Mark15

Posted on Mar 1, 2017 in Bible (NT) in a Year |

Wednesday

Do you know what the name Barabbas means and why it is important for us to know?
 

Abbas – or abba in Hebrew, as we have learned over the years, means father or a more endearing term like “daddy”. Bar

means “son”.  Barabbas then would translate into “son of the father”. Barabbas as we read today, is the one who deserved the punishment. Not Jesus. Barabbas was the guilty one. Not Jesus. Yet Jesus took Barabbas’ place. The “son of the father” was replaced by the “Son of the Father”. Barabbas represents us. We are “sons” or “children” if you will, of the father. We are the guilty ones, we are the ones who should be condemned. But we are not. Because Jesus. “Son of the Father”, has taken our place. He will bear our guilt, our sins, our shame… and die for us. He will do for us, what we could never do for ourselves.

And so Jesus is flogged, mocked, ridiculed… all of this is according to the prophecies. Read Psalm 22 and you will get a picture of the events surrounding the crucifixion. “My God, My God why have you forsaken me” is the opening line. Words that are uttered by Jesus as he is dying on the cross. The Psalm tells us that they divided up his clothes (vs18). They pierced his hands (vs16). His mouth is dried up (vs15). They hurled insults at him (vss 7&8).

I’ve read that there are something like 28 prophecies concerning the Messiah that were fulfilled when Jesus was crucified.

There is no doubt that the events of Good Friday, were recorded centuries before they happened. There should be no doubt that Jesus fulfilled them all. And then there is a violent earthquake, the curtain in the temple was torn in two. I learned just recently that the temple curtain was 4 or 5 inches thick… the size of a man’s hand. That is a thick piece of material. I don’t know if you have ever tried to rip material by hand, but it is not a very easy task, and to think of it being 4 or 5 inches thick would make it impossible. But God is about the impossible, and so the significance of the veil being torn in two just shows this was not easily accomplished, something supernatural had to occur. And the significance of the veil being torn in two should not be over looked. Jesus has now proved entrance for all of us to approach the throne room of God. To come into his presences. No longer do we need to have Priests sacrifice for us to remove our sins. Jesus has done that for us by being the perfect sacrifice, the all-sufficient sacrifice.

It brings me great anguish and tears to think of My Savior enduring all that he did on that first Good Friday, but I know that I will always be forever grateful that he did.

Loving My Savior

Pastor Kathy