I am Barabbas...I am Saved.

It's Christmas night, technically it's 12:20 on the 26th, but who is getting technical? This Christmas has been a little different than most Christmas's in the past. Not only because my mother had the flu today and there was no snow and it was 40 degrees, but mostly because my heart wasn't as prepared for this Christmas as it should have been.  I realize that I am not the only busy person, and am no way, shape, or form trying to say that, but I have been so busy with everything going on in my life that I haven't even had time to think about Jesus' birth and what that means to me.  If I do have time to think about the "meaning of Christmas" it has been your basic, on the surface stuff-trying to find an important meaning for it in my life, but getting absolutely no where.  On Christmas eve, I had the intentions of getting out my bible and having some serious God time and reflection, but I got distracted. I had the same plan for all day today, but continued to get distracted and put it off.  Finally tonight, I felt so empty that out of desperation to feel something this Christmas, I opened my bible and am so thankful for what was shown to me on this night.  I decided to read Luke 1 & 2 (Christmas story) I thought it would be a great place to start to see if there was anything jumping off of the page at me.  But I got nothing.  Just the same story that I have heard year after year.  I started skimming through Luke and just like that, a verse did jump off the page at me.  But it wasn't something I would have expected to on Christmas.  Luke 23: 25 (Talking about Pontius Pilate's decision to crucify Jesus)  "He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will".  After reading this, my thoughts went immediately back to Luke 2 where this innocent little baby boy was born into the world.  He had no worries or fears, just parents who loved him and heavenly father who had a great plan that would bring hope to the world.  Going forward 21 chapters to Luke 23, Jesus is still that same innocent man, fulfilling His father's plan for hope.  In verse 25, the people in the crowd decided that they wanted to release Barabbas, who was a murderer, and crucify Jesus, who was innocent of any crimes or sin.  I started thinking about how Jesus took Barabbas' spot to be crucified.  He saved him and traded spots with Him.  I am Barabbas-I don't deserve the fact that Jesus traded spots with me.  I am a sinner and I am so far from being perfect no matter how hard I try.  Jesus is perfect, He lived a perfect life, never sinning and always showing His Father's love to everyone he met, even though He faced the same trials that all of us face.  It is hard to think of that innocent little baby trading spots with me, even though I deserve death.  Just like Barabbas who deserved death since he was a criminal, but we get the joy in knowing that our Father sent his Son as an innocent baby to grow into an innocent man who would willingly take my place because He loves me and wants me to spend eternity with Him.  Jesus is my savior, and I am so blessed because of that, I get to have joy and be at complete peace because I know that nothing I can do can ever make my savior love me any less and that his sacrifice on the cross makes me whole and free.  I am so thankful for the hope and promise that Luke 2:11 brings to us  "Today in the Town of David,  a Savior has been born to You, He is Christ the Lord." We see this promise unfold in Luke 23 when Jesus takes the place of a sinner on the cross for all of our sins. It is hard to understand our Father's love for us that He would send His Son to this earth to live a life among sinners then die for us.  We will never be able to grasp how much He loves us, but I know that I feel so completely loved by Him and it is only a fraction of how much He loves us. What a great and amazing God that we serve.