Which Jesus do you want?
Here is something that has been well contemplated on for quite some long time now, so here is the end results of that. Our scripture is found in Matthew 27:16-22 “And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, what shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? [They] all say unto him, let him be crucified.”
Now I have heard this concept from many Theology Professors and leading Theologians, and they all speak of this thought/concept in a very similar vein, so let me put my contemplations forwards for you to consider. We have Jesus and two of his disciples arrested and tried for treason, violence, insurrection and things like this and are now up for crucifixion. We have Jesus arrested and his disciples have fled, but Peter was almost added to the mix, but he sort of denied his way out of that one.
The Jewish Leaders decided that they should have a wee switch around here as they had minimal accusations (actually no charges worthy of anything) that would remotely stick, and therefore they would get the Roman’s to allow them to substitute Jesus for Jesus, you Romans have a Jesus up for the Crucifixion on some pretty serious charges, but we have a Jesus that we reckon as being way more worthy of death, so please can you just free your Jesus, and we will happily offer you our Jesus in his place, let us offer a “Substitute” and in that way you will still have a crucifixion, you can Crucify Jesus, and the books are still all legal and balanced, and you have done your job, and we get to solve a wee problem of our own at the same moment of time.
This “substitution” was reluctantly accepted by Pilate, so Jesus which is called Christ, took the penalty and the punishment of Jesus called Barabbas, and from a blind man’s point of view, justice was seen to be carried out, Jesus was actually crucified, and the job was all done.
Now if you throw into the mix another development, it all gets so much clearer. We get this verse from Matthew 25:33 “And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” Now if you look at the Hebrew/Jewish systems, the “Right Hand” is the side for “Acceptance” or “Regal,” and all those concepts; the right is just right. Now let us add another flavour to the mix, the Thief on the cross. Now he was here because he was following Jesus and in almost death he finally realized that it was the wrong Jesus, so he also wanted a “Substitute” or a “Replacement Jesus” and discovered that at the very end of his life (a sort of Deathbed Confession type) that what he had really always desired was Jesus to be his boss, and here he was, right beside him. I am positive that in Eternity we will find that the “Repentant Thief” was actually to Jesus Christ’s right hand, it is so perfect in its order and sequence, that it just has to fit this way as it is so correct.
We find this verse in Luke’s account as recorded in Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with me in paradise.” There to the left of the Thief, on that centre cross, was actually the centre of his everything, so his cry rang out, I change my allegiance from Jesus to Jesus Christ, he is now my Saviour, please remember me, please accept me because I now accept you as my Saviour and Redeemer (my Boss).
So we all get the Choice, do want Jesus or Jesus? Do you want God’s own son who can actually redeem you and to save you, or do you want the one of your own following or devising, or someone else’s devising? The “Law of Substitution” is as old as the hills, if you sin, then bring the substitute, transfer the guilt from you to it, it then dies (wages of Sin) and the books are appearing to be balanced as there was sin, and there is now a death to balance that; but the sinner has just walked out the door covered by the blood of the sacrifice and freed from any consequences of sin. As a Christian, we no longer use animals and such as we have John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” This was supposed to be “Our Death” and we individually are the guilty party and the sentence is the death of Jesus {insert your name} but instead on that day at Calvary Jesus Christ died, so Jesus died and Jesus was set free.
Dear Reader; why not today make so very sure that you are following the right Saviour, the Saviour of the Bible, because at “Too Late” you may well find yourself shut out of the Kingdom of God as your Saviour was not the Jesus Christ of the Bible, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and the only Son of the living God, so very carefully chose the right Jesus.
