Author’s name: M.D. House
Author’s city: Smithfield, UT
Book title: The Barabbas Legacy (The Barabbas Trilogy Book 3)
Book’s Amazon page: HERE
Book’s Goodreads page: HERE
BOOK DETAILS:
Publisher: Independently Published
Release Date: December 2021
Format: Hardcover / Paperback / Kindle
Price: $22.49 (Hardcover) / $12.49 (Paperback) / $4.99 (Kindle)
Total Pages: 376
ISBN-13: 979-8777894793 (Hardback) / 979-8777890504 (Paperback)
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In this poignant capstone to The Barabbas Trilogy, the man called Barabbas—infamous former thief, murderer and prisoner turned Christian—and his wife Chanah continue their mission of spreading the gospel across the known world as cauldrons of political and military chaos boil across the Roman Empire.
Nero is increasingly erratic, and it’s only a matter of time before the sharp knives of imperial politics finish him off. Various successors vie for position. Who will strike first, and who will come out on top?
Meanwhile, the rebellion in Judea has intensified, the Jewish zealots exerting great influence over the minds of the people. General Vespasian and his son Titus aim to put a permanent end to the insurrection. How many lives will ultimately be sacrificed on the great altar of Jerusalem? Can the Jewish nation survive the fulfillment of Jesus’s prophecy? What will become of the Jewish Christians and the apostles and sisters who lead them? And where will Barabbas and his family find lasting peace?
The Barabbas Legacy once again brings the early years of the church into vivid detail, concluding the journey of those first saints who sacrificed everything to bring Christ’s message to the world.
Read an Excerpt!
Emperor Nero sat in the first chair to his right, furthest from the audience. Manius had reported on a recent visit that Nero was becoming more paranoid by the day—not just of the people, but of the senators, the Praetorian Guard, his generals, and most of the Roman nobility. Cornelius pitied him sometimes. Thrust into the role of emperor at sixteen by his mother’s murderous machinations, he had probably never coveted the position. What right-minded man would? The knives were always out. Always.
Many of those knives were aimed at Cornelius now. He sighed deeply, just as Nero left his chair and took a position a few feet in front of Cornelius, facing the audience. It was commonly known that a younger Nero had aspired to be a thespian and perform on stage, especially in such a grand theater as the Marcellus. That innocent youth had likely never envisioned this scenario.
“Fellow Romans,” he began in a rich, dramatic baritone. He was nearly thirty, no longer young. He had married at least twice, and one of his wives was dead. So was his mother, on his orders. The apostle Paul had connected with a piece of Nero’s soul, but Paul was not here. Nor was Peter, who had sacrificed himself for the Church. Nor was Barabbas, as far as Cornelius could tell. If he had arrived, he would have announced himself immediately at the home where Cornelius had been loosely confined.
“We have proven our mettle through fire and rebirth. Rome is strong, and will become greater still. But to do so, we must have order. We must have loyalty. We must all do our duty to the empire.”
It had the beginnings of a fine political speech. Nero’s oratory skills probably comprised a large part of the reason he still lived.
“This man”—he twisted to his left and gestured elaborately toward Cornelius—“was once a decorated, highly respected centurion, a man of resolve and action, a soldier true to the laws of Rome and her people.” As he squared himself again to the crowd, he spread both arms wide. “Now he favors strange gods above Rome, above her emperor, and above her true gods. He has helped Paul of Tarsus escape justice, and he has sought to weaken the influence of Rome across the world.”
Nero offered no facts to support his last claim, but because Cornelius had publicly admitted to helping Paul escape—and also because Nero was emperor—nobody would challenge the assertion.
“The question,” continued Nero, “isn’t whether Cornelius of the Italian band has betrayed Rome, but to what extent, and what his punishment should be. I will withhold that judgment until we have heard a few words in his defense.”
