Daily Walk Through the New Testament
August 3
Read Luke 23:13-43

Before you condemn Barabbas, think about how you compare to him. Yes, he was a rebel, but so are we. All of us are like sheep; we wander and go our own way, doing our own thing, being our own boss (Isaiah 53:6). We’re rebels.
Yes, Barabbas was a murderer. But consider this: for whose sins did Jesus die? Our sins were the nails that held Him on the cross. Our hard hearts were the hammers. All of us are guilty, just like Barabbas.
The good news is that, like Barabbas, all of us can accept the payment and freedom Jesus dies to give us. Here was a guilty man who deserved the full punishment of the law, and yet an innocent man died in his place and took his punishment. Why? What had he done — and what have we done — to deserve such love? Nothing.
Today, be grateful for the amazing grace of Jesus!