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Barabbas and the Swamp
Have you ever wondered why, when Pontius Pilate gave voters a choice between Jesus and Barabbas, the voters chose Barabbas? More than that, when Pontius Pilate asked the crowd what he should do with Jesus, the crowd yelled, “Crucify Him!” (Matthew 27:22)
It was only a week earlier that Jesus had entered Jerusalem with throngs of people cheering for Him. The crowd was shouting “Hosanna” and laying palm leaves before Him as He entered the city on a donkey. (Matthew 21:7-9)
Why this turnaround of favor with such vitriolic hatred now directed at this sinless man? The answer is The Swamp. What was and is The Swamp? It consists of the same people with the same attitude today in our Swamp — people in power, people with influence, who only care about themselves and enjoy exercising power over others. Anything and anyone that threatens their power and influence must be destroyed at all costs, regardless of the circumstances.
Look what the Pharisees and Sadducees did to Jesus. He threatened their positions and prestige, calling out their hypocrisy and selfish behavior and deeds. They gave false images of wise, caring, and considerate leaders, full of piety. In reality, they were like “whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity.” (Matthew 23:27) There was no way in Hell these leaders would let Jesus influence the people.
So what did The Swamp leaders do to Jesus? They spread lies about Him, they spied on Him, and found someone to betray Him for 30 pieces of silver. (Matthew 26:14-16) They held a secret trial where liars bore false witness against this Holy Man. The Swamp pulled out all the stops when their power was at stake.
When The Swamp brought Jesus before Pontius Pilate, he questioned Jesus. As a disinterested outsider, Pilate thought Jesus to be innocent. (Matthew 27:18-19) Yet, for whatever reason, Pilate thought to assuage The Swamp. Pilate didn’t want to condemn an innocent man to death but decided he would let the people decide. So when Pontius Pilate acknowledged the tradition of releasing a condemned man at the Passover celebration, Pilate resolved to let the crowd decide these two men’s fate. Barabbas, a murderous insurrectionist, or Jesus, an innocent and blameless man.
So The Swamp jumped into action and stirred the crowd to shout, “Give us Barabbas!” The Swamp would rather have a guilty man freed, and an innocent man put to death. A guilty man that I’m sure the Romans were horrified to see released. Barabbas was a threat to the Romans, but The Swamp didn’t care. So what if the Romans became enraged; Jesus was the real threat.
These Swamp people have existed for thousands of years. The first Swamp person was the Devil himself — “Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven.” They are selfish and evil. The current Swamp people are liars and hypocrites. They make up the Main Stream News, social media, the various government bureaucracies, the education community, the ensconced incumbent politicians and political consultants, and fake conservative bloviators.
Donald Trump warned us about these Swamp dwellers. He called out their hypocrisy, their feckless stances on issues, their inane policies, their corrupt behavior, and their desire to hold on to power. Now, Trump is not a sinless man; far from it. But The Swamp reacted to Trump the same way they would respond to Jesus — destroy him at all costs. Trump was a threat to their power, influence, and their prestige. There was no way in Hell The Swamp dwellers would let Trump influence the people. What would The Swamp do to Trump? Spy on him, tell lies about him, take him to trial on baseless claims, ruin him. Unlike The Swamp of old, who just went after Jesus and not His family, these new Swamp dwellers weren’t satisfied with just going after the former President. Trump’s whole family was fair game.
The issue here is not comparing Donald Trump to Jesus. The point is to compare how The Swamp reacts to threats throughout time. Just like how The Swamp promoted Barabbas, The Swamp, using all their influence and clout, stirred the population to vote for Biden. As far as I know, Biden isn’t a murderous insurrectionist like Barabbas. But he does condone the murder of innocent children through abortion, and he did not speak against the insurrectionist riots of Antifa or BLM. In fact, his running mate, Kamala Harris, sent her Twitter followers to a website to help bail out these riotous thugs. The Swamp hid Biden’s cognitive decline, corruption, son Hunter’s laptop, past racist remarks, and creepy, grooming behavior with women and children.
Yes, The Swamp was instrumental in the crucifixion of Jesus and the election of Biden. I take heart in knowing that everything happens according to God’s plan. God used The Swamp to have Jesus pay the price on the cross for our sins and restore our relationship with God. I’m sure He is also using Biden’s presidency for His purpose. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
I find peace in that understanding.
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Great post. I never thought of it like that before. This certainly explains those fickle dupes who hate Trump with an irrational passion.
Great post. Really well done.
So, you are saying the deep state is older than our country and was active in the first republic. Our Constitution protects us by making all executive employees answerable to elected officials. Somehow that safety mechanism was neutered.
A very interesting perspective . . . thanks!
Trump and Jesus just aren’t the right kind of people to let into the club. Odd comparison but apt.
Trump and Jesus just aren’t the right kind of people to let into the club. Odd comparison but apt.
Yes, The Swamp is almost as old as time itself. They are the minions of evil, concerned with only their power and influence.
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus states, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
For The Swamp dwellers, it’s their will be done. They sometimes are blind to their pride and selfishness, thinking they are good people doing good for others. They are envious and protective of their power and influence and have cold and dark hearts, promoting chaos, turmoil, and greed.
But God can use them for His purpose, as when Joseph told his brothers, referring to when they sold Joseph into slavery, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:2)
Or when The Swamp thought they had won against Jesus, only to have The Swamp play an instrumental part in the most significant victory over evil and death with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
We need to do all we can to implement God’s kingdom on earth and oppose The Swamp people’s power and influence with our hearts, minds, and strength.