Soul Candy

The past couple weeks I've been participating in our churches B90X reading plan... it's a read through the New Testament in 90 days.  As I was reading along last week, something stood out to me that I had never noticed before (Eric had never noticed it either... and I love teaching him a thing or two about Scripture!  ;)  Usually it's the other way around.)

Anyway, I was reading through Matthew 27:15-26... these verses lead up to Jesus' crucifixion -

15 Now it was the governor's custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.16 At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was  Barabbas.17 So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?"18 For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21 "Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor.
"Barabbas," they answered.
22 "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?" Pilate asked.
They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23 "Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.
But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
25 All the people answered, "His blood is on us and on our children!"
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Intense.  I can't begin to imagine being in that moment.  Because of the crowds uproar, Jesus took the place of Barabbas who was guilty of the crime which Jesus was accused. 

Here's the part that got me all excited... in my commentary it explained that the name "Barabbas" means "son of the father," which was exactly who Jesus was to God... the "son of the Father."  I don't think it was by accident that Barabbas' mother chose that name for him... it was divine... God knew where Barabbas would be all those years later.  He knew that the true "son of the Father" would take Barabbas' place on the cross... along with yours and mine. 

So thankful for the "son of the Father," Jesus, and His deep love for each of us... His willingness to go to the cross so that we might know of His redeeming love.