You are Free to Go

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins… 1 John 2:2a

          There once was a man named Bob.  According to the world, Bob was a good man.  However, one day a police officer knocked on Bob’s door.  The police officer told Bob he had a warrant for his arrest.  Bob, astonished, asked, “Why would you be arresting me?”    The police officer showed Bob the warrant.  Bob could not refute the charges, he was guilty.  So, the police officer handcuffed Bob and put him in the back of his police car.  As the police officer shut the door, Bob’s wife came out of the house yelling, “What are you doing with my husband?  He has not done anything wrong.”  The police officer walked back to the porch to explain to Bob’s wife the offenses that Bob had committed. 

At the same time, a man opened the back door of the police car.  He pulled out a key to the hand cuffs and freed Bob.  Then the man gave the hand cuffs to Bob, turned around, put his hands behind his back, and asked Bob to hand cuff him.  The man told Bob, “Sins have been committed and someone must suffer the consequences.  I will bear your sins, but you must go and sin no more!” (John 8:11)  Bob handcuffed the man and helped him get in to the back of the police car.  Bob walked back to his house and told the police officer, “A man in the back of your police car is taking the blame for what I did.”  The police officer walked to his car and asked the man, “Do you realize Bob has committed serious sins.  He has told lies and therefore is a liar, he has stolen things from his brother and therefore is a thief, he has looked lustfully upon a woman and therefore is an adulterer (Matthew 5:28), he has hated a coworker and therefore has committed murder (1 John 3:15). The man said, “I am willing to accept the consequences, even if it is death. This is my cup to bear.” (Matthew 26:39)  The police officer told Bob, “You are free to go” and drove off with the man in custody.  The man was later sentenced to death and was killed for Bob’s sins.  This man was Jesus and I am Bob, you are Bob, we are all Bob! (1 Peter 3:18)