When we read the story of Christ’s crucifixion, there is a lot for us to take in. Obviously, the most important part of the story is Christ’s willingness to allow Himself to endure the shame and the pain of the cross.
We also know the story of how most of the disciples fled, Peter denied Christ, and John sat at the foot of the cross with Jesus’ mother, Mary.
Many people who read and hear the story of Christ’s death on the cross don’t realize that there is a powerful tale of a man set free contained within the story. Barabbas, who was a prisoner at the time of Christ’s arrest, is discussed in all four of the Gospels. The Holy Spirit prompted each of the Gospel authors to tell the story of Barabbas in some way.
Why? Because his story is our story.
Today, discover more about who Barabbas was and how we can find ourselves in his story. Christ’s willingness to take our place was displayed by His willingness to take Barabbas’ place.
Who Was Barabbas?
The name Barabbas only appears in one story in the Bible, which is the story of the trial and subsequent crucifixion of Christ. Even though Barabbas’ name appears in each of the four Gospel accounts, there isn’t a lot known about him.
Saint Matthew tells us that Barabbas was actually the man’s last name. His first name? Jesus (Matthew 27:17).
Most of what we know about Barabbas outside of this story comes from ancient texts from the time. He is mentioned in some of the most famous historical volumes of the time, including the Works of Josephus.
History teaches us that Barabbas was arrested around the same time as Christ. His crimes were numerous. In addition to trying to lead revolts against the Roman government, Barabbas was also a thief and a murderer. Under both Roman and Jewish law, his crimes were punishable by death.
Historical texts also indicate that prisoners were also forced to construct their own cross. In the days leading up to Christ’s crucifixion, Barabbas had likely spent time nailing the beams that he would die on together.
Every minute, Barabbas was faced with his impending death. The Passover celebration had bought him a little extra time, but by all accounts, Barabbas’ fate was sealed.
The Gospel Accounts of Barabbas
Matthew 27:16 (NIV)
At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas.
Mark 15:7 (NIV)
A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising.
Luke 23:19 (NIV)
(Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
John 18:40 (NIV)
They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.
The Gospel accounts of Barabbas agree with the historical texts that teach us that he was a murdering insurrectionist. Christ lived during a tumultuous time in Israel’s history.
While the Jewish people were not fully enslaved to the Romans as they had been to numerous societies in the Old Testament, the Roman Empire had taken over most of the known world at that point in history. Instead of making the Jews slaves, the Romans simply took most of their money from them.
Heavy taxes could be demanded at any time by Roman officials. Even though they typically only required taxes to be paid once a year, history teaches us that Roman officials could show up at any time and demand the payment of “special taxes.”
Essentially, the Jews were allowed to continue to work at their normal jobs as though they were free. However, their society never got any better because their tax dollars were funneled directly into the pockets of Rome’s leaders.
Insurrections became common. History teaches us that it was a relatively normal occurrence for bands of Jewish militia members to come together in an effort to overthrow the Roman government. Obviously, these untrained men who lacked the resources that the Roman Army had were no match for the Romans, but they continued to try.
There were numerous instances of these insurrection attempts, one of which involved Barabbas. According to Matthew, Barabbas was a “well-known prisoner” among the people.
Other translations refer to him as “notorious.” From this, we can assume that Barabbas had been involved in numerous insurrections. Obviously frustrated by the heavy-handed rule of the Roman government, Barabbas liked to rile up others in an effort to get them to join his attempts at a coup.
There was no doubt about the fact that Barabbas was guilty. The Roman government knew he was guilty, as they had caught him in an insurrection attempt. His murder charges were undeniable, as the insurrection he was involved n resulted in the death of at least one individual. Historical texts say he was a thief, while that charge is not mentioned in Scripture.
It is possible that his refusal to pay taxes ordered by the Roman government resulted in a theft charge that the Gospel writers chose to ignore. Either way, Barabbas was a guilty man. Guilty of murder, guilty of trying to overthrow the government, and guilty of some form of theft.
John 18:39 (NIV)
“But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release the king of the Jews?”
The celebration of the Passover dated back to Israel’s time in Egyptian captivity as told in the Book of Exodus. God told the Israelites to place the blood of a lamb over their doors, and when the death angel passed through Egypt, he would pass over their homes while killing the firstborn of every home that didn’t have the blood applied.
This didn’t mean that the people who lived in the homes were perfect. They were not sinless individuals. However, blood was applied, and because of that, even the guilty could be set free of the coming punishment. This is where we can truly find ourselves in the story of Barabbas.
Pilate had questioned Jesus, presumably for hours. His wife had already come to him, telling him that he should let Jesus go based on a dream that she had. After all of this, Pilate wanted to release Jesus. He had the authority to do so.
With a single word, he could have set Christ free, returned Him to His friends and family, and proceeded with the planned crucifixion of Barabbas. However, Pilate was afraid of the crowds, so he left the decision up to them.
He stood on the balcony overlooking the crowd and pointed out that they had a custom of mercy on Passover. One prisoner would be exonerated based on their decision. A man’s record could be completely expunged based on the popular vote. Pilate likely believed they would pick Jesus over a murderer, but the crowds did not.
With the mob yelling for Christ to be crucified, Pilate folded under the pressure. Afraid of angering the Jewish leaders and other Roman governors, he chose to listen to the crowd, and he set Barabbas free.
Can you imagine the scene in Barabbas’ cell? When the guards came to him, he probably assumed he was on his way to Calvary with the cross that he had constructed. Instead, they opened his door, and motioned for him to leave. The conversation isn’t recorded, but one has to imagine that the guards told him, “A man named Jesus is taking your place.”
Friend, that is where we find ourselves in the story of Barabbas. We were guilty. Guilty of sinful thoughts, actions, and words. We were deserving of eternal death and separation from God.
However, Jesus took our place. Much like Barabbas, we did nothing to deserve this sort of mercy. Instead, it was given to us. When you read the story of the crucifixion, spend some time reflecting on the verses about Barabbas. After all, his story is our story.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing Your Son to take my place. Thank You for putting the plan of salvation into motion thousands of years before I would ever recognize my need for a Savior. In His name I pray, Amen.