“Barabbas, Part 5” by Romans
Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUnDKD1NMH4
Youtube Audio:
Tonight is Part 5 of our Series, Barabbas. I have been sharing with you how it occurred to me that Barabbas, whose name means “son of the father” was a symbol of each of us when he stood before Pilate. Like Barabbas, we were undeservedly chosen to be released, and unpunished for our sins. But, as we saw last week, there are also many things that differentiate from Barabbas.
One of the first things I talked about that differentiates us from Barabbas is that we are forgiven. Yes, Barabbas was chosen to be released without punishment, but he was never forgiven. He was not punished, but Pilate never forgave him for his crimes, or required Barabbas to forgive all of those who commit offenses against him.
That is not what we, as Christians, experience. We are forgiven but we are required to forgive all who sin against us. In the New Testament, various versions of the word forgive and forgiveness appear 61 times. Forty-six of those times, they refer to God forgiving us, and the remaining fifteen refer to us forgiving all who offend and/or sin against us. But there are several occasions, and all of them spoken by Jesus, when our forgiving others takes on a sobering, and even a terrifying, dimension.
We are all familiar with the phrase in the Lord's Prayer, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” as it is phrased in Matthew 6:12. But we read right over that and don't realize what is actually being said. So, after concluding the words of the Lord's Prayer, He goes back to and turns the spotlight on the petition regarding forgiveness. He declares: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).
How many of us realize this. I try to think back and see if I have ever heard a sermon that, as Jesus did, turns a spotlight on what can only be understood as the prerequisite that is in place for our Heavenly Father to forgive us. “... if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” And just to make sure no one assumes anything, Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Of this, Albert Barnes writes, “And forgive us our debts ... - The word “debts” is used here figuratively.
It does not mean “literally” that we are “debtors to God,” but that our sins have a resemblance to debts. Debtors are those who are bound to others for some claim in commercial transactions; for something which we have had, and for which we are bound to pay according to contract.
“Literally” there can be no such transaction between God and us. It must be used figuratively. We have not met the claims of law. We have violated its obligations. We are exposed to its penalty. We are guilty, and God only can forgive, in the same way as none but a “creditor” can forgive a debtor. The word “debts” here, therefore, means “sins,” or offences against God - offences which none but God can forgive. In the parallel place in Luke 11:4, the word sins is used. The measure by which we may expect forgiveness is that which we use in reference to others.”
At this point, Mr. Barnes cites several verses that teach this very thing: Psalms 18:25-26: “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.”
Matthew Henry writes of this: “He takes occasion thence to lay down the rules of God's government and judgment, that we may know not only what God expects from us, but what we may expect from him.
1. Those that show mercy to others (even they need mercy, and cannot depend upon the merit, no, not of their works of mercy) shall find mercy with God. (Matthew 5:7 teaches; “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”).
2. Those that are faithful to their covenants with God, and the relations wherein they stand to him, shall find him all that to them which he has promised to be. Wherever God finds an upright man, he will be found an upright God.
3. Those that serve God with a pure conscience shall find that the words of the Lord are pure words, very sure to be depended on and very sweet to be delight in.
4. Those that resist God, and walk contrary to him, shall find that he will resist them, and walk contrary to them.”
Albert Barnes continues his original comments: “This is the invariable rule by which God dispenses pardon He that comes before him unwilling to forgive, harboring dark and revengeful thoughts, how can he expect that God will show him that mercy which he is unwilling to show to others? It is not, however, required that we should forgive “debts” in a pecuniary sense.
To them we have a right, though they should not be pushed with an overbearing and oppressive spirit; not so as to sacrifice the feelings of mercy in order to secure the claims of justice. No one has a right to oppress; and when a debt cannot be paid, or when it would greatly distress a debtor’s wife and children, or a widow and an orphan, or when calamity has put it out of the power of an honest man to pay the debt, the spirit of Christianity requires that it should be forgiven.
