loving Barabbas

Impressive.  Emotional.  Unconventional.  Convincing?

While investigating the phenomenon involving a powerfully deceptive and rapidly growing movement among many, large, pop-culture-churches, I came across a video featuring the preaching of Judah Smith (Justin Bieber's pastor), titled, "Jesus is Loving Barabbas", at the following link:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwX_EpNR4CA

Smith finds in Barabbas what appears to be his ideal metaphor for what it means to be a Christian.  Jesus loves Barabbas, Smith urges, over and over.  Smith insists that it was not the people, who let Barabbas go free, but it was God; because, you see, God loves Barabbas.

"Go free, Barabbas!  Just remember, I love you!" God tearfully exclaimed, as the crowd cheered to receive their murderous gang leader.  But Barabbas never looked back: not to that filthy jail cell on death row; not to the decorative pavillion of Pilate's Judgment Hall; not to the bloody, half-naked prisoner named, uh, Jesus. Smith acknowledges that Barabbas evidently showed no signs of gratitude to Jesus, for having taken Barabbas' place on the cross. But, then, that's just like the rest of us weak humans, is it not?

That's just like us worldly 'Christians', is what Smith really means--but dare not say.

In fact, Jesus did not go to the cross in Barabbas' stead, as Smith suggests (and as many carelessly suppose).  Jesus went to the cross because the Jewish religious leaders threatened to crucify Pilate, politically, in the case that he refused to do away with Jesus.  Jesus was going to the cross regardless of what Pilate did with Barabbas.  It was Pilate who, willing to 'wash his hands' of any bloodguiltiness involving Jesus (who, Pilate knew, was an innocent man), Pilate suggested that Jesus might be freed, according to the Roman's customary practice of releasing an occasional prisoner for the sake of appeasing the Jewish polity that was under Roman subjugation.  To Pilate's dismay, however, the people chose Barabbas, at the instigation of the Jewish leaders.  (Smith probably uses a Bible-substitute; else, he would have plainly read that it was, in fact, the people--and not God--who enabled Barabbas to go free.)

Smith further employs Barabbas as a figure of redemption.  Barabbas, now free, is still...Barabbas, warts and all.  Just like us, Christians.  When at length we discover that in the Person of Jesus Christ God loves us--warts and all: from that time forward we are nevertheless "free to live", because, God loves us just as we are; or, so Smith suggests.  Addictions?  Bondages?  Sins?  No problemo: just "give them to Jesus" (whatever that means).  Jesus knows our weaknesses, he knows that we are sinners by nature--(notwithstanding any claim to having been 'born again').

Smith conveniently omits a discussion of repentance from sin, on the part of the would-be Christian.  The idea of "perfecting holiness in the fear of God" does not complicate Smith's wildly popular brand of 'Christianity'--wherein, God's grace is not (as it is, in truth) the power of God to actually overcome sin in all its forms.  Rather, God's grace--which, in Smith's own words, is "more than enough", was only ever meant, evidently, to let Barabbas be "free to live"...

as Barabbas.

So, when I get to heaven, I will get to meet Barabbas--warts and all.  Oh, what a joyous thought!