May 9 – Luke 23:18-32 – “But all together they shouted out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us.” (Lk 23:18)
How ironic! The crowd wants to remove Jesus from the public arena because He called Himself “son of the father.” They prefer Barabbas, a guilty criminal whose name also means “son of the Father.” By following their selfish desires, the crowd becomes the agent of the most beautiful exchange – Christ takes the place of the guilty one.
As a disciple of Jesus, I must always remember that Jesus paid for all people. Whenever I am dealing with someone with a difficult personality, or perhaps of opposing views, or even a criminal, I must never let what they did interfere with who they are: people who have been redeemed by Christ. He took the place of these people, and I have to remember that. Always. About everyone. They are all Barabbas: people who Christ made “children of the Father.”