1. Albrecht…March 4^th, 2026…Third Midweek…Barabbas Wants Jesus to Die!…Mark 15:6-15

The Grace of God the Father, the Love of our Savior Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, Amen.

⁶ Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. ⁷ And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. ⁸ And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. ⁹ And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” ¹⁰ For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. ¹² And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” ¹³ And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” ¹⁴ And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” ¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

INJ, the King who exchanged Himself for criminal sinners like you and me, DFR:

In the last century, a number of prisoner exchanges took place – either to de-escalate rising tension between countries, or to facilitate peace deals or aide diplomatic relations between countries. Sometimes the only incentive was an attempt to save some prisoner’s life.

The man you are seeing on the screen right now is Gilad Shalit. In 2006, Shalit was captured by Hamas and held for more than 5 years. His capture became a high-profile case – an emotional and public issue. There was a national and international outcry arose for his release – his status was constantly in the news.

Eventually, in 2011, this captured Israeli soldier was exchanged for 1,000 Palestinian soldiers who’d been captured over the years. The exchange sparked global controversy due to the unequal ratio and the potential harm that could come from these released Palestinian soldiers – many of whom were convicted for terrorist attacks. But Israel remained firm in its response that one Israeli soldier was worth that kind of prisoner exchange.

Even though this event was headlining news for more than 5 years, the world has since moved on. . . does anyone even remember it now? Well, I can guarantee you someone does! That one Israeli soldier! He will never forget the day of his prisoner exchange.

Tonight, we continue our series, “Who Wants Jesus to Die?” and we are confronted with another prisoner exchange in Israel. This is one was even more lopsided and no one will forget it happened, because God doesn’t want us to forget. The prisoner is Barabbas – an insurrectionist and murderer. Given in exchange for his freedom was Jesus, the innocent King.

Who was Barabbas? Matthew tells us that he was a notorious prisoner. Mark tells us what made him notorious – he committed murder during an insurrection against Rome. Any more than that and we are simply not told. It is enough for us to get the picture of the choices offered to the people by Pilate. He chose the worst prisoner he could – one that would only bring more suffering to the people. It was insurrectionists like Barabbas that brought the iron fist of Rome down upon Jerusalem. There should have been no way the people would choose the likes of Barabbas over Jesus.

Barabbas knew full well what awaited him. He would be crucified for his crimes and had no chance to go free. Except, the Jews implored Pilate to release a prisoner to them as was his custom, and across from him stood a man convicted of the same crime – treason. It didn’t matter who was on the other side, even if it was one of Barabbas’ fellow insurrectionists, that person, Jesus, was his ticket to freedom and to avoid death.

Did you notice how Barabbas doesn’t speak a single word? Jesus doesn’t either. We can’t assume the thoughts behind Barabbas’ silence; be we do know why Jesus was silent. Jesus had no right being compared to a transgressor like Barabbas. They could not have been any more different from each other. Jesus remained silent because He knew it must happen this way. He is the one who saw Satan working through Barabbas to keep Jesus from accomplishing His mission. Jesus didn’t speak because He was letting the Father’s will speak for Him. Isaiah 53:7,12, “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth…Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”

Barabbas didn’t need to speak up. The people did on his account. ¹¹ But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead…And they cried out again, “Crucify him…But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” Barabbas’ silence writes Jesus’ death sentence. Jesus was useful to Barabbas only because He was a means to an end. By His death, Barabbas would be freed.

If that doesn’t prick the heart of every person hearing this account, it should. For we all have treated Jesus like Barabbas. We may not have been the ones to cry for Jesus’ death that day, but we have, by our words and actions, simply used Jesus as a means to an end. When we need Him, sure we implore of His grace and love. But as soon as the Law stands in the way of our flesh being gratified, or as soon as my wants and desires are obstructed by God, then it’s so long Jesus. Let Him die. Let Him depart from me, until I need Him again. This is the heart of Barabbas. We know that because it is our heart too. Every heart that has been infected with sin turns to his own way.

So you should see yourself in Barabbas. For you are guilty before the Judge of heaven and earth, the Lord your God, and so am I. Barabbas wanted Jesus to die because it brought him freedom from his crimes and it was granted to him.

¹⁵ So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Thus, the great prisoner exchange was complete. Barabbas got what he wanted, freedom. And so did the other party involved – God. For by Jesus’ crucifixion, there came an ironic twist. Yes, Barabbas was set free from his physical chains. But through Jesus, he also had forgiveness of all his sins before God. Barabbas had an opportunity to look on the one who took his place and, in faith, receive restoration and forgiveness.

Barabbas wasn’t the only prisoner exchanged that fateful day. You and I were there too. The whole world, chained by sin and death had their place taken by the innocent Son of God. The One, holy and righteous, for the many sinful and rebellious. By the power of the Holy Spirit, you and I may look in faith, on Him who took our place on the cross, suffered the Father’s justice for our sin, and paid the price to set us free from that sin and the death that awaited us all.

Talk about a lopsided exchange! And yet, that is what your soul is worth to your Heavenly Father whose will sent Jesus to be your Savior; that is what your soul is worth to the Son who suffered in your place the agony of the cross and eternal death; that is what your soul is worth to the Holy Spirit who daily battles against your sinful flesh to keep your faith in Jesus and away from sin.

Jesus for Barabbas was an exchange that never should have happened. God allowed it to happen so Jesus would be condemned and Barabbas would go free. Jesus for me and Jesus for you was an exchange that never should have happened. But it did because God’s hand of divine providence played an active role behind the scenes. For, it was God’s will to give His Son in your place so that we have the right as children of God to gather together in His name and spend eternal life with Him. God’s hand of divine providence is seen in many other ways in the Passion history. May we be reminded that God’s hand continues to be active in our lives, and we can be strengthened by the security it brings: Jesus for me. Amen.