To such cases this petition in the Lord’s prayer doubtless extends. But it was probably intended to refer principally to injuries of character or person which we have received from others. If we cannot from the heart forgive them, we have the assurance that God will never forgive us.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses - If ye forgive others when they offend or injure you. Your heavenly Father will also forgive you - This is constantly required in the Bible. Our Saviour says we should forgive even if the offence be committed seventy times seven times, (as we read in Matthew 18:22). By this is meant, that when a man asks forgiveness, we are cordially and forever to pardon the offence;
we are to declare our willingness to forgive him. If he does not ask forgiveness, yet we are still to treat him kindly; not to harbor malice, not to speak ill of him, to be ready to do him good, and be always prepared to declare him forgiven when he asks it, and if we are not ready and willing to forgive him; we are assured that God will not forgive us.”
It occurs to me that questions may be arising among some of you regarding what I, as well as the commentators I have quoted, regard our forgiving those who sin against us, as a prerequisite to our being forgiven. Perhaps, 1 John 1:9 has come to your mind. Here we read: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” So where is the prerequisite being referred to here?
Well, this verse is a perfect example of the danger of basing any doctrine on a single verse, or a selection of cherry-picked verses that seem to agree with what you want to be true. Yes! If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But let's notice also the verse that precedes that promise of forgiveness: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
After we are initially baptized and forgiven by God of all our sins, is sin no longer a part of our lives? John wrote verse 1 John 1:8 after having being a disciple and an Apostle and a Pastor for decades. But he still was able to write, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” We sin. And we sin every day. And we will continue to sin every day as long as we draw breath.
We have to go to God on a daily basis to, as John wrote, confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness. Let's take another look at the unfolding of the petitions contained in the Lord's Prayer. Jesus has us ask the Father to “give us this day our daily bread.” We don't ask God on the first day of the month to feed us for the rest of the month. We go to God daily to ask for our daily bread.
But this need for bread on a daily basis is not an isolated petition. Jesus continues, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” This is also a daily need because we sin every day. Why do we sin every day? We sin every day because we are tempted every day. Jesus connects that reality with the next petition in the prayer: “And lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:12-13). The petitions in the Lord's Prayer recognize that we eat daily, we are tempted daily, we sin daily, and we need to be forgiven daily.
We sinned yesterday. We confessed that sin, we repented and asked for forgiveness, and the Father forgave us. But, if between our being forgiven yesterday, someone sins against us, today, and we have not forgiven that person, Jesus tells us that the Father will not forgive us when we ask, for the sins we have committed, today.
This is part of Satan's strategy to destroy us. Not only does he tempt us to sin, but he also lures us to withhold forgiveness in counterfeit righteousness. When someone close to us, or someone whom we care about and or have generously helped, or someone we have sacrificed for betrays us or sins against us or offends us in some way, we get on our high horse and withhold forgiveness as the innocent and injured party. Satan's traps springs... we are caught in it, and we don't even realize it!
This was brought out powerfully in John Bevere's brilliant book, “The Bait of Satan.” He quotes Jesus saying in Luke 17:1: “It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!” The original term translated “offences” is the Greek word, “skandalon,” which means “snare.” Jesus is telling us in no uncertain terms that there will be snares in our life designed to lure us and trap us.
Notice Paul's words beginning in 2 Timothy 2:24: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”
Believers are taken captive, often unwittingly, by snares of the devil. And certainly being in the right, and being offended by someone close who betrays us, or speaks against us, or sins against us in some way, and feeling wounded and not obligated to forgive them because we were “innocent” of any wrong doing is a perfect snare to put us in a position to cause the Father to not forgive us when we sin.
The conversation in Luke 17 immediately turns to Jesus commanding us to forgive those who offend us. He says, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”
Lest we think that we can forgo forgiving someone if they don't repent, allow me to remind you of two important things: First, in another cross reference Albert Barnes provided is to Jesus' words in Mark 11:25-26: And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses...
