He took my place

I watched this video this weekend…and was not prepared to become as emotional as I did. And even during my church service this morning it was as if I was finally understanding what a sacrifice Jesus made for us. As I get older and have more life experiences, I see God in different ways and need Him in different ways. So as I was watching the account of Barabbas, something finally occurred to me. I know Jesus died on the cross for us - that's something I learned when I was little. But I never thought about the fact that Jesus literally took Barabas' place on the cross. It should have been Barabbas hanging up there but it wasn't. It was Jesus. I know how Barabbas has been depicted in the movies but I then thought about what if that was how it really happened? What if Barabbas, so stunned by this sudden turn of events and his new freedom, followed the crowd to Golgotha? What if he saw a man who didn't deserve to be up there and realized He wasn't just a man? What if he realized there was way more to this than anyone else knew? I think the part that touched me the most was the guard's account. When he said most of those he crucified would fight and try to get away before the first nail was in place. But not Jesus. He willingly laid down. For us. Wow. It's so powerful. Happy Easter.