Have you ever been falsely accused and ended up suffering the punishment another deserved? If not you obviously did not have siblings. This game goes on with siblings all throughout childhood. (Well except for those "perfect" children who never do any wrong.--YEAH RIGHT!") Even if the finger was never pointed directly at you, the fact you were allowed to suffer the punishment due to failure to fess up is no different. Life is NOT fair! The guilty dog does not always suffer the punishment.
Today's annual walk through the Bible spoke of redemption. My thoughts were stirred when reading of the people's desire for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus. Following a game of "You're it" between Pilate and Herod, there was one last opportunity for Jesus to be set free. Someone condemned to die would be released that day as was custom. The people -mob (that would be the world), who had been whipped into a frenzy courtesy of the unseen leadership, demanded that Jesus be executed and the guilty criminal Barabbas be set free. Jesus had done nothing to demand the death penalty, but Barabbas was guilty as sin. HMMM!
SO, as I was pondering this while reading, it occurred to me that Jesus was the payer for Barabbas's sins. He became the redeemer who allowed Barabbas to live. A foretelling of what He was about to do for all mankind. An innocent man who paid the price for the sin of another. The future is foretold in a seemingly unrelated side story.
We see redemption all around us during our trek through this world. What a beautiful reminder of the innocent blood which was shed for us. What a grace filled God we serve. I am thankful today and everyday for His charity and grace toward me. What a great God we serve!
"But the mob shouted louder and louder,
demanding that Jesus be crucified,
and their voices prevailed.
So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded.
As they had requested,
he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder.
But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished."
Luke 23:23-25
God's grace and forgiveness, while free to the recipient, are always costly for the giver.... From the earliest parts of the Bible, it was understood that God could not forgive without sacrifice. No one who is seriously wronged can "just forgive" the perpetrator.... But when you forgive, that means you absorb the loss and the debt. You bear it yourself. All forgiveness, then, is costly.”
ReplyDelete― Timothy Keller
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
DeleteBlessings, My Friend!