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Notice please that the offender in this case is not even present, does not repent, and I will add, may not even still be alive. But we are still to forgive that person or the Father will not forgive us.
Matthew Henry says of this: “To this is added here that necessary qualification of the prevailing prayer, that we freely forgive those who have been any way injurious to us, and be in charity with all men; When ye stand praying, forgive. Note, Standing is no improper posture for prayer; it was generally used among the Jews; hence they called their prayers, their standings; when they would say how the world was kept up by prayer, they expressed it thus... The world is held up by standings.
But the primitive Christians generally used more humble and reverent gesture of kneeling, especially on fast days, though not on Lord's days. When we are at prayer, we must remember to pray for others, particularly for our enemies, and those that have wronged us; now we cannot pray sincerely that God would do them good, if we bear malice to them, and wish them ill. If we have injured others before we pray, we must go and be reconciled to them.
But if they have injured us, we go a nearer way to work, and must immediately from our hearts forgive them. [1.] Because this is a good step towards obtaining the pardon of our own sins: Forgive, that your Father may forgive you; that is, “that he may be qualified to receive forgiveness, that he may forgive you without injury to his honour, as it would be, if he should suffer those to have such benefit by his mercy, as are so far from being conformable to the pattern of it.”
[2.] Because the want of this is a certain bar to the obtaining of the pardon of our sins; “If ye do not forgive those who have injured you, if he hate their persons, bear them a grudge, meditate revenge, and take all occasion to speak ill of them, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
This ought to be remembered in prayer, because one great errand we have to the throne of grace, is, to pray for the pardon of our sins: and care about it ought to be our daily care, because prayer is a part of our daily work. Our Saviour often insists on this, for it was his great design to engage his disciples to love one another.”
The second thing we need to keep in mind if we think we are only obligated to forgive those who repent, think of this: Jesus was on the cross. He looked out over that mob who had just demanded that Pilate crucify Him. And now they were celebrating His agony, and taunting Him. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). No one in that mob repented of what they had done, and were still doing. Yet Jesus still asked the Father to forgive them. We can do no less.
The Cambridge Bible says of this: “Father, forgive them] Isa_53:12, “He bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” These words were probably uttered at the terrible moment when the Sufferer was outstretched upon the Cross and the nails were being driven through the palms of the hands... We must surely suppose that the prayer was uttered not only for the Roman soldiers, who were the mere instruments of the executors, but for all His enemies.
It was in accordance with His own teaching (Matthew 5:44 (“Love your enemies”), and His children have learnt it from Him (Acts 7:59-60, “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Euseb. H.E. ii. 29).
None of those stoning Stephen repented before he asked God to forgive them. We can do no less.
Of Stephen's death and dying request, Matthew Henry writes, “The prayer itself: Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. Herein he followed the example of his dying Master, who prayed thus for his persecutors, Father, forgive them; and set an example to all following sufferers in the cause of Christ thus to pray for those that persecute them. Prayer may preach.
This did so to those who stoned Stephen, and he knelt down that they might take notice he was going to pray, and cried
with a loud voice that they might take notice of what he said, and might learn, First, That what they did was a sin, a great sin, which, if divine mercy and grace did not prevent, would be laid to their charge, to their everlasting confusion.
Secondly, That, notwithstanding their malice and fury against him, he was in charity with them, and was so far from desiring that God would avenge his death upon them that it was his hearty prayer to God that it might not in any degree be laid to their charge. A sad reckoning there would be for it. If they did not repent, it would certainly be laid to their charge; but he, for his part, did not desire the woeful day. Let them take notice of this, and, when their thoughts were cool, surely they would not easily forgive themselves for putting him to death who could so easily forgive them...
