THE GORY CHOICE OF A BARABBAS

Barabbas, the insurrectionist, mass murderer, terrorist, abductionist and assailant, yet they loved, desired, and routed for him. He stole from them, killed and ruined their lives, yet they craved for him – Matthew 27: 17, 20 – 21.

Now, a greater than Barabbas, who is not just a malefactor, but aptly described as a murderer from the beginning, the most wicked one, who abode not in the truth, a great liar and the father of all liars, yet they follow after his devious ways – John 8: 44. He turned the earth into a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof, and mercilessly incarcerated all his captives and opened not the door of his prisoners, yet they dutifully serve him – Isaiah 14: 17.

A worse than Barabbas! The crooked old serpent, beguiling and deceiving every and all things in his way. Even now trying so hard to make you his latest target and newest victim, yet you devotedly desire him. He daily and in company of his demonic cohorts afflict people with diverse infirmities, miseries, frustration, strange and untold sufferings, yet they follow his pernicious ways. – 1Peter 2: 2

A roaring lion, in the full time business of walking through and fro the earth, and seeking whom to devour physically, spiritually and eternally, yet they pensively permit him – 1Peter 5: 8.

He runs a bandit of demonic principalities and powers and of the rulers of darkness of this world, and of the spiritual wickedness in high places, yet they keep unwholesome and occultic company with him – Eph. 6: 4.
Unrepentant, irredeemable and far fiery than any Barabbas of this world; relentlessly and totally seeking your everlasting woe and eternal ruin, yet they recklessly cleave to him. John 10: 10

His eternal destiny is set, sealed and settled in the fiery lake of fire and brimstone, and your divine destiny arrayed in the heavenly mansions and gold-plated streets of glamour. His only pre-occupation is to pull you down with him to everlasting condemnation and eternal destruction, yet you are permissibly indulging him – 2Thess. 2: 7.

Oh, how long will this perverse world keep following Barabbas the deceiver, murderer, and the arch-enemy of humanity? How long will they continue to carelessly relish the unfruitful work of darkness to the damnation of their soul?What a gory choice of a Barabbas in place of the Saviour? The destroyer in lieu of the Redeemer? And the murderer instead of the Prince of Life?Acts 5: 30; 10: 39.

Jesus died for you. At age 33 He was condemned to death by crucifixion, the worst kind of death, only for the worst criminals. Worst still, Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet. Each crooked nail, between 6 – 8 inches long, was driven through His body, breaking His tendon so that He could not breathe freely. Imagine the struggle, the pains, suffering, and distress Jesus endured for over three hours hanging on that rugged cross. He bled every drop of three-and-half litres of blood in His body, and when no blood was left, Jesus poured out water from His wounded sides.

Imagine, if you can, a large, rough hammer driving large nails through His hands, feet and arches. Then a relentless Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and spear, Jesus was whipped and beaten; whipping so severely that His flesh was torn off his body. The beating so horrific that His face and beard was ripped off. There was also a crown of thorns plaited and forced to His head, and cutting deep into his scalp.

What about the humiliation of carrying a heavy cross for about two kilometres, while the crowd spat in his face, mocked, jailed, cursed and threw stones at Him.How about Herod and his soldiers' melodrama of mocking, slapping, and whipping Jesus, and seeking Jesus to prophesy to them who actually gave each slap on Him? They stripped the King of Glory, and before His eyes cast lots who should have His clothing.Without any known guilt, yet condemned to death. Rejected, afflicted, chastised, and bruised by all – Isaiah 53.

Oh, sinless Jesus condemned to death in preference of the freedom of the dreaded murderous Barabbas, for your salvation. They rejected Jesus who healed their sick, fed their hungry multitude and raised their dead, and routed for a human Barabbas, who stole, killed and maimed them. Now, are you also continuing the rejection saga of over two thousand years ago, of the Saviour and Redeemer of your souls, in preference of a crooked, vile and more deadly Barabbas, the arch-enemy of your soul?

Despite Jesus' suffering to salvage your soul, you are now willingly and voluntarily sabotaging Christ's sacrifice for your redemption, and now sealing your eternal destiny with the devil, the greatest Barabbas of all time?

The question is:
i.    Have you made the ugliest choice with the profane and/or surrender your hope of eternal bliss for Barabbas?
ii.    Have you made the grievous choice of living by dishonest means, and sustaining your livelihood by deceit of the Barabbas of all time?
iii.    Have you made the unwholesome choice of preferring instant pleasures above spiritual gains, and turning your back on God for the transient pleasures of sin offered by the greatest Barabbas?
iv.    Have you made the self-destructive choice of lust, adultery, homosexuality, fornication, defilement, invention of evil, and all forms of uncleanness in keeping with the dictates of the Barabbas?
v.    Have you made the worst choice of refusing to accept Jesus to the salvation of your soul in keeping with the worst Barabbas agenda?
vi.    Have you made a terrible choice of reversing your conviction to serve God, and have gone back to the world in preference of Barabbas?
vii.    Have you made the gory choice of jettisoning the world of God, prayer, fasting and witnessing to the satisfaction of the grievous Barabbas of all time?
viii.    Have you made the gloomy choice to be beyond redemption and a joint faith sharer with Satan, the greatest Barabbas in hell?

The needless choice of the meanest Barabbas, leading to inexplicable waste of human souls is unfortunate, as everything needed to save humanity from damnation and the impending doom of hell has been completed and finished. And Christ Himself ushering us into redemption and eternal bliss stated “it is finished”. John 19: 30

Therefore, if as we speak, you are still living and maintaining a godless lifestyle, basking in the euphoria of sin and the exuberance of ungodliness, you are simply enlisting for the Barabbas of our time; making yourself a part of his damning crowd.

If, as we speak, you have not made and retained Christ Jesus as your Saviour and the Lord of your life, you are simply continuing the old choice of Barabbas of two thousand years ago; and have therefore unlawfully included yourself in the frightening list of perishing souls.

If, as we speak, you have allowed sin to remain and fester in your life, despite God's offer of salvation, Christ's sacrifice for your redemption, and the repeated warnings of God's word to you, certainly you have cleaved yourself to Satan the Devil, the greatest Barabbas of all eternity. Thereby, putting yourself in danger of everlasting woes and eternal misery in hell with him.