The Gospel According to Barabbas
I. What is the Gospel?
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you,
which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are
saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you
believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also
received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and
that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to
the Scriptures
A. According to this passage, the
Gospel is defined as these events:
1. Jesus DIED for our sins according to Scripture
2. Jesus was BURIED
3. Jesus ROSE FROM THE DEAD on the 3rd day according to
Scripture
B. What we call the Gospels are those Bible books which this series of
events is recorded
1. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
II. Considering the Gospel of Barabbas
A. His witness to these events is recorded:
1. Matthew 27:15-20, Mark 15:6-14, Luke 23:17-22, John 18:39-40
Matthew 27:15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the
multitude one prisoner whom they wished. 16 And at that time they had a
notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 Therefore, when they had gathered
together, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release to you?
Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" 18 For he knew that they had
handed Him over because of envy. 19 While he was sitting on the judgment
seat, his wife sent to him, saying, "Have nothing to do with that just
Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him."
20 But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they
should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.
2. Since the Gospel’s necessarily could not cover all of the events of
the life of Jesus (John 21:25), why did all four writers feel his story
was necessary to explain the Gospel?
B. Why Barabbas is important to explaining the Gospel
1. He represents those who are rightfully condemned to die (Luke 23:41)
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death,
2. He represents one whose penalty has been commuted onto another
1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust,
3. He represents one whose “debt to society” has been paid and is now
free
John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!"
And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (“it is finished” =
Tetelesti, which was used to
express “paid in full”)
4. Barabbas’ telling of the Gospel is that for any man ho has been saved
by it:
Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you
received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
a. Bar-Abbas – Aramaic, Son of the Father, the name for any who have
been saved by the Gospel
III. Obey the Gospel
2 Thessalonians 1:8
(Jesus will one day come) in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who
do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 4:17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if
it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not
obey the gospel of God?
A. How does one “obey the Gospel” to be saved?
1. How does one act out Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection?
Romans 6:3-5 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ
Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him
through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death,
certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
B. We are saved when we re-enact the Gospel, by repenting of sin (dying
to it) and being baptized (according to John 3:3-5, being born again)