First Baptist Church Wimberley
These are sermons and reflections from First Baptist Church, Wimberley, TX.
First Baptist Church Wimberley
The Daily Walk | 03.12.2026 | Dan Stephens | Ezekiel 36:26
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26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Welcome to your daily walk. This is Dan Stevens. Pastor Aaron talked about Barabbas last Sunday. Just the name of Barabbas sparks my imagination. Somehow, I immediately think of the way this scene has been played out in movies. In my mind, I see Jesus and Barabbas locking glances the moment Pilate lets Barabbas go free. And before you Google it, the Bible says no such thing. Maybe they saw each other for a moment and maybe they didn't. Nevertheless, if you've seen Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, there is an intense moment where Barabbas and Jesus lock eyes as they pass each other on the stairs. Now the backstory to this scene is fascinating because you see, Pietro Sarubi, who played the role of Barabbas in the film, actually converted to Christianity as a result of acting in this scene. According to a news website in the UK, Sarubi said, as Barabbas, Gibson told me to avoid looking at Jim Cavizel, who played Jesus, until the very scene in which we were to appear together. Barabbas is like a ferocious dog, he told me, but at one moment he becomes a puppy when he meets the Son of God and is saved. I want your look to be that of somebody seeing Jesus for the first time. I did as he said, and when our eyes met, I felt a sort of surge. It was like I was really seeing Jesus. I'm not embarrassed to say that during the filming, I had a conversion. I lived in a Tibetan monastery for six months. I practiced meditation in India. I lived in the Amazon. And I have reached the final goal of this search in Jesus. End quote. The Apostle Paul says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. But Ezekiel 36 26 speaks to this same kind of experience when God says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. Well, thanks for listening, everyone. I hope you have a great day.