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"Barabbas Walked Free" It never made sense to me why they would choose to set Barabbas free. A guilty man, a criminal, someone who actually deserved punishment—yet the crowd shouted for his release while Jesus Christ, the only innocent One, was led to the cross. It felt unjust, backwards, deeply unfair. But then it became personal. Because the truth is, Barabbas is me. I am the guilty one. Not perfect, not righteous, not deserving of freedom. I have fallen short more times than I can count, and if justice were truly served, I would be the one standing condemned. And yet, like Barabbas, I was the one set free. No chains, no punishment, no cross to carry—not because I was innocent, but because Jesus took my place. He stood where I should have stood. He was condemned so I could be forgiven. He carried the cross that had my name on it. Barabbas simply walked away, free, while the Savior of the world was led to die. And that is what breaks me… because that same exchange is what Jesus has done for me. This is grace. Not something earned, not something deserved, but a holy and undeserved exchange: the guilty released, and the innocent condemned. When I say “Barabbas is me,” I am saying this with full surrender—I was the one who should have been on that cross, but Jesus took it instead. And because He did, I get to walk free. By Cindy Keller.