked into the open
air, and just five minutes before, he was waiting to be crucified,
and he finds out he's been set free? And I'm sure he asked why,
and he found out Somebody took your place. Somebody took your place. Now, in this transaction, the innocent was condemned. and the guilty was set free. And this is truly a salvation
story. If you want to understand God's
salvation, if you want to understand the message of this book, ask
the Lord to give you the grace to hear what's being said. I've got four points to this
message. They all begin with an S, easy to remember, easy
to understand. Sovereignty, sin, substitution, salvation. Sovereignty, sin, substitution,
salvation. Go back to Luke chapter 23. Verse 17, for of necessity, that's a very important word,
for of necessity, he must release one unto them at the feast of
necessity. This was absolutely necessary.
He must release one to them at the feast. Now this was a custom,
not prescribed in the law, but a necessity because God willed
it to happen. It was a necessity because it
was God's will. Now I've said this several times
in the last several weeks and I plan on keeping on saying it
because I'm so enamored with this thought. The cross of the
Lord Jesus Christ was not given in response to Adam's fall to
clean up the mess Adam made. The fall of Adam was for the
cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. God's purpose, God's sovereign
will being done. You know why Barabbas had to
be released and Christ had to take his place? You know why
it was necessary? Because it was God's will for
Jesus Christ to be nailed to that cross. It was God's will. You see, the cross actually took
place before the fall. In Christ called in Revelation
chapter 13 verse 8, the lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. This all happened out of necessity. Now, how many times do we read
in the scriptures that these things were done that the scriptures
might be fulfilled? Dozens. It's almost like everybody
must have read the book and said, what do I do next? Okay, here,
I'll do this. But they didn't, they had no idea that what they
were doing was simply fulfilling the scriptures. Him being delivered
by the determinate counsel and for knowledge of God, you have
taken and with wicked hands have crucified and slain. Acts 4.27
says, for the truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou has
anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and
the people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be. Why was this necessary? Because it was the will of God. God is sovereign. You know what that means? That means His will is done all
the time. Not most of the time, all of
the time. He controls everything and everybody. He doeth according to his will
in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth
and none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou?
Why was this necessary? Because God willed it. The nailing of Jesus Christ to
the cross was the will of God. Don't you love the fact that
God has complete control over the free and uncoerced actions
of men and devils? I love thinking about that. You
know, when Satan entered Judas' heart in order to have him betray
the Lord, Judas was wicked and willful in what he did. But you
know why Satan entered Judas' heart? It was the will of the
Lord being done. The Lord was going to use this
to bring about the most glorious thing we can imagine. the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ. So the first point, may God give
us grace to get hold of this, the point of these people desiring
Barabbas over the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason it was necessary
that the priest, or that Pilate released somebody, it was because
it was the sovereign will of God being done. Let me remind you. God really
is God. The second point is sin. First,
sovereignty. The second point is sin. What
is sin? Why does God send men to hell? That's a horrible thing to think
about, isn't it? Divine retribution, divine punishment. Sin is so
evil that God has made a hell to put sinners into eternally.
Now, why is sin so evil? What's so bad about sin. And no doubt Barabbas was a wicked
man, wasn't he? He was a murderer. He was a rebel. He was one of those guys that
would do home invasions, knock somebody's door down, maybe old
people, and kill them if he has to in order to take their stuff.
He was a wicked, wicked man deserving to be in prison and deserving
to be crucified for all the crimes that he had committed. And Mark's
account tells us he was laying in the prison, bound in a chain.
He couldn't deliver himself. Now we see sin in Barabbas, don't
we? But you know who we see it more
clearly in? The will of the people. Their will was to have Jesus
Christ crucified and Barabbas released unto them. The evil of sin is seen much
more clearly in the religious people, the people who claimed
to respect God's law, than this bravest, this notorious criminal. You know, what you and I really
are is defined by what we desire. That's the real you. what you
desire. Look with me in Luke 23 once
again, verse 13. And Pilate, when he had called
together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, said
unto them, you brought this man unto me as one that perverts
the people. And behold, I've examined him before you and have
found no fault in this man touching those things wherever you accuse
him, no, nor yet Herod. for I sent you to him, and lo,
nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise
him and release him, for if necessity he must release one unto them
at the feast.' And they cried out all at once, saying, Away
with this man! This is not the man we want.