Thirdly, That, though the sin was very heinous, yet they must not despair of the pardon of it upon their repentance. If they
would lay it to their hearts, God would not lay it to their charge. “Do you think,” saith St. Austin, “that Paul heard Stephen pray this prayer? It is likely he did and ridiculed it then (he heard with scorn), but afterwards he had the benefit of it, and fared the better for it.”
3. His expiring with this: When he had said this, he fell asleep; or, as he was saying this, the blow came that was mortal. Note, Death is but a sleep to good people... it is its rest from all its griefs and toils; it is perfect ease from toil and pain... He applied himself to his dying work with as much composure of mind as if he had been going to sleep; it was but closing his eyes, and dying.
Observe, He fell asleep when he was praying for his persecutors; it is expressed as if he thought he could not die in peace till he had done this. It contributes very much to our dying comfortably to die in charity with all men; we are then found of Christ in peace; let not the sun of life go down upon our wrath. He fell asleep; the vulgate Latin adds, in the Lord, in the embraces of his love. If he thus sleep, he shall do well; he shall awake again in the morning of the resurrection.”
As we move forward into the New Testament, we read Paul's admonition: “ Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:12-13).
The Preacher's Homiletical writes of this, “Colossians 3:12. Bowels of mercies.—R.V. “a heart of compassion.” A case of concrete for abstract. The physical effect of pity lies at the bottom of the phrase. Col_3:13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another.—Literally it would be, “Bearing with one another, and dealing graciously with yourselves.”
Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.—The pattern of all graciousness is Christ. See His parable (Matthew 18:33).
Essentials of the Christian Character. In the cultivation of a rare and valuable plant care must be taken to rid it of everything that would retard its growth... Not only must it be severely pruned and divested of every noxious weed and destructive parasite, but it must be diligently tended, and liberally provided with air, light, and moisture. So is it in the training of the Christian character.
The change the Colossians had experienced furnished the most forcible reason why they should advance in spiritual development. Having risen with Christ, and having put off the old man, with his deeds, there is an unmistakable emphasis in the exhortation—Put on, therefore, the characteristics of the new man.”
Before we continue, listen to how Christian character is defined. None of the things that follow described Barabbas.
“I. That the Christian character is distinguished by a special designation.—“The elect of God, holy and beloved” (Colossians 3:12).
1. Distinguished as the object of the divine choice.—“The elect of God”—chosen by Him, as an act of undeserved, unmerited mercy, to the knowledge of Himself and His glorious salvation; called out of darkness and translated into the kingdom of His dear son. This election is a condition of exalted privilege to which all rise who accept the message of God’s mercy through Jesus Christ.
2. Distinguished by personal purity.—“Holy.” Here is the evidence and practical result of the divine election. “Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). The people of God are called to be holy—consecrated to His service; set apart from a common and wholly devoted to a sacred purpose. Holiness is the habitual condition, aim, delight, and employment of the Christian’s life.
3. Distinguished by the divine affection.—“Beloved.” The believer is the object of God’s special love, of the favour which He beareth unto His people. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God.” The epithets here used have each the force of a motive. Since the believer is elect, holy, beloved, let him act in harmony with his exalted character and calling.
II. That the Christian character is distinguished by a heartfelt sympathy.—1. This sympathy arises from a spirit of tender mercy. “Bowels of mercies” (Colossians 3:12)—a phrase which expresses the effect on the body of strong emotions of pity. The miseries of our fellow-creatures, especially of those who are in a worse condition than ourselves, call for our compassion and help; and a genuine pity... felt in the inmost heart, and prompts to generous actions.
2. This sympathy arises from a spirit of kindness.—“Kindness” refers to the temper we should show towards those we meet in the daily intercourse of life who are on an equality with ourselves. The Christian should be amiable, courteous, kind in speech and action, eager to relieve others according to his means... bowels of mercies and kindness of the renewed one.
