What if: “Forget Barabbas, give us JESUS!”

A newly discovered Christian manuscript recasts the treacherous double-crossing Judas as a loyal disciple who would surpass the others by agreeing to Jesus’ request to betray him. Shocking, maybe. But, since traditional Christian theology sees Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection as being a part of God’s plan for humanity’s redemption, then all of the events leading to God’s flesh sacrifice of his only son could be seen as having been similarly ordained by Him, including using Judas in this way.

It begs the question: what if Judas had protected Jesus instead? More significantly, what if the crowd, the chief priests and elders of that fateful day had said, “give us Jesus, our King, our Messiah!” For had the Pharisees and Sadducees accepted Jesus as Messiah, there would have been no trial before Pilate, no crucifixion and no atoning sacrifice of Christ, God’s paschal Lamb.
Think of it, the long awaited Messiah, accepted as such, instead of rejected. What would have changed in their world? How would the structure of their society changed, would it have stayed so changed, and what would our world look like today?

This scenario is fascinating because Christians have by and large been taught that the rejection of Jesus was mankind’s worst sin, and that he should have been recognized and accepted as the savior, God’s anointed son. Can you imagine the consequences that may have ensued from such obedience?

For one, it is certain that Jesus would have prevented his fellow Judeans from taking up arms against the Romans...or against any nation or peoples. Of course, this radical non-violent approach to peace and security could have fared no worse than the fate that ultimately befell them.

His principles of government administration seem easily predictable. Jesus would undoubtedly have integrated His lifelong teachings of compassion, of charity, of love and empathy. He would have policies that encouraged other-directedness--servanthood—especially from those who had more TO those with less.

Acts 4:31-37 describes the sort of economic system Jesus would most likely have instituted. There the apostles and townspeople, filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ’s resurrection, “felt that what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they had.” (Acts 4:32 NIV). “There was no poverty among them, because the people who owned lands or houses sold them and brought the money to the apostles for those in need.” (Acts 4: 34,35).

However, it is entirely possible that Jesus would have abdicated his throne for as he said, his kingdom was not of this world. What then? Would those same leaders and citizens that accepted Jesus as Messiah have stayed totally true to his principles in their administration? Are today’s?

If they did, and society continued in that vein, we would have achieved a veritable Heaven on earth. Yet it is hard to imagine humanity sticking to Jesus’ high ideals. Man’s lower nature would eventually corrupt this nirvana, be it by greed or envy, fear or ego. Indeed it is for remission of these inevitable sins that Jesus died on the cross.

It is on Jesus’ glorious resurrection that Christendom hinges its salvation and hope for life eternal. Yet it is only by rising to his ideals of behavior that we show ourselves loyal in this one.

Rfd 4/13/06