I am Barabbas
But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. ~ Mark 15:11
Imagine standing in that crowd of accusers that are demanding punishment even death. You know you’re guilty and your sentence is deserved. You hear the crowd demanding your release, and then you realize what’s happening. Someone else is being led away in your place.
You walk out of that prison, free. Free to go home, free to live your life and free to make a change because another man paid the price for your crime. He died on a cross that you were just hours away from dying on yourself. That’s what happened to Barabbas, but it is also what happened for each one of us today.
This may be one of the most vivid pictures of the Gospel in all of Scripture. Barabbas wasn’t released because someone discovered he was innocent. He wasn’t released because the charges were dropped. He wasn’t released because he had suddenly become a better person. He was released because Jesus took his place. Jesus took his punishment and he took ours too.
Barabbas was guilty and everyone knew it. He was a rebel and a criminal who had been sentenced to die. But Jesus, the spotless and sinless Son of God, was condemned while the guilty man walked free. The innocent took the place of the guilty. The truth is, I am Barabbas and you are Barabbas.
Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We can’t talk our way out of that. We can’t work hard enough to erase it. We can’t be good enough to earn our way into God’s presence. We needed someone to take our place. That is exactly what Jesus did on the cross.
He wasn’t forced to the cross. He wasn’t caught in a situation He couldn’t escape. He willingly laid down His life. He chose the cross. He chose obedience. He chose mercy. He chose our judgement.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
What a great exchange! Jesus took what belonged to us so that we could receive what belonged to Him. He took our sin and our judgement, and He gave us His righteousness. He took our punishment, and He gave us peace with God. He took our shame, and He gave us a new identity.
He didn’t simply wipe the slate clean. He gave us a completely new beginning. And here’s where this becomes personal. Sometimes we understand what Jesus did for us, but we haven’t fully learned how to live like people who have been set free.
So how do we respond to such amazing grace? Below are four practical ways we can begin walking in the freedom Jesus purchased for us.
1. Receive the gift of grace
Barabbas walked out of that prison a free man. His sentence was canceled, and his chains were gone.
We don’t know what Barabbas did with that freedom. Scripture doesn’t tell us whether he changed, followed Jesus, or went back to his old ways. But we do know that he was given something he didn’t deserve. So were we.
Sometimes we spend years trying to earn God’s approval when He’s already made a way for us to receive His grace. You don’t have to perform for God’s love. You don’t have to convince Him that you’re worthy. You don’t have to spend the rest of your life paying for something Jesus already paid for.
Start here:
- Thank Jesus specifically for taking your place.
- When guilt comes, remind yourself of what Scripture says about forgiveness.
- Stop rehearsing sins that you’ve already confessed and surrendered to God.
- Begin your day with gratitude instead of starting your morning by making a mental list of everything that’s wrong.
You might simply pray, “Lord Jesus, thank You for taking my place. Thank You for Your grace. I receive Your forgiveness, and I choose to walk in the freedom You purchased for me.”
2. Walk through the open door
Jesus didn’t just remove the penalty of sin. His sacrifice opened the way for us to have a restored relationship with God. You can come to Him anytime.
When you’re happy, come to Him. When you’re confused, come to Him. When you’re angry, come to Him. When you don’t know what to do, come to Him. When you’ve messed up again, come to Him. God isn’t standing at the door with His arms crossed saying, “Seriously? Again?” No, He’s always inviting you closer.
Start here:
- Set aside a few quiet minutes each morning to spend with God.
- Read a short passage of Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what He wants you to see.
- Talk to God throughout your day instead of waiting until you have a formal prayer time.
- When you need direction, ask Him before asking everyone else.
Psalm 119:105 reminds us that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. You don’t have to see the entire road. You just need enough light for the next step.
3. Leave the chains behind
Imagine Barabbas walking out of prison and then deciding to go back and sit in his old cell. It sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? Yet sometimes we do exactly that spiritually. Jesus sets us free, but we keep returning to the same guilt, shame, habits, fear, and patterns that once held us captive.
Jesus didn’t die so you could spend your life living like you’re still condemned. You have a new identity. You have a new beginning. You have access to God’s presence. You have the Holy Spirit to help you live differently.
Freedom doesn’t mean you never struggle again. It means you don’t have to remain a prisoner to what once controlled you.
Start here:
- Identify one area where you continue to feel trapped.
- Bring it honestly before God.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize the thoughts and behaviors that keep pulling you backward.
- Find a trusted, godly person who can pray with you and encourage you.
- Take one practical step toward change.
Don’t try to change everything overnight. Sometimes the biggest victory is simply refusing to go back to the cell.
4. Live like someone who was rescued
The greatest response to mercy is gratitude expressed through the way we live. Jesus gave His life for us, so our lives should point people toward Him. We can love because He first loved us. We can forgive because we’ve been forgiven. We can serve because He served us. We can show grace because we’ve received grace.
We can tell our story because our story isn’t about how good we were. It’s about how good He is. Your testimony doesn’t have to be dramatic to be powerful. Sometimes simply saying, “I know what I was like before Jesus, and I know who I’m becoming because of Him,” is enough to make someone wonder what you’ve discovered.
Start here:
- Look for someone who needs encouragement.
- Forgive someone you’ve been holding onto.
- Serve someone without expecting recognition.
- Share with someone what Jesus has done in your life.
- Ask God each morning, “Who can I love today?”
Let your life become a living “thank you.” The Gospel is beautifully simple. We were guilty. Jesus was innocent. We deserved the cross. Jesus took it. We deserved judgment. Jesus offered mercy. We were separated from God. Jesus opened the way home. We were Barabbas and Jesus took our place. That truth should never become ordinary to us.
Every time we hear the Gospel, every time we take communion, every time we worship, every time we open God’s Word, we have another opportunity to remember the miraculous exchange that took place for us. Jesus didn’t just save you from something. He saved you for something.
He saved you to know Him, walk with Him, become more like Him, love others, serve His purposes, and carry His message into a world that desperately needs hope.
Today I want to encourage you to remember that you are Barabbas. Not as a reminder of who you used to be, but as a reminder of the amazing grace you’ve received. You were guilty, but Jesus took your place. You were separated, but Jesus opened the way to the Father. You carried shame, but Jesus offered forgiveness and a new identity. Don’t go back and sit in a prison cell Jesus already opened. Walk through the door. Receive His grace. Leave the chains behind. Live like someone who has been rescued. Let your life become a living testimony of the One who loved you enough to take your place. You don’t have to earn what Jesus has already given you. You simply have to receive it, walk in it, and let His love change the way you live.
Today’s Scripture Reading: Mark 15:6-15
6 Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.
8 Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.
12 Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”
13 So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”
14 Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”
15 So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.
Journal:
- What does it personally mean to me that Jesus took my place?
- Is there an area where I’m still trying to earn God’s love or forgiveness instead of receiving His grace?
- What “chains” from my past am I tempted to continue carrying even though Jesus has set me free?
- What would it look like for me to live like someone who has truly been rescued?
- Who is one person I can intentionally love, encourage, forgive, or serve this week?
- What part of my story could I share with someone who needs to know that Jesus can change a life?
The Daily Dose 