Who Do You Want?

“Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 

Pilate shouts to the gathered crowd in Matthew 27:17.

For a moment the crowd looks up and sees three men.

They are offered to make a decision as to who lives and who dies. They can pick by calling a name. Whichever name they choose, walks off the stage and into their midst. Their sentence revoked, their crimes forgiven, presumably their fellowship is restored to their people. The other must receive their sentence, pay for their crimes, and be forever cut-off from their people. For this moment, all three men stand there waiting.

I look at this picture for what it says to us as men. Pilate, Barrabbas, and Jesus were once mortal men, but I believe that they represent three options in our desire to live as men in this world.

Lets start with Pilate. There is little known about Pontius Pilate. Within this story, he was a soldier who became the Roman governor over Judea. 

He had the wishes of every man. Pilate was successful. He became a soldier. He worked hard, got lucky, and rose through the ranks. At this moment Pilate had power and security. He was backed the most powerful army in the known world. He could pretty much do as he liked as long as it did not annoy, shame, or threaten Tiberius Caesar. To his left stood man clearly on the other side of fortune, Barrabas.

He was a prisoner accused of rebellion and murder. He was a zealot who believed in the coming Messiah and tried to bring about the freedom of Judea from Roman oppression. He joined the rebellion, worked hard, and was caught. He became imprisoned, poor, regularly disrespected and maltreated. He was sentenced to be crucified. If Pilate is every man's dream, Barrabas is every man's nightmare. Standing all the way to his right...

Jesus was accused by the priests and scribes. He has no resources, no comforts, no freedom, and is danger of being crucified. He was a carpenter who gave up the business to because he was called to be an itinerant rabbi. He refused to escape or deny those who would arrest him, because he was called to be arrested. Here he could have free himself in a few words regained all of his comforts, his resources, and secured his life by speaking a few words to Pilate or to God. He did not because he was called. 

If Pilate's life is a dream that every man wants to live and Barrabbas', a nightmare that every man wants to avoid, then the life of Jesus is a mystery. He willingly rushes towards the joblessness, insecurity, ignominy, and death that every man in every age would want to avoid. 

Why? 

What on earth could be more important than fruitful work and a good life?

Which man do we want? Which one do we want to be like? The crowd chose Barabbas and Pilate. They chose Barabbas to be in their company and Pilate to be their ruler. They cried out for Jesus to die.

We know why Pilate chose to do as he did. We know what drove Barabbas to become the man he became. It is not until we understand why Jesus did what he did, that we can choose him. Jesus valued his relationship with God over all else. It is hard to remember to do that everyday. Each day there are new and pressing needs to believe that hard work, power, prestige, resources, and comforts are worthy aims. 

Yet, the Holy Spirit and Scripture continually points us to the Man and invite us to become like the mystery.