Worship Service - March 8, 2026 - Unlikely Freedom: Barabbas

Devotional

Day 1: The Difference Between Guilt and Shame

Guilt is a feeling that arises from our actions or inactions, a sense of having done something wrong. Shame, however, is a deeper wound, a feeling that we ourselves are fundamentally flawed or bad. One points to a mistake; the other points to a corrupted identity. Understanding this distinction is crucial for a healthy spiritual life, as it shapes how we relate to God, others, and ourselves. God’s desire is to free us from the weight of both, but especially from the lie of shame.[28:58]

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)

Reflection: Can you recall a recent situation where you felt a sense of guilt over a specific action? How might that feeling be different from a sense of shame about who you are as a person?

Day 2: The Temptation of a Violent Rescue

There is a deep-seated human impulse to resolve conflict and overcome evil through force and domination. This is the way of the world, seen in empires and heroes alike. It is a path that promises quick results and decisive victory. Yet, this was the very temptation Jesus faced and rejected in the garden, choosing a different way forward.[34:03]

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”
Matthew 26:52-53 (ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life, or in the world around you, do you find yourself wishing for a forceful, immediate solution to a complex problem?

Day 3: Nonviolent Resistance and Human Dignity

Christ’s teachings often subvert expectations and empower the powerless. Instructions like turning the other cheek are not about passive submission but about active, nonviolent resistance that asserts one’s God-given dignity. It is a refusal to be shamed or treated as inferior. This method reclaims power by exposing the injustice of the oppressor without mirroring their violence.[44:55]

“But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
Matthew 5:39 (ESV)

Reflection: In what relationship or situation might God be inviting you to stand up for your dignity or the dignity of others in a peaceful, yet firm, way?

Day 4: The Choice Between Two Paths

The story of Barabbas presents a stark, ongoing choice. One path is that of violent insurrection, seeking change through force and confrontation. The other is the way of Jesus, which seeks transformation through love, sacrifice, and nonviolent resistance. This is not merely a historical event but a daily decision about how we will engage with the world and its brokenness.[51:19]

And they cried out all together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas!”
Luke 23:18 (ESV)

Reflection: When you pray “thy kingdom come,” what is one specific area where you are tempted to demand God’s kingdom come through power and control, rather than through patient love and service?

Day 5: Living as Kingdom Agents

Our ultimate calling is not to preserve the status quo but to participate in God’s work of making the world more reflective of His kingdom. This happens through daily, often small, choices to embody the way of Jesus. Our lives are meant to be conduits of grace that leave the world better and more kingdom-like than we found it.[55:51]

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical, non-coercive action you can take this week to bring a glimpse of God’s healing and peace into your corner of the world?

Sermon Summary

Guilt differs from shame: guilt targets actions, while shame attacks identity. An everyday example—accidentally tearing a page in a Bible and hiding it—shows how appropriate naming of wrongdoing invites guilt, but labeling someone as “careless” or “a liar” inflicts shame. Cultural stories and personal imagination often train people to favor violent rescue fantasies, producing a readiness to resolve problems through force. Gospel narratives record disciples reaching for swords, Peter severing an ear, and Jesus noting the availability of “legions” of angels, yet refusing violent conquest. Judas’s attempt to force Jesus’ hand and the crowd’s choice of Barabbas over Jesus expose competing visions: one of insurgent violence that preserves identity through power, the other of countercultural, nonviolent authority.

Jesus’s ministry gathers large followings and teaches resistance that undermines coercive power without mirroring its brutality. The “turn the other cheek” instruction reflects a deliberate, culturally savvy tactic: turning the other cheek refuses shaming and compels the aggressor to treat the person as an equal. The “second mile” example reframes forced labor into moral leverage—voluntarily continuing beyond the coerced mile exposes the oppressor to rule-breaking and moral awkwardness, transforming service into a form of resistance. These nonviolent actions refuse both passive surrender and violent retaliation; they defend dignity, unsettle systems of domination, and create space for the kingdom ethic.

The crucifixion frames the decisive choice between violent change and kingdom transformation. Placing Jesus between two insurrectionists and offering the crowd Barabbas or Jesus dramatizes the recurring human decision to opt for forceful revolt or costly, nonviolent witness. Praying “thy kingdom come” commits to pursuing systemic change in ways that mirror the crucified king’s methods—risking rejection, enduring shame’s provocations, and trusting that kingdom realities advance when dignity, not domination, directs action.

