I AM BARABBAS

At a Good Friday service this year, I was reminded of a person mentioned in all four Gospels that has an interesting parallel in our lives hence my thoughts this week.  Maybe you will be able to reflect on something you might not have thought about previously.

 

As you can probably guess from the title of these thoughts, yes, the man I am referring to is Barabbas! 

 

Here is Luke’s rendition of the story:

 

Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man (Jesus) as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.  Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” 

 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”  (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again.  But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”

 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed.  So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.  –Luke 23:13-25  (NIV)

 

What do we know about Barabbas?  Not a whole lot but enough to see his significance!

 

–Barabbas was thrown into prison for insurrection, an organized opposition to the Roman authorities. He was also a robber and murderer. Guilty of sin, wrong doing, condemned, awaiting his death sentence, crucifixion.

–He was in the right place at the right time since one person could be released and set free.

–Interestingly enough while doing a little research I found multiple sites that said it is thought that Barabbas’ name was really Jesus Barabbas.  Barabbas in Aramaic, bar abba, actually translates to “Son of the Father.”

 

++++++++++++

 

As we read from the Scripture above, at the same time that Barabbas was about to be put to death, Jesus was brought before Pilate and the crowd accused of being the Son of God, the King of the Jews.

 

The crowd insisted on having Barabbas released rather than Jesus since one prisoner could be released; set free.

Jesus, unjustly, was sentenced to die a criminal’s death for no wrong doing; simply for claiming to be the Son of God, which indeed was truth!

 

 

Jesus died in place of Barabbas!

Barabbas was set free because of Jesus taking his place on a cross!

 

Photo courtesy of Pamela P. Stroud under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

 

Consider this:

 

Have you ever thought about yourself as “Barabbas?”

 

Take a few minutes to reflect on that thought and all that it means….

You, born into this world, sinful, stood condemned until Jesus stepped in and released you~~set you free from bondage all because Jesus took your place on the cross!

In God’s plan of salvation for the world, for you and me, Jesus, an innocent man who truly did no wrong, no sin, died for you and me!!

Just like Barabbas’ name means, Son of the Father, you and I are Sons of the Father because of Jesus!

Yes, I AM BARABBAS!

 

 

How symbolic that Barabbas, with the meaning of his name, was set free because of Jesus Christ, the true “Son of the Father!”

 

Yes, Jesus is truly the Son of God!

 

 

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.   –1 John 3:1  (NLT)