BARRABAS In the cold and damp I waited there Prepared to meet my fate. A cruel cross was waiting there Just outside the gate. It was early in the morning, The sun was barely up, When suddenly a cry I heard I knew my time was up. A mob had gathered somewhere near to where I lay And angry voices shouted And with fear I listened To what they had to say. I held my breath and listened As I heard them shout my name. I knew my time had come When I heard “On us will be the blame” “Barrabas” the voices hollered Then “Let him be crucified” And then “His blood be on us and our children” And I knew my life would end. And all at once I heard him And I knew he’d come for me. His heavy tread it echoed As he strolled along the way. The keys he held, they jangled, As to my cell he came. And when it clicked with in the lock My heart within me sunk. I thought that I was ready. I knew this day would come. But now its here I’m petrified At what I’m sure’s to come The hinges groaned while opening as the door comes slowly open. And the sullen guards just stand there To escort me to my doom. Without a word they turn And lead me down the hall. And when we reach the gateway He turns and says “Your free.” I must have stood there blinking Unable to believe my ear. Because with a growl he orders “Your free, get out of here.” “But why” I stammered As I withdrew a pace And with an evil grin he answered “The Nazarenes to take your place.” So away from there I ran I set a fiendish pace Like all the host of hell are after me, To drag me to their place. How long I ran and where I never can repeat. But when I came back to myself I stood at Calverys feet. It was there that I first saw him, The one who took my place. As He hung upon my cross I looked into His face. The beating He received was brutal. As I gazed upon his face He hardly seemed a man. That should have been my place. But it was His eyes that captured me, That look of love and grace. That look He had it haunted me and held me in my place. And there it was He captured me, That one who took my place The one whose every act was love, And every word was grace. _____ ________David E. Cloud____(10/20/00) unpublished work copyright David Cloud 2000 used by permission
the idea was suggested to me by a radio preacher (I think Charles Swindall) who mentioned that where Barrabas was being held he could hear the shouts of the crowd but not what else was going on. So he could hear "crucify him," "his blood be on us and on our children," and the crowd shouting for him. Logical conclusion, he was going to the cross. Imagine his surprise when he is set free.