The Great Exchange

Have you tried buying something defective or low class and then someone offers you to exchange that for something much better than the junk you just bought? Example, you have your old worn out jeans- faded, stained and full of holes. Then somebody offers you to exchange it for a brand new pair of pants and just by looking at it you know that it's really expensive and high quality. Would you accept it? What if it's for Free? 
Yeah...I know I would definitely not pass that offer!

But here's another catch- what if the person who made you that offer was the person you where annoyed with at work or at school? or the one you have hurt in the past? What would you feel? Do you deserve the offer now? 

The situation is kinda like the Grace God is offering through Jesus. The Great Exchange. But I never fully understood what it truly meant; that substitution on the Cross- Him dying to take my place. I mean theologically maybe I understood but it was different when God finally showed it to me like I was there in my mind's eye. It was in this passages I had that experience:

Mark 15:1-15

Jesus’ Trial before Pilate

Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law—the entire high council[a]—met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus replied, “You have said it.”

Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?” But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate’s surprise.

Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner—anyone the people requested. One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.

“Would you like me to release to you this ‘King of the Jews’?” Pilate asked. (For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11 But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. Pilate asked them, “Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”

“Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?”

But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!”

So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.

I reflected on the following verses. I kept on thinking of Jesus and Barabbas and what just took place. If you look at the passage it my seem like one of those you go through your devotional daily. But as I was preparing for another preaching, God reminded this to me. Actually, He showed something to me. It was this picture: 

Jesus or Barabbas?

The trial of Jesus. Grace. Salvation. Then it dawned on me: I was Barabbas.

I was in chains and imprisoned for my sins. He was a murderer. Like him, I also have a title- 'Sinner'. I deserved to be the one judged and even that lead-tipped whip and the Cross. Then there was the exchange. The Great Exchange. 

Many have thought that it was only at the Cross Jesus took the guilt and the punishment- I thought so too. But after this revelation came, I finally understood why Jesus needed to be judged like that- it was the picture of Justification by Faith through Grace. It was not at the Cross first but the judgement for that punishment. The Guilt. He took our place for LEGALLY. In front of many people and at the presence of the highest authority at that time. Though it may seem that the decision was made to pacify the crowd and Pilate giving way and even 'washing his hands'. All authority came from God and Pilate would not have that power if it wasn't ordained by God (John 19:11). 

He took everything that you and I deserved. The guilt. The Punishment and ultimately the Death we needed to pay for our wage of our sins (Romans 6:23). 

It humbled me. Amazed. Blessed that I was saved by GRACE (undeserved favor) through Faith (believing even if I never actually saw Jesus died for me at the Cross and what He did, He did it for me) and I was made anew for Good Works God was preparing me long before I said yes to Him (Ephesians 2:8-10). 

This offer is not like that pair of new, expensive pants I talked about (actually that illustration really happened to me, that was one of those situations God spoke to me BIG TIME). This offer is greater than that. So what are you waiting for? Know that God loved Barabbas too. If He loved him then what more you and me now. God loves you. God Bless :D 

Soli Deo Gloria!