Cornelius watched in mild surprise as Senator Aviola rose from the front row and ascended the stage. Nero returned to his seat. Cornelius had expected someone else to be assigned to his defense—someone who couldn’t truly represent him, and wouldn’t care to. One of the occupants of the other nine chairs, none of which held him in any regard. Having Manius speak would be a boon … unless they had somehow gotten to him. A steely knot of dread formed in the pit of his stomach.
Senator Aviola didn’t look at Cornelius as he took his place and faced the people. The knot tightened and grew cold.
“Wise Roman citizens,” he began, “I am not here to spin fanciful tales, or to rob justice of her full due.” Cornelius nearly groaned aloud. “I will speak truth to you, in honor of all that is good and noble in your hearts and minds.”
He paused a moment, gripping the front of his rich, senatorial robes, trimmed in purple and red. He could be almost as dramatic as Nero, which had served him well, too.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
M.D. HOUSE is the author of The Barabbas Legacy, as well as the first two volumes in The Barabbas Trilogy, I Was Called Barabbas and Pillars of Barabbas. He also authored the science-fiction novel, Patriot Star. Before beginning his second career as a writer, he worked for twenty-five years in the world of corporate finance, strategic planning, and business development. Now, Michael lives in Utah with his wife, where he spends his time writing and enjoying his children and grandchildren. Learn more about Michael and his work at www.mdhouselive.com.
PRAISE FOR THE BARABBAS TRILOGY:
“From the moment I started reading [The Barabbas Trilogy], I was drawn into early church history. The world and the people came alive to me in amazing ways. Beautifully written, these stories stayed on my mind and heart long after I closed the books. Highly recommended!”
Tricia Goyer, bestselling author of 80 books, including From Dust and Ashes
“I appreciate the meticulous attention to historical detail, insights concerning political machinations within the Roman Senate, the connections a handful of Christian missionaries and leaders made, and the discipling of the next generation of believers by the aging original saints. If you love historical fiction, particularly that involving New Testament times, you will be brought closer to the lives of our ancestors in the faith through this entertaining and speculative story of Barabbas.”
Dave (Doc) Kirby, radio host, WTBF-AM/FM Alabama
“[The Barabbas Legacy] is a fitting ending to what has been a marvelous story.”
Lisa Henson, reviewer, Goodreads and Reedsy Discovery
“The Barabbas Legacy concludes Barabbas’ tale that started with curiosity and grew into a complete series. M.D. House succeeds in telling the story of Barabbas, a rebel and
murderer turned strong follower of Jesus.”
Sarah Hinrichs, reviewer, Chanticleer Book Reviews
Author’s Website: www.mdhouselive.com
Author’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/LiteraryThunder
Author’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/real_housemd
Seven Themes of The Barabbas Legacy
M.D. House
Why seven? Well, John talks about the seven ancient Christian churches in Revelation, and discussing seven themes is a better challenge than three or five. Hopefully, it’s more useful, too. It’s certainly more fun.
God always keeps his promises.
Even when we think he must surely have
forgotten about us (and with good reason,
we might convince ourselves), he never
abandons us or acts contrary to his word.
How many times does he have to prove
that for us to believe it? And how long
must we wander aimlessly trying to “find
ourselves” when our true identity is found
in him and his Son. Said C.S. Lewis in
Mere Christianity: “It is when I turn to
Christ, when I give myself up to His
Personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.”
How profound is that? (Read pp. 225-227 of Mere Christianity for the fuller, brilliant message.)
God is involved in every aspect of our lives. He is not a “God of the margins,” filling in where the “world” can’t satisfy us. He and his son make literally everything richer, fuller, and more worthwhile, no matter how large or small. Our faith brings us closer to them, amplifying and multiplying the miracles … which will continue to increase at the same time Satan’s kingdom grows more powerful and brazen in its persecution of the believers.
Peace through the Holy Spirit can be constant. Christ gave a clear promise to his apostles and disciples, recorded in John 14, regarding the Comforter. Through eternal perspective developed and enhanced by prayer, obedience, service, kindness, and searching the scriptures, his peace abides, even when we naturally grieve because of the vicissitudes of life and the malevolence of others.
