Station 1: Pilate condemns Jesus to die | "Guilty" - by Brad McDermott

Guilt is powerful. I wonder what Barabbas felt when he stood there and watched Pontius Pilate make his final judgment against Jesus—guilty to death.

Was he happy-go-lucky, like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean? Or did it strike him deep to the core of who he is with the realization that he does not deserve to go free? Somebody that had nothing to do with him previously was now going to die in his place. I wonder how I would’ve felt.

I know how uncomfortable it is when somebody does some small or large thing for me. I want to make up for it. I’m awkwardly appreciative. How does one say thank you for something so huge as accepting guilt for someone else?

Yet here, we’re asked to identify in some way with the first Station of the Cross: Jesus is condemned to death. In the story, this was Barabbas’ death. Jesus traded places with him. In our story, this was my death; He traded places with me.

This is the condemnation that Pontius Pilate bestowed on Jesus. What’s more is this guilt was administered on Him because of me and what I’ve done, and because of you and what you’ve done—the sin that we’ve committed. I often feel constrained by this kind of guilt. Unsure what to do with it. Very small and helpless. This is the opposite of what Jesus says very clearly that he came to give: life and life more abundantly.

I wonder how much we hold back with our feelings of guilt based on the possibility of how we give gifts. Do we give gifts with strings attached? Do we expect a thank you in return? Are we concerned if someone doesn’t notice our offerings to them?

The thing about Jesus is He doesn’t demand things from us, nor does He force us to even accept a gift. He simply offers it to us, and of course the gift is His Life.

It’s not clear what Barabbas did with his second chance, his freedom. But we get to choose what to do with ours.

We can trade with Jesus back and identify with the work that He did and does, the work that will bring life if done through Him and because of Him. We can allow Him to live the life that He wants to live by inviting Him to work in us and through us.
 
We get to be somewhat like our happy-go-lucky pirate who just slipped out the back door and on his way to a new adventure. But instead of raping and pillaging, we get to go around passing out free life for others like it was candy. In some ways, the cool part about it is we get to take people with us that never thought it would be possible to live the powerful, guilt-free life that Jesus has opened for us.