Are You Choosing Barabbas or Jesus?

Jesus Barabbas (/bəˈræbəs/; Aramaic: ישוע בר אבא‎ Yeshua Bar ʾAbbaʾ, literally “son of the father” or “son of the teacher”)[1] is a figure mentioned in the New Testament. He was an insurrectionary held by the Roman governor at the same time as Jesus. Pontius Pilate freed him at the Passover Feast in Jerusalem while keeping Jesus a prisoner.

Barabbas is mentioned in all four gospels of the New Testament: Matthew 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; Luke 23:18–24; and John 18:40. His life intersects that of Christ at the trial of Jesus.

Related to this intersection, the release of a Jewish prisoner was customary before the feast of Passover (Mark 15:6). The Roman governor granted clemency to one criminal as an act of goodwill toward the Jews. The crowd chose Barabbas over the Lord Jesus to be released despite Barabbas being an insurrectionist and murderer.

In some ways, some people in the Church seem to be following the methods of Barabbas more than Jesus.  One of the ways they do this is when they focus on a political solution to transform their nation (with some even discussing the possibility of a Civil War to restore the nation to its Biblical Foundations).

Barabas and the early Church

The early Church had a choice to work to overthrow the Roman government that advanced polytheism and abortion. In its lust for power over the empire, these murderous, sex-crazed emperors dehumanized those around them. Instead of joining Jewish zealots in attempting to overthrow the Roman government, the Apostle Paul told believers that the power that exists is of God and that they should submit to it (Romans 13:1-7).

Of course, when it comes to submitting to God or men, the Bible says to obey God when the government is opposed to biblical ethics (Acts 4:19-20).

Augustine and the “just war” theory

Saint Augustine had something to say regarding when Christians have a right to bear arms when he taught the “just war” theory.

In essence, he wrote that the principles of the justice of war are commonly held to be the following: having just cause, being the last resort, being declared by a proper authority, possessing right intention, having a reasonable chance of success, and the end being proportional to the means used.

Thomas Aquinas, a doctor of the Church in the 13th century, revised Augustine’s version, creating three criteria for a just war: the war needed to be waged by a legitimate authority, have a just cause, and have the right intentions.

Based on the above definitions, it seems as though a U.S. Civil War would not fit the construct of a just war. First, who would legitimize the insurrectionists trying to overthrow the US government? Secondly, there should be a reasonable chance of success. With all the power in the hands of the state and city, police departments, and national military, Christian insurrectionists would probably have no chance of overall success except in some remote rural areas where they have powerful militias.

What should be the focus of the Church?

Should the Church focus on a top-down political solution for religious liberty or should its focus be on gospel proclamation (even when threatened with persecution)? It seems as though a clear reading of the New Testament shows that our struggle is not against flesh and blood in our proclamation of the gospel (Ephesians 6:10-13). Hence, political means are not the primary tool of the kingdom. (Of course, it is never illegitimate to use legal and political means to grant us the proper rights to preach even as Paul utilized his legal rights to preach, Acts 16:36-40, Acts 21:37-40.) The issue in this article I propose is the question regarding the Church’s primary focus. It should not be the use of ancillary legitimate legal means for religious liberty. 

(For the proper posture of the Church under persecution read Acts 4:27-31.) 

Acts 1:4 or 1:8 

Unlike the nation of Israel that was called to glorify God by defeating the 7 godless nations of Canaan, the Church is never called to proselytize with the sword (Joshua 1-2). After Jesus said that all power was given to Him in heaven and on earth, His mandate was clear. He said to go and preach the gospel, and make disciples by baptizing people, not by overthrowing nations (Matthew 28:19-20). Despite this, the disciples were still stuck on establishing a political kingdom under Messiah (Acts 1:4). 

Jesus’s answer to them was to focus on gospel proclamation after being empowered by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. The empowering was not to force conversions or to lead a political victory, but to be witnesses through the power of the Spirit to every nation, despite opposition.

Presently, it seems to me some Christians are going off into a ditch in comparing our current situation with the American revolution. They seek to legitimize the use of force in order to accomplish their national goals. What many don’t realize is that the American revolution initially took the focus away from the gospel, as people integrated their political goals with the Church. As a result, Church membership dwindled to almost extinction. It took the second great awakening to revive the Church again and restore America back to its true spiritual foundations. The 20th century has shown us how the Church can thrive even in the midst of oppressive totalitarian regimes like Communist China. 

Even now, one of the greatest Church planting movements in the world is taking place in Middle Eastern nations like Iran. It is up to us. Are we going to focus on having our way by force or by Gospel proclamation? Are we going to follow Barabas or Jesus?

(I just released my latest book, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry. To purchase click here. )

9 Traits of Biblical Outliers

In this article, I use the word “outlier” to describe an exceptional person who operates primarily outside the mainstream norms to change the world.