The fallen nature of this mortal world spawns sharp suffering, often made far worse by the selfish and unwise use of our precious agency. But suffering offers opportunities to give and receive service, to learn to love as Christ loved us, to reach upward and partake of healing waters. Jesus voluntarily suffered and endured all things on our behalf, despising the shame of the true king being mocked as a false, impotent imposter. He empathizes perfectly with us. (see Hebrews 12:1-2)
War is truly horrific. It often brings out the worst in us, even when we’re not the ones doing the actual fighting. It sometimes humbles us, too, but at what cost? There’s a reason most Vietnam vets refuse to talk about their experiences on the front lines. That is true for many who fought in other conflicts as well.
Lucifer revels in such physical and spiritual destruction, while
the heavens mourn. The best soldiers and military leaders are
those who pursue and defend noble objectives with the least
amount of death and suffering possible, and who constantly
seek the Lord’s guidance to draw that difficult line. Cornelius,
most likely, was such a man, which is why he plays such a prominent part in these stories.
In fact, as soldiers of the New Covenant, our mission isn’t to
seek and destroy the enemy, but to seek and save the enemy whenever and wherever we can. That would have been an interesting lesson for a decorated centurion to learn.
When our body dies, our legacy lives on in the lives of all those we’ve touched, for good or ill. Christ acknowledges our legacy as well, and will ultimately judge us on it, perfectly, which is both comforting and a little concerning. Some worldly legacies might survive for a time—sometimes a considerable amount of time—based on lies, but ultimately, the truth will emerge and lay everything bare.
Christ himself said, “For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” (Luke 8:17)
While the world is on fire (as it was in AD 65-75), we still don’t know when Christ will return. It might be tempting sometimes to ease up in our efforts to build the kingdom of God, taking solace in the fact that the Savior will return “soon” and that we’re “safely” on the right side.
But then there’s that fascinating and eye-opening parable of the talents. What happened to the person who hid the talent, ostensibly to keep it “safe?” Yikes. (see Matthew 25)
We are called to the work, to help the Lord save souls and relieve suffering, and to hasten his coming. It is not time to relax, or to shrink from the very real fight for truth and righteousness.
God governs in the affairs of men a lot more than we sometimes think He does. Benjamin Franklin famously noted that during the U.S. Constitutional Convention almost 235 years ago. He also recognized that God can influence those holding the reins of power in a multitude of ways, sometimes through the good examples of his people, and sometimes through their brave sacrifices.
God often utilizes the perceived “weak” things of the earth to confound and thrash the “mighty” and “wise” ones. The apostle Paul, for example, was a surprising choice for a champion; Barabbas would have been as well. Said Paul himself: “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) Lucky for us!
The Lord utilizes the talents of all his saints, men and women, rich and poor, well-educated or not, in amazingly powerful ways. Men and women counseling together and seeking the Spirit drove the fantastic, unimaginable growth of the early Church following Christ’s resurrection. They were builders and healers, not conquerors or destroyers. They boldly stood for truth and righteousness, though such a stance often put them in grave danger. They weren’t perfect, but they provided us with a powerful example to follow.
Patience is the hallmark and bulwark of Christians throughout the history of the world. “God’s timing is designed to teach us how to trust.” I saw that phrase used in a meme posted on The Chosen’s fan page on Facebook, and it rings so true. No wonder I have to wait so long sometimes. I don’t trust him enough. Though I’m trying, I promise.
You’ve probably wondered why Abraham and Sarah had to wait so long to have a child, wondered again why God would ask him to sacrifice that miraculously-conceived son, the one through whom the great promises made to Abraham were supposed to be fulfilled! God was opening up Abraham’s mind to comprehend the full scope of his purpose with regard to his children, and Abraham rejoiced in that knowledge.
The more we can come to trust God, the more he can teach us. Our potential is unlimited, and there is no finer teacher anywhere in the universe (which is an incredibly big place).
