BEHIND THE SCENES ON GOOD FRIDAY

He had been arrested for participating in a revolt against Rome. Roman soldiers had been killed and he and his companions had been convicted of treason and murder. Now he and his friends waited in prison for their execution. They knew the kind of death they were condemned to die. It is said that men condemned to hang, constantly touch their throats in subconscious anticipation. Barabbas and his friends fingered their wrists absentmindedly and wondered what it was going to be like. They had seen crucifixions before. They were ugly scenes. Crucifixion was a long, painful death. Sometimes men had hung on Roman crosses for days before they died. The noises outside filtered into their cell. People sounded angry. Even a hardened fighter like himself began to feel a little uncomfortable.

The shouting outside grew louder and Barabbas heard his own name being shouted. Fear struck at his heart. His time must be growing near. He stood up and angrily cursed Rome. His head snapped up when there was the sound of a key in the lock. The jailer entered. “Barabbas. You have been released. You may go.” The other two looked up at the jailer with hope in their eyes. “No. Not you two. Just Barabbas.” They argued with the Roman, “Why just Barabbas? Why does he get to go free? He’s just as bad as we are!” Their arguments availed nothing. Barabbas, stunned and confused, walked out of the jail cell wondering what happened. “Why me?”

As he moved out into the huge crowd Barabbas felt strangely conspicuous. He wondered what would happen when all the people saw him. But the screaming mob was paying no attention to him. They didn’t care at all about him! Barabbas looked around in the crowd for some of his compatriots. “Hey! What’s going on here? Do you know why they let me go?” “They’re going to kill this guy Jesus instead of you!” Barabbas moved closer to see who was going to be crucified with the two friends he left behind in the cell. He was shocked when he caught sight of him. This man had been beaten beyond imagination! Barabbas wondered what he must have done wrong to deserve this!

The crowd began to move toward the gates of the city. The man, Jesus, was carrying a cross. Barabbas thought to himself, “I was the one who was supposed to be carrying that cross.” He moved along with the throng of people as if in a dream. Suddenly he found himself at the place of execution, a place they called Golgotha. Barabbas shuddered as heavy hammers crashed against iron spikes. He glanced down at his hands and knew that those spikes were meant for him. But instead of lying on a cross on the ground he stood among the crowd breathing in the fresh spring air. He looked up and noticed that a storm seemed to be gathering in very dark clouds on the horizon.

Barabbas’ cross was raised and dropped into the hole. All his friends were screaming things at the man on the cross. Then Jesus spoke, “Father, forgive them, they don’t realize what they are doing.” Barabbas looked carefully at Jesus, his substitute criminal. The storm clouds covered the sky with utter blackness. It didn’t take long. Jesus spoke again, “It is finished.” There was a powerful earthquake that shook the entire city. Jesus seemed to die on purpose, surrendering his spirit to God. Barabbas moved closer. The centurion was standing at the foot of the cross, looking up at Jesus when he said, “This man really was the Son of God!”

As Barabbas wandered home he was filled with mixed feelings. What a strange day it had been! He had watched an innocent man die at the will of the Jewish religious leaders and at the hands of the Romans. But everything seemed new and fresh to him. He had never expected to see these sights again. He realized the truth, “Jesus died in my place! I was released when I deserved to die and they killed him instead! He died instead of me!”