Barabbas stood before the people, chains holding him down. He stood on a large stage in front of thousands of his peers, but he was not alone. To his side stood another Man, One they called Jesus, a Nazarene.

He'd heard of this Man before. He was some kind of a prophet who healed and it was even rumored that He raised the dead. When Barabbas saw Him standing there, also in chains and covered in blood and sweat, clearly beaten and a crown of thorns on His head, he was horrified. Before even seeing the Man, he thought he'd be the one sent to be crucified, but now seeing what they'd done to Him, Barabbas had a glimmer of hope, remembering the old tradition.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, stepped forward and lifted his hand to signal he was about to say something. "According to tradition, around the holiday I am permitted to release to you one prison of your choosing, so which would you have me release to you?" He held his hand out toward Barabbas. "Barabbas, a murder and insurrection leader, or," he held his hand out toward Jesus. "Jesus of Nazareth?"

Barabbas prepared for the worst as the crowd configured who they wanted to release and hung his head low. He knew this was going to be his death, after all he'd done. This is it, I'm going to die, he told himself. No second chances, no dreams, no hopes, it's all useless to me now, I'm going to die. What a wasted life I've lived, murdering and fighting the government. I could've done so much more. It's all over now, no regrets, only death. I'm going to die. His heart sank completely and a bitter emptiness sat in. It was all over for him, or so it seemed.

"Give us Barabbas!" The crowd suddenly shouted. Barabbas perked up. They were shouting his name. They wanted him to be released. He looked out across the crowd in confusion as the guards came to uncuff him. The heavy, cold, metal cuffs dropped with a loud clank and his heart leapt with joy as, for the first time in a long time, he felt freedom. Is this from God? A second chance?

He started to leave the stage, but when Pilate asked of the crowd what they wanted him to do with Jesus and they demanded He be crucified, he spun around and looked at the Man. Jesus met his eyes. A shiver went down his spine. What has this Man done to deserve such punishment? I've heard great things of Him. Some even say He's the Messiah. Why would they want to crucify Him? Why would I be released just so He could the death I rightfully deserve? As he joined the crowd, he kept his eyes on Jesus. I deserve to die, this Man doesn't, but for some reason He doesn't fight. Who is He? Barabbas didn't understand. Deep in his heart, he knew this had to be from God. Why else would he have been set free?

Moral: You and I are just like Barabbas. We've done wrong things in our life and we know this and we also know we deserve death, but every time we sin, we stand up there on that podium with Jesus and Pilate and every time, Jesus is crucified for your sin on your cross. He took Barabbas' place just as He took yours. There's a very powerful skit on Youtube called Jesus Loves Barabbas (or something along the lines of that) that gives a more in depth look into this topic, but the fact is that Jesus takes your place every time and He does it lovingly and willingly. He loves you so much He's willing to die for you, always remember that!

Hey there! I'm sorry to say that I will not be updating this story as much as I used to because I am running out of ideas for short stories, but I will do my best, and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in this, to continue writing these shorts. Thank you so much for reading and if you have any recommendations or ideas, I'd love to hear them! Thanks for reading! God bless!

Disclaimer: The events presented above are not 100% Biblically accurate! See Matthew 27:15-23 and Luke 23:17-21 for actual events!