Notable biblical heroes such as John the Baptist, Jesus, Micaiah, Elijah, the Apostle Paul, and our Lord Jesus Christ were outliers. They did not conform or function within the institutional religious frameworks of their day. For example, before Scripture mentions the word of the Lord coming to John the Baptist, it gives a litany of all the so-called great and influential men who were alive at the time but were bypassed by God. Instead, God chose to speak through John in the wilderness (Luke 3:1-2).

When Jesus taught, the religious leaders were shocked by His knowledge because He was not formally instructed through their institutional systems (John 7:15). The prophet Micaiah risked his life and wellbeing when he refused to speak in sync with the majority of the Jewish prophets declaring victory for King Ahab (1 Kings 22).

Of course, Elijah usually stood alone before God and was active in confronting the wicked queen, Jezebel while seven thousand prophets were hiding in caves (1 Kings 19). Even though the Apostle Paul was not one of the original twelve apostles, he wrote 1/3rd of the New Testament and was chosen by God to bring the gospel to the gentile world. 

Perfect examples of religious outliers in church history are Martin Luther and John Calvin, who bucked Roman Catholicism and launched the Protestant Reformation. The 18th century evangelists George Whitfield and John Wesley held enormous crusades in open fields because they were shut out of the Anglican churches. The 19th century evangelist Charles Finney resisted hyper Calvinism and brought the Second Great Awakening by establishing new measures in evangelism. Later on, in the 19th century, evangelist Alexander Dowie taught and founded Zion, Illinois. The 20th century pastor, William Seymour, used a shoe box as his pulpit and launched the Azusa street revival that brought Pentecostalism to the globe. Finally, Dr. Martin Luther King used his extraordinary oratory strategic wisdom, convening ability, and his brand of non-violent civil disobedience to launch the Civil Rights movement of the 20th century. 

The following are eight traits of biblical outliers:

1.Outliers are resolute

Every one of the biblical outliers mentioned above was committed to the point of death to their cause. Isaiah prophesied about one of the traits of the coming Messiah when he said that the Messiah would set His face like flint and give His back to those who would smite Him and not hide his face from shame and spitting (Isaiah 50:4-7).

2. Outliers are creative

Outliers usually get bored with conformity to the norm. They think outside the box and look for unique ways to accomplish their mission. Christians are called to function on the leading edge so that they can influence culture as co-creators and image-bearers of Jehovah (Genesis 1:27-28).

3.Outliers take the road less travelled.

While most people in the world look for safe, secure, and predictable pathways, outliers like John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul blazed new trails for others to follow.

4.Outliers are prophetic.

Outliers have an acute prophetic sense regarding their mission and how it fits in with contemporary society. They are the ones who intuit a trend before it happens and create new paradigms to be at the tip of the spear of new realities. They are the ones who see things before most people notice them. While most are just discovering the truth of a matter, the outlier is already implementing possible solutions to the challenges this discovery may bring.

5.Outliers transform problems into opportunities.

While most people accommodate themselves to and embrace the a’priori conclusions of mainstream culture, outliers dig underneath the surface until they discover the root issues responsible for cultural maladies. Outliers then use their creative ability to transform problems into possibilities that burst into new avenues of opportunity.

6.Outliers are prepared for their time.

Most people are short on preparation and long on activity. John the Baptist prepared himself thirty years for a brief ministry while Jesus prepared thirty years for a three and a half year ministry. This is one reason why they had such an extraordinary impact on the world. 

Outliers study, practice, and hone their skills to be more than ready when their time comes. 

7.Outliers risk all for truth.

All the biblical and historical outliers mentioned above had one thing in common, they were ready to die for their faith and mission. They did not live a life built upon convenience but crafted a life built around their purpose. The worst thing that can happen to an outlier is not physical death but missing their purpose. 

8.Outliers fear God more than men. 

Biblical outliers do not live for the accolades of others. They love and fear God more than men. During Jesus’ day, many of the rulers of the Jews believed in Him but did not confess Him publicly because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:42-43). 

I have met many prospective leaders in my time, but many of them have made the wrong choices and limited their potential in life because they were afraid of being out of the mainstream. 

9.Outliers are voices, not echoes. 

They shun cultural groupthink, stand on biblical verities and declare scriptural truth. In conclusion, we are living in a day in which many in the Evangelical church have acquiesced to popular culture, even to the point of agreeing with laws and policies that are unbiblical. Many in the church have taken the safe road. They act like the prophets of Micaiah’s day,  choosing to only declare things that they know will give them the approval of pop-culture and the political establishment (1 Kings 22).

May God nurture outliers who are willing to pay the price, stand against compromise, and use their unique calling to advance His Kingdom. 

(I just released my latest book, The Purpose, Power, and Process of Prophetic Ministry. To purchase click here. )