Release to us Barabbas, who for a certain sedition made in the
city, and for murder was cast into prison. Pilate therefore,
willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried,
saying, Crucify him! Crucify him! And he said unto
them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I found no
cause of death in him. I will therefore chastise him,
and let him go. And they were instant, with loud voices, requiring
that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of
the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that
it should be as they required. And he released unto them him
that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they
desired, but he delivered Jesus to their will. Let me tell you something about
the will of man. Everybody in here has got a will. The will is the seat of sin. It's the seat of sin. Someone who believes in what
they call free will is spiritually blind. The will is the seat of sin. Now believe this because God's
word says it. I'm not asking you to look within
your own heart. I'm asking you to hear what God
says. He delivered Jesus to their will. The will of man is the most evil,
wicked thing that there is. Amen. That's the truth. And the cross is proof of that. When men were given the choice,
would you rather have Barabbas or the Holy One of Israel? They chose Barabbas to be released. And their will could not be satisfied. The lust of their will could
not be satisfied without the brutal death of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And that is how me and you are. Don't say I wouldn't have done
it. If God left you to yourself and he left you to your own will,
you will be as bad as Satan himself. And that's true with regard to
everybody in this room. You know, men don't realize this
about themselves. They think they're pretty good people, but
this is God's testimony. regarding all men by nature. Sin is seen in the will, so to
talk about free will, no, your will's controlled by a wicked
evil nature. And even these fellas, this is
what's manifested about them. You know, people don't know they
hate the truth until they hear the truth. It's when they hear
the truth, that's when they start getting upset and getting angry.
And they think they're pretty good before then. But it's hearing
the truth, here's me, And here's you, if God left me and you to
ourselves and took away the restraints and let us do whatever we wanted
to do, we'd put him to death. That, my dear friends, is sin. Now, what I love about this,
man's desperately wicked will His will was to have Christ crucified
and murdered in hatred. God used the will of man for the most glorious thing to
ever take place. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. So don't forget, though man has
a perverted, wicked will, God's in control of that will because
God is sovereign and He used the wicked will of man to perform
His glorious will, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. So
remember this about sin. It's seen in your wicked will. He delivered Jesus to their will. Sovereignty. This happened because
it was God's will to take place. Sin. Man's will. Your will is the seat of sin
and depravity and evil. That's proved by what took place
on the cross. And here's the third point. Substitution. Substitution. This is how this glorious God
can be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
Substitution. Now here's what took place at
this time. The guilty was set free. Put yourself in Barabbas's place
when he walks out of that prison cell finding out. He found out something, didn't
he? He found out. He'd been set free because somebody
took his place. And the innocent, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the only holy man to ever live. He knew no sin, yet
he was put to death. Now what a horrible thing when
the guilty is set free. Ask the relatives, ask the mom
and dad, of the persons that Brabus murdered, how they felt
about him being set free. For this man to be brought back
into society and the danger that that could create for others,
it's a horrible thing when the guilty, the criminal, is set
free. What a horrible thing for the
innocent to be condemned. I wonder how many times that's
happened when someone is brought into prison for a crime they
didn't commit. How do you think they feel? What
if someone is strapped into an electric chair to be put to death
for a crime they did not commit? That's a horrible thing. when
the guilty are set free and when the innocent are condemned. Would you turn with me for a
moment to Proverbs chapter 17? Verse 15. He that justifieth the wicked. Proverbs 17, 15. He that justifieth
the wicked. That's another way of saying
the guilty being set free. And he that condemneth the just. That's another way of saying
the innocent being condemned. Even they both are what? Abomination to the Lord. This is the same one who said,
I will by no means clear the guilty. He said, it's an abomination
to me when the innocent is condemned and punished, and when the guilty
are set free and not punished for their sins. Now, question. If you commit a crime and I'm
punished in your place, is it just? The conscience of everyone in
this room says, no, that's not right. If I'm guilty and you're sent
to jail in my place, And even if you would willingly do it,
I'd be thankful. I'd be glad. But would justice
be done? The answer is no. Here is the glory of the gospel.
