Prisons are wretched places! They are dark, smelly, and filthy. Usually, they are just places where you wait to die. Minutes seem like days and weeks like years. I had decided that death might be a release from the nightmare and wondered when my time would come!
Each time I heard guards walking, I thought, "this is it". Finally... it was. The door opened and a Roman guard hurried in. He came over, took off my chains and said, "let's go"! We walked up toward the light, the outside, and I thought back over my life... again! My reflections were interrupted by the bright light of sunshine as I blocked my eyes. The guard released my shoulder and said, "go on, you're free"!
Free? I was about to die! How could this be?
My mind was reeling... I saw a man being scourged, but I didn't know him! Suddenly, friends surrounded me, hugging and clapping. It seemed too good to be true! My freedom, I discovered later, was at an awful price. A price I can never pay back! Jesus of Nazereth, the man that I'd heard was the Messiah, took my place! I was guilty... but He was the one who died!
Well, I had to find out more about this Jesus. I found one of his disciples who seemed all to eager to talk. He revealed that Jesus had the power to do wonderful things! I know now that he made a blind man see, and even raised people from the dead! The disciple tole me how he had calmed a storm and even walked on water! He could cast out demons and feed thousands with a small boy's lunch. I talked to others, many others, who told me the same types of things. They said he talked like no Rabbi ever had. Jesus spoke with authority and could answer any question the scribes and religious leaders raised.
Problem was, Jesus was just too much for the Sanhedrin. They arrested him and brought him to Pilate to be crucified. Pilate gave the people a choice between me and Jesus of Nazareth. Can you imagine that? The choice wasn't between who deserved to die and who didn't! I was guilty but Jesus had done nothing wrong.
I'm just pretending to be Barabbas. Although, symbolically, we all are. Jesus died in place of every person alive today and everyone who's ever lived!
2000 years later, God still issues an invitation of salvation through His Son Jesus. Freedom from the dark bondage of sin and servitude to Satan. 1Peter 2:9 says, You should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. If you've obeyed the gospel, you walked out of that dark prison into the light of the Son just like Barabbas! Jesus said in John 8:36, If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
But the joy is bittersweet. There are other souls still in the dungeon. We need to let freedom ring! Ring out the message of Christ on a cross and the blood that washes clean and lights the way home to a loving Father. They too can one day behold the man who willingly took their place!
This was our oldest son's 9th grade speech in a church competition in Nashville, Tennessee. He won 1st place with a flawless delivery. I was looking through old speeches tonight and thought it very appropriate for us today!
No comments:
Post a Comment