III. That the Christian character is distinguished by a genuine humility.—“Humbleness of mind” (Colossians 3:12). These words describe the estimate that is to be formed of self. The believer is taught not to overrate nor unduly to depreciate himself. He is governed by the apostolic rule, “Let each esteem other better than themselves.”
The more exalted his views of God, and the more he remembers his own unworthiness, weakness, ignorance, and sin, the more softly and lowly does he seek to walk. The humble man is the most susceptible to compassion and genuine in its practical manifestation. The proud man is too full of himself to feel for others... The humblest man is the bravest man. He endures with composure the contempt and arrogance of others.
IV. That the Christian character is distinguished by a gentle and patient spirit.—“Meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians 3:12).
1. The Christian spirit is gentle.—“Meekness.” This grace indicates what should be our conduct towards others in their treatment of us. Meekness is evidenced in modesty of countenance, gentleness of manner, softness of voice, and mildness of language; it is opposed to rudeness or harshness. We see it exemplified in the way in which Gideon pacified the irascible men of Ephraim (Judges 8:2). It is slow to take, and scorns to give offence.
2. The Christian spirit is patient.—“Longsuffering,” which is meekness continued, though subjected to the fiercest provocations. It is opposed to resentment, revenge, wrath. Meekness exercises itself in matters of chagrin, impertinence, folly; longsuffering in those of violent outrage, affront, injury...
[L]ongsuffering is often necessary by their conduct. There is a difference between enduring long and longsuffering. The genuine grace is accompanied, not only with patience, but with joyous activity and watchfulness. It is not like the senseless rock which endures the full force of the storm unmoved and unresponsive, but like the nimble vessel that, while it bends to the tempest, is at the same time diligently speeding on its mission.
V. That the Christian character is distinguished by a practical manifestation of a spirit of mutual forbearance and forgiveness.—1. Mutual forbearance and forgiveness are to be exercised universally. “Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any” (Colossians 3:13). The word “quarrel” is better rendered complaint. It takes two to make a quarrel, and of these the Christian should never be one.
Whatever occasion of offence may arise, whatever cause of complaint, in any man, under any circumstances, and however just the complaint may appear, forbearance is to be exercised; and even if the forbearance is abused and injury be added, we must forgive.
It is never on one side only that the fault exists. It is one another, each in his turn, that gives and receives forbearance. If this were more frequently observed, how many unseemly discords and mischievous separations would be prevented! 2. The exercise of forgiveness is enforced by the highest example.—“Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Colossians 3:13).
The example of Christ is supreme in its authority. What are the injuries committed by others against us compared with the number and enormity of our sins against God? The heart that is not moved to forgiveness by such an example is hopelessly incorrigible. Yet Christ forgave us all, freely, fully, unreservedly, and for ever.”
Like us, Barabbas was a lawbreaker who was chosen to be released without punishment. Unlike Barabbas, we were, among many other things, forgiven for the laws we broke. And because we were forgiven, the Father looks to us, and even commands us through the words of His Son, and the Admonitions of His Apostles to forgive those who offend us, and sin against us.
We sin every day. We need to ask God to forgive us every day. And that forgiveness will be given, but only if we also forgive from our hearts (Matthew 18:35). And we can do that with the power provided by the Holy Spirit to love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, pray for them which despitefully use us, and persecute us (Matthew 5:44), and, following Jesus' and Stephen's example, forgive those who sin against us. We can do no less.
This concludes this evening's Discussion, “Barabbas, Part 5.”
This Discussion was originally presented “live” on May11th, 2022.
I have designed a website to serve as an Online Book Store for the things I have written and published on Amazon. These are in the form of both Kindle eBooks, and paperback books. Some of you may recall a Series I presented on "The Lord's Prayer" several years ago. My original notes for this and other Bible Studies have been greatly revised and expanded for these publications. For further details on the books that are available, and for ordering information, click the following:
https://arvkbook.wixsite.com/romansbooks
If you purchase and read any of my books, Thank you! I would also greatly appreciate a review on Amazon!