Key Takeaways

1. Guilt targets actions; shame attacks identity Clear moral naming restores responsibility without destroying personhood. Guilt prompts repair and reconciliation; shame corrodes self-worth and blocks restitution. Recognizing the difference frees honest confession and prevents identity-based condemnation that isolates people from grace. [27:59]
2. Nonviolent defiance reclaims personal dignity Turning the other cheek functions as a strategic refusal to accept humiliation. It forces the aggressor to confront the equality of the one they sought to demean. Such resistance preserves self-respect while exposing the social dynamics that enable abuse. [41:43]
3. Second-mile choices unnerve oppressors Voluntarily exceeding coerced demands converts service into moral leverage. Going a second mile creates a dilemma for the oppressor and reveals the humanity of the one compelled to serve. That extra step often shifts power by making injustice visible and awkward. [45:37]
4. Choose kingdom change over violent power The Barabbas-or-Jesus moment frames a recurring societal crossroads: opt for violent overthrow or embrace costly, nonviolent transformation. Kingdom work invests in long-term dignity and structural change rather than short-term domination. Praying “thy kingdom come” commits to methods that reflect the crucified king’s ethic. [51:35]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:40] - Opening connection to the theme
[27:59] - Guilt vs. Shame Defined
[29:41] - Prayer and Invocation
[29:58] - Cultural Rescue Fantasies
[32:58] - Swords, Violence, and Instincts
[34:03] - Angels, Conquest, and Refusal
[35:58] - Pilate, Barabbas, and the Stakes
[38:59] - Feeding 5,000: A Following
[41:43] - Turn the Cheek Explained
[45:37] - The Second Mile as Resistance
[49:13] - Crucifixion: A Public Choice
[55:35] - Closing Charge: Thy Kingdom Come

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Matthew 5:38-42 (ESV)
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”

Observation questions

In the passage, what specific action does Jesus instruct his followers to take if they are struck on the right cheek?
What are the two examples Jesus gives of voluntarily giving more than what is demanded or expected?
According to the sermon, what was the cultural significance of being struck on the right cheek and how did that action treat a person? [43:59]
What was the Roman rule about how far a soldier could compel someone to carry his pack, and what was the potential consequence for a soldier if that rule was broken? [47:38]

Interpretation questions

How does turning the other cheek function not as passive surrender, but as an active strategy to reclaim dignity and confront an aggressor with one's equality? [44:36]
Why would voluntarily going a second mile with a soldier's pack create a "moral leverage" or an awkward situation for the oppressor? What does this action reveal about the one carrying the pack? [48:02]
The crowd was given a choice between Jesus and Barabbas. What did each man represent in terms of how to confront injustice and bring about change? [48:54]
How does the crucifixion scene, with Jesus placed between two insurrectionists, serve as a final dramatic picture of the choice between two types of resistance? [49:39]

Application questions

Guilt says, "I did something bad," while shame says, "I am bad." [27:59] When you make a mistake, what internal voice do you most often hear? How can recognizing this difference change the way you confess wrongdoing and receive grace?
Turning the other cheek is a refusal to accept humiliation. [44:55] Can you recall a recent situation where you felt shamed or belittled? What would it have looked like to nonviolently defend your God-given dignity in that moment instead of either lashing out or shrinking back?
The "second mile" principle involves creatively exceeding demands to expose injustice. [45:37] Where in your life (work, family, community) do you feel compelled or forced to do something? Is there a way to voluntarily "go a second mile" that could unexpectedly shift the dynamic and reveal the humanity of everyone involved?
The choice between Barabbas and Jesus is one we face constantly: violent power or costly, nonviolent transformation. [51:19] When you see an injustice in the world that you want to fix, what is your first instinctual response? How can you actively choose a method that reflects the way of the crucified king?
Praying "thy kingdom come" commits us to pursuing change that mirrors Jesus's methods. [50:43] What is one specific area in your community where you long to see God's kingdom come? What is one small, nonviolent action you could take this week to be part of that change?

Sermon Clips

55s

#RespondWithDignity

“But even if I did, at that I would have acknowledged him as an equal. And what Joe regardless of what I do, Joe as a follower of Christ has demonstrated that he's not gonna be shamed by my behavior. He's not gonna allow himself to feel badly about who he is. He's a child of God. If you're gonna hit me, treat me as a child of God. Treat me at least as an equal. And so he turns the other cheek. He's decided to respond non violently and yet in a way that does not allow himself to be shamed.”

63s

#KingdomOverStatusQuo

“Jesus or Barabbas? You know, it's not just a story from a couple thousand years ago. It's a choice we're making all the time. You know, those of us who who pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. If we're taking that prayer seriously, our top priority is not maintaining the status quo. We want the world to be more kingdom like. And I would think most of us hope that when our days are done here on earth, that somehow the earth is better, is more kingdom like because of the lives we've lived, because of what God has managed to do in and through us.”

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Anderson First United Methodist Church This sermon · AI assistant

What distinguishes guilt from shame?

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