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Jan 24, 2024 18:30pm

Nobodies

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The game was not going well. The home team was losing bad. I mean, really bad. Of course, it always seems to be the Quarterback’s fault. The fans were booing him, calling for anyone else to take his place. They wanted a replacement.

You would think they would chant for the 2nd in line or even the backup to the backup. But what if they started chanting a name no one had ever even heard of? For the fans to beg for him, he must be someone special. The announcers would be scrambling, “Who is this kid? Where did he come from? What do we know about him? What kind of stats does he have?”

But he’s just a nobody. Nothing special about him at all.

Luke 22:13-25

“And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chastise him, and release him. (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.”

Who was this Barabbas they called for? Who was so important that they wanted him to be released instead of Jesus?

I love what my study Bible says. Let me share it with you.

“ Jewish men had names that identified them with their fathers. Simon Peter, for example, is called Simon Bar-jona, which translates Simon son of Jonah. Barabbas is never identified by his given name, and this name is not much help either – Bar-abbas means “son of papa”. He could’ve been anybody’s son, and that’s just the point. Barabbas, son of an unnamed father, committed a crime. Because Jesus died in his place, this man was set free.

We, too, are sinners and criminals against God’s holy law. Like Barabbas, we deserve to die. But Jesus has died in our place, for our sins, and we have been set free. We don’t have to be important to accept our freedom in Christ. In fact, thanks to Jesus, God adopts us all as His own sons and daughters and gives us the right to call Him Abba, Papa.”

How beautiful is that?

I am a nobody. Nothing special. Just an ordinary person. Guilty of crimes. And Jesus gave His life for me.

For all of us nobodies.

And in some incredible, amazing grace-filled way, it opens the door for us to be made His child. But only if you accept His offer of salvation.

Then you can call Him Abba, Father. And he will call you son and daughter.