Changed Forever More~A Redemption Story

        Today I have posted a story that I wrote for school about a person in Luke who was impacted by Jesus. I had some trouble deciding who to write about. I finally decided on a person who only shows up once (Okay, fine that describes a lot of people) and was a criminal. But I should probably stop talking about it and just let you read it. So enjoy!

        Drip..Sploush...Driiiippp...Splish...Drip.....Sploush....Drip, Drip...Splish, splash... The water dripped and then splished, splashed, or sploushed into the old wooden bucket that sat on the floor of the jail cell by the metal door. The rather sad looking bucket was set there to catch the water that was continually dripping from the ceiling. No one was sure why the water dripped down there, but no one gave it much thought, except for the rebel in that cell. He stared at the bucket in defeat, watching the water slowly drip and then land in the bucket.

       The man sighed a sigh of defeat. He was here in the dreary cell for who knew how long. He couldn't see the sun anymore, his cell was too deep. But, he knew he wouldn't be there much longer. Days had passed, for sure, and so he would be out again.
       Only I will not be free, I will be sentenced, and then... He sighed, and ran a hand through his dirty black hair. Straw stuck out of his mussed up hair and beard. I shall be sentenced to death.
       Clop, clop, clop, clop. The heavy footsteps of the guards patted the ground as he came down the stairs and hall to stop at the prisoner's cage. The two guards smirked at him.
      "Barabbas, you have been summoned before Pontius Pilate, seems you won't have to see this cell again." He paused, and laughing, turned to his friend. "or anything else."
      Barabbas looked up at the guard. He wanted to wring his neck and run away, back to his friends, and to help them overthrow the Romans who had captured them. But, his hands were chained together and his feet in stocks. He was defenseless and vulnerable and exposed.
      The first guard unlocked the door and both of them stepped inside.


      The crowd roared, as Barabbas stepped on to the platform. He noticed that the crowd was predominantly Jews.
      He huffed. Great! Sentenced by the same people I wanted to free! The irony! He thought grouchily, then thinking back to his crimes, he smiled a half smile. Those Romans never had a chance!  He thought back to the attack he lead against the Romans, killing their captain. His smile slowly faded. Neither do I have a chance, he sighed.
    "Hey!" A voice screamed from the crowd. "Away with this man already!"
They really can't wait to get rid off me. He kept his gaze down.
    "Give us Barabbas!" The person cried.
    "Yeah!" Another person screamed. "We want Barabbas!"
    Barabbas looked up, suddenly realizing that they wanted to release him. And for the first time he noticed that besides Pilate and the Roman guards on the platform, there was another man. He looked at the crowd with kind, searching eyes. A purple cloak rested on his shoulders almost mockingly, and a twisted mess of thorns pressed into his head.
    It almost looks like a crown. Was this man a king?
    "Crucify him!"
    What!?
    "Crucify! Crucify him!"
    Why!?
    Blood stained the cloak, his face bore bruises, and --Is that a tear?-- he appeared to be crying. But it feels like he is crying for them!
    A guard led Barabbas off of the platform. He heard Pilate say something about how the blood was not on his hands, and on the people.
    "You lucky rat!" The guard sneered.

    Barabbas kicked the rock as he walked down the road. Furious about all that he had found out in the past week. The people hadn't actually cared anything about him. They had let him go in their raging tantrum to get rid of the man named Jesus.
    "Hello," said a man that Barabbas hadn't noticed was walking next to him. "You appear to be deep in thought. Want to talk as we walk to the next town?"
    Barabbas blinked, "Ummm... Sure, I guess." Why had he not noticed him coming? "So were you at the crucifixion?"
    "Yes." He nodded.
    "Okay. So did you see that Jesus told one of the other men he would see him in paradise?"
    "Yes."
    "He was a criminal, but he asked to be forgiven and then Jesus says, see you in paradise, and forgives him."
    He nodded again.
    "I asked around and his followers are still doing his ministry. Some say that they even saw him. His disciples say that he was God's Son."
    "What do you think?"
    "He did miracles and forgave sins. And if those people are right then he rose from the dead. He claimed to be God's Son, and he continued doing miracles. If he was just a prophet and claimed that, how did he get away from that mob in Nazareth? God would not have let someone who wasn't actually that continue claiming to be his son?" Barabbas shook his head.  "I think that he was. He lines up with the prophets before hand."
    The man smiled, "Yes." Suddenly Barabbas realized this was Jesus. "I came to earth, I died for all sin, and I conquered death. All you have to do is believe."
    Barabbas' mouth dropped open, could this Jesus forgive him of all his sins? He had said it. Barabbas realized he just needed to put faith in him. Falling to his knees, he said, "Jesus, I believe."
    "I forgive you of your sins. Now rise and share the good news with others." Then Jesus vanished. And just like that's  Barabbas knew deep in his heart, he was changed forever more.

Fin