The Cell Door is Open...Leave

"The governor answered and said unto them, "Which of the two will ye that I release unto you?" They said, "Barabbas!"........"Then released he Barabbas unto them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified." -Matthew 17:21, 26

"Hopelessly stranded on death row, he wasn't about to balk at a granted stay of execution. Maybe he didn't understand mercy and surely he didn't deserve it, but he wasn't about to refuse it. We might do well to realize that our plight isn't too different than that of Barabbas's. We, too, are prisoners with no chance for appeal. But why some prefer to stay in prison while the cell door has been unlocked is a mystery worth pondering." -No Wonder They Call Him Savior

I read this passage in a book I'm reading at it really smacked me in the face. We always seem to look at Barabbas as a barbaric heathen murderer who should have died that day...but really we are no different that him and his freedom represents what Jesus came to do...to die, that we may live. We are all like Barabbas..we are barbaric, we are murderers in our heart because at some point we have harbored hate...we are thieves, idolaters, adulterers, blasphemers, and list goes on....matter of fact we are pretty down-right evil, and if you don't think that then I'm gonna step out and make you mad and say that you have never took a hard look at yourself. Without Jesus we are all evil before God, there is no good in us...but lets get back to Jesus. Jesus freed Barabbas and he has freed us, so why do we stay inside the unlocked cell with the shackels of the bondage of sin?? What are we scared of..we are alive through Christ, no longer a slave to sin, but a servant to Christ!

Jesus broke the chains, so why do we still hold on to them......we are alive, so LIVE....LIVE for Him, not for your husband, wife, children, boyfriend, girlfriend...there is such joy in serving the King and much despair when we serve oursleves....Serve Him today, live for Him and let Him live through you...your not lame with sin anymore, so take pick up your mat and walk, you are healed....act like it.