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S.D.A. Bible Commentary Vol. 5
deceptive will be his working, that men will do as they did in the
days of Christ; and when asked, Whom shall I release unto you,
Christ or Barabbas? the almost universal cry will be, Barabbas,
Barabbas! And when the question is asked, “What will ye then that I
shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?” the cry again
will be, “Crucify him!”
Christ will be represented in the person of those who accept the
truth, and who identify their interest with that of their Lord. The
world will be enraged at them in the same way that they were enraged
at Christ, and the disciples of Christ will know that they are to be
treated no better than was their Lord. But Christ will surely identify
His interest with that of those who accept Him as their personal
Saviour. Every insult, every reproach, every false accusation made
against them by those who have turned their ears away from the truth
and are turned unto fables, will be charged upon the guilty ones as
done to Christ in the person of His saints (
The Review and Herald,
April 14, 1896
).
When Christ was upon this earth, the world preferred Barabbas.
And today the world and the churches are making the same choice.
The scenes of the betrayal, the rejection, and the crucifixion of Christ
have been re-enacted, and will again be re-enacted on an immense
scale. People will be filled with the attributes of the enemy, and with
them his delusions will have great power. Just to that degree that
light is refused will there be misconception and misunderstanding.
Those who reject Christ and choose Barabbas work under a ruinous
deception. Misrepresentation and false witness will grow to open
rebellion. The eye being evil, the whole body will be full of darkness.
Those who give their affections to any leader but Christ will find
themselves under the control, body, soul, and spirit, of an infatuation
that is so entrancing that under its power souls turn away from
hearing the truth to believe a lie. They are ensnared and taken, and
by their every action they cry, Release unto us Barabbas, but crucify
Christ.
Even now this decision is being made. The scenes enacted at the
cross are being re-enacted. In the churches that have departed from
truth and righteousness it is being revealed what human nature can
do and will do when the love of God is not an abiding principle in
the soul. We need not be surprised at anything that may take place