A Poor Transaction
Buyers’ remorse is a real phenomenon. I have experienced it. It usually happens in a moment of weakness – momentary lapse in self-control. A purchase is made out of irresponsible want rather than necessity. Upon making the purchase, regret immediately sets in and thus is born the wish for a do-over.
In a much more serious way, there is also something we might call spiritual remorse. Spiritual remorse is a deep regret of sin. We know regret of sin isn’t the proper response to sin, repentance is, yet, it isn’t uncommon or wrong to experience immediate regret over sin. And we know this regret because we do, in fact, make poor spiritual trades.
In Romans 1 Paul says we exchange the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and creatures (Rom. 1:23). He goes on to say that we exchange the truth about God for a lie (Rom. 1:25). Indeed, all throughout the Bible these poor transactions recur over and over. In some sense, this is the definition of sin itself. Even Adam and Eve made such a monumentally horrible trade when they chose to believe the lie of the snake over the truth of God.
There is one place in the Scriptures that I am most reminded of our poor trades for sin more powerfully than anywhere else. In comes right before the cross of Christ. It is described for us in Mark 15:6-15:
6 Now at the feast [Pilate] used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked. 7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” 15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
In the grand redemptive plan of God this moment must occur. Jesus must go to the cross. But I can’t help but to see here the insanity of humanity. In this one passage, we see the Prince of Peace traded for a known murderer. In the mind of the mob, it was better to have an insurrectionist than a King. What a poor transaction, indeed.
Yet, this almost odd inclusion in the narrative is a summary picture of humanity. Rather than walking with God – all that is good, true, and right – we choose Barabbas. We choose the sin of our own flesh over the precious freedom of Christ. We would rather dwell in darkness than enjoy the warmth of the light.
The Barabbas account seems strange to us. How does it force the narrative along? How could they desire a convicted murderer instead of an innocent man? Why do they not see the inconsistency of their choice? The absurdity is palpable.
But the same is true when humanity embraces sin and rejects God. We are not offering Jesus up to be crucified again and again. Thankfully, He was delivered up once and for all (Heb. 7:27). But we exchange the glory of Christ for a lie every time we embrace darkness. We too choose Barabbas over Jesus.
The good news is that there is forgiveness for sin in this King of the Jews. He deliberately went to the cross for those who choose sin over Him. He willingly switched places for people like Barabbas. He did this so that He might forgive those who come to Him in faith.