God has made a way to be just. Now, listen carefully. I couldn't
be saying anything more important than this. And as a matter of
fact, when you come back next week, you're going to be hearing
me saying the same thing. That's how important this is. This has
to be preached every time we meet together. Here's the glory
of the gospel. God has made a way to be just
and by no means clear the guilty and yet justify guilty people. God has made a way to do this
through the substitutionary death of his son. The sins of God's
elect were laid upon him so that he was guilty. And when he died, it was not
the innocent being condemned. It was the guilty being condemned. And that perfect righteousness
that he worked out is given to me and becomes mine so that when
I'm set free, it's not the guilty being set free. It's the innocent
being set free. Now, this is the glory of the
gospel. That publican in the temple,
beating on his breast, crying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner. What did Christ say about that
man? I tell you that he went down
to his house justified. Not merely forgiven, although
what a great blessing that is, but justified. rather than the other. Second Corinthians 521 says,
For he, God, hath made him, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be sin
for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. Now somebody's thinking, how can that be right? Well, God did it. Need any other explanation? God
did it. And that made it right. Because whatever he does is right.
Do you believe that? Shall not the judge of the earth
do right? Whatever He does is right. And Christ did all of this willingly. Nobody forced this on Him. He
said, I lay down my life willingly. No man takes it from me. I have
power to lay it down. I have power to take it up. What
He did, He did because He wanted to. He did this willingly. And He did this. Let me ask you
this. You're a child. Would you, if
you could, be punished for them? I'd say you would. With your spouse? Well, most
of you would at any rate. I'm not sure that all of us would,
but some of us would. If we were going to, if our spouse
was in trouble, won't come off? Okay, go ahead
and pull it up and get in front of you and turn it off. You don't know how, somebody
give her a hand on that. Don't worry about it, that happens.
Don't worry about it. I'll tell you what, go ahead
and take it and put it in my study if you can't get it off. Okay,
it's all right. It's all right, everybody. This
is the age of technology. Don't feel bad, stuff like that
happens. She's sitting there, it happens. Don't worry about
it. Don't worry about it. But the point I was making, the
Lord loves his bride and he's going to take their place because
of his love. What great love he has for his
bride. I love this point maybe the most
as to how could this be right? Well, when Adam sinned, I did too. And I was condemned in what he
did. But just the same way that I was condemned in what he did,
I'm saved by what Christ did. That is salvation. Now on the
cross, The guilty was condemned. I mean, yeah, on the cross, the
guilty was condemned. And when I'm set free, it's the
innocent being set free. Salvation. Here's the last point. There is one reason. One reason, not two. Not three. There is one reason that Barabbas
was set free. It was not because he was sorry
for his crimes. It was not because he asked for
mercy. It was not because he promised
to make restitution. He was set free for this one
singular reason. Christ took his place. That's the only reason. Now, if in the Lord's providence
you outlive me and I die and you come to my funeral, and you
see that dead carcass, that dead body lying in a coffin, I want
you to know this about me. The only reason that I'll be
in heaven is because Christ died for me. He took my place. That is the only reason. There are no other reasons because Christ took my place. Notice in verse 25 of Luke chapter
23, Luke chapter 23 verse 25. And he released unto them him
that for sedition and murder was cast into prison. He released
unto them. Now that is a word that describes
God's salvation. Released. Released. It's translated by these words
in the New Testament. Loosed. Loose him. And let him go. Dismiss. Case dismissed. Depart. You're free to go. It's
translated forgiven. Forgiven. Go. Set at liberty. Send away, put away. That is what Christ did. He sent
my sins away. He put them away so that they
are not. And now I am without guilt before
God. He took my place. Now, I want to close with this
thought. It would be wrong and remiss
for me to say he took everybody's place. Is that so? You know, the scripture points
out, I know whose place he took. Those names written in the Lamb's
book of life. The Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Now I know he took their place,
but I don't have any access to that book. I can't read the role
of God's elect. I know if I could, I would, and
I've said this before, I know whose name I'd be looking for
first and it wouldn't be yours. I'd want to look and see if you're
there after me, but I'd be first looking in the ends to see if
I'm there. But I don't have any access to
that book. So how can I know if I'm one
for whom he died? Acts 13, 48, as many as were
ordained to eternal life. Anybody know the rest of the
verse? believed. To him that worketh not, you
see that you can't be saved by your works. But believeth on
him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. You know what it means to believe
on Christ? It means to believe that what
he did because of who he is, is all that's needed to make
you just before God. This is God's command to you. Somebody says, what if I'm not
one of the elect? You don't need to worry about that. God's command
to you is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be
saved. Let's pray. Lord, I ask in Christ's name,
we ask, oh Lord, unite our hearts in praying this prayer together.
We ask that you would enable and cause everybody in this room
to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. And Lord,
how we thank you for the substitutionary death of thy blessed son. He is all our salvation. In his
name we pray, amen. We got Dwayne.