I am Barabbas

I love Easter. The resurrection has become so much more meaningful to me since my accident. I can no longer watch an Easter video without crying. I have come to truly love Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for him. 

Imagine you were there when Pilot was sentencing Jesus to death. Where do you picture yourself in that situation? I think most people picture themselves in the crowd with Jesus‘s friends, screaming, crying, and begging them to release Jesus. Although this is a good place to be, it’s not the case. So where are you? (hint: the title of this post)

I am Barabbas. You are Barabbas. We are all Barabbas. Undeserving and unrighteous sinners. Evil and corrupt. We all need serious help. Luckily for us, He willingly took our place. Jesus suffered and died for the bad guy. The sinner and saint alike. The righteous and the evil. Male and female. Bond and free. Every one of us was given a gift that we didn’t earn. We don’t deserve to be free, and yet we are. We are all free. Free to choose. Free from every past mistake. Free to change. Free to repent and be forgiven. Freed from sin. Freed from guilt. Freed from death. Freed from pain and sorrow. Freed because of Him. 

I wanted to share the lyrics to this song. Everyone go listen to it.

I am Barabbas

by Josiah Queen

They said this preacher man

Comes from Galilee

Did something so absurd that he deserved this penalty

How can it be?

I know I've done my wrongs

And doing wrong is something I do well

I know the court of law and something like this doesn't ring a bell

How can it be?

How can it be?

I am Barabbas

You took upon my cross

I was a prisoner

Till you bought my bond with blood

I can't run away

From what my accusers say

I am Barabbas

I am Barabbas your friend

They made me sit right there

As I watched them beat that preacher man

39 of all them lashes should've been on my own skin

How can it be?

How can it be?

I am Barabbas

You took upon my cross

I was a prisoner

Till you bought my bond with blood

I can't run away

From what my accusers say

I am Barabbas

I am Barabbas your friend

Another cool thing I learned this year is the significance of the folded napkin in the tomb. This is super cool, and I had never heard it before.

Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?

John 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? 

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes. Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!' Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see.. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely! 

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it...

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now, if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done.'

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because........... The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!' 

He is Coming Back!