Can I Really Be Free?
By: Maxine M.

Enthusiastically he had participated in political riots… “Over throw Rome!!” had been his cry
He’d taken lives in his zeal…now HE was condemned to die
In a dim, damp, dismal prison he pondered his fate with a resigned sigh

Tomorrow, during the Jew’s Passover Feast, the deed would be done
Did fear grip his inner-being at evening’s setting sun?
I’m sure sleep eluded him and at the roaster’s crowing, he knew the fatal day had begun

Soon Roman soldiers arrived & dragged him from his cold pitiful cell
The sun light hurt his eyes…suddenly the noise of the crowd began to swell
“Barabbas, Barabbas!!” they were shouting…WHAT did it all mean, he couldn’t tell

He saw a man standing BOUND on the platform above the crowd for all to see
The man turned and looked at Barabbas...his eyes were warm & kind…love to the sincerest degree
Then he heard Governor Pilate declare, “Set this man Barabbas free!”

FREE?!! After ALL I’ve done? How could this possibly be?
The crowd was shouting “crucify him, crucify him!” but they mean the Stranger & not ME
Now they’re dragging HIM away, out to Calvary’s hill, to nail Him to a tree

Can I really be free? What had this Man done that they were crucifying Him instead?
Oh, the unanswered whys that must have raced through Barabbas’ head
Never did he realize his name would be mentioned every time the “Passion” is read

Now, we’re not told anymore about Barabbas or how his life WOULD end
PERHAPS he followed on the fringes of the crowd…to be an innocent bystander, he’d pretend
Overwhelmed that the crowd had chosen him to befriend

Can you imagine his emotions as he watched a dying Jesus take his place?
But I doubt he realized that He was dying for the whole human race
That this death of God’s own Son was the ULTIMATE Act of Grace

For it was love and Grace that flowed from the cross that day
Grace that kept Barabbas from the price of execution he’d been sentenced to pay
But WE are ALL GUILTY; for ALL have SINNED…His laws WE TOO constantly disobey

Thus deserving of eternal death, forever removed from our Lord’s presence, protection & care
But, like Barabbas, we can also in this Glorious “REPRIEVE” share
Our death sentence COMMUTED…our life stained by sin, His death could repair

In Faith, trust that JESUS is the ONLY way to be reconciled to our Creator
That His life WASN’T TAKEN but GIVEN out of Love…”Sacrificial Love”…there is none greater
Believing that the ONE who died that day rose again 3 days later

Declaring, Death has been defeated!! His resurrected body UNBOUND!!
And that “One Day”, BELIEVERS will also rise at the trumpet’s sound
For His promise of “I’ll come again” is the most reliable GUARANTEE found

So, it’s in accepting these facts we’re set free…free to love & serve Him as best we’re able
Is it possible Barabbas became a follower? Did “Murderer” to “Christian” become his label?
PERHAPS one day we will meet him in Heaven…fellowship at the Lord’s Table

But for SURE, we can rejoice in the same unexpected undeserved freedom Barabbas found that day
Freedom from the FEAR of death because OUR PENALTY, by His Holy Blood, Jesus would pay
And there is an ASSURED future, for ALL who will accept, trust and obey