Son of the Father

Mark 15       Jesus Before Pilate

1Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. 2"Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.

3The chief priests accused him of many things. 4So again Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of."

5But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed.

6Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
 
 9"Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate, 10knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. 11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

12"What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.

13"Crucify him!" they shouted.

14"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

15Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

This is an unlikely Easter Story, as this is written about the prisoner released at the Feast of the Passover. His name was Barabbus or Barabbas, but who is he?

Barabbus or Barabbas, was listed as a notorious criminal in the Bible. Some feel that by his name Bar-abbas (Bar means son, and abbas means father, and could also mean Rabbi) that he was the son of an influential man. In any case Barabbas means 'son of the father'.

In Mark 15:6-7 we find he committed murder. In Matthew 27:16 he's called a notorious prisoner. And in John 18:39-40 he's called a robber. So all in all, Barabbas is about as bad as they come. And on that day he was designated to hang on a cross.

Although, Barabbas is usually depicted as an evil criminal, he may have actually been a freedom fighter in the Jewish resistance to the Romans. Evidence for this can be found at Mark 15:7, which says that he was in prison because he had taken part in a recent uprising. In fact, some biblical scholars think that he was an important rebel leader. If so, this would explain why the crowd shouted for his release, because any leader in the fight against the hated Romans would be very popular with the common people.

Picture this: On the day of the crucifixion Barabbas is in a cell waiting to be crucified for his sins. There is no hope of escape, the Roman soldiers are guarding him closely. He hears a crowd of people in the distance yelling his name "Barabbas, Barabbas." What he doesn't hear is Pilate asking the crowd "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" But he does hear the roar of the crowd say "Barabbas." (Matthew 27:21 and Luke 23:18).

Now Pilate asks the crowd "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?" Still, Barabbas cannot hear the one voice of Pilate, but he does hear the crowd's answer "Crucify him" (Matthew 27:21-22). All he can hear is the crowd yelling "Barabbas -Crucify him." I don't know how brave a man Barabbas was, but I'm sure the thought of the slow painful death by crucifixion, and all this taking place before the end of the day, would bring uncontrollable fear to anyone.

So here he is sitting and waiting. And then he hears the heavy footsteps of the soldiers on the stone pavement coming to get him. The cell door opens, one of the soldiers growl: "Get out of here Barabbas." He is now close to faint. But then he hears "You're free to go."

If there's any man in history, who knows he had a substitute on that center cross, a man who died in his place for his sins – it's Barabbas. Barabbas missed his cross because another Man literally took his place. But let's not forget, Jesus was our substitute too. He bore our sins and died the death that we deserve, just as he died the death Barabbas deserved. He hung on the cross intended for Barabbas, just as he hung on the cross in our place.

Like Barabbas we were dead in our trespasses and sins until Jesus' crucified body released the blood of substitution. Like Barabbas we were condemned to die until Jesus took our place. And like Barabbas, we have been set free, and it's a freedom for eternity.

Jesus paid the penalty for more than Barabbas. He died as a sacrifice, once and for all, for the sins of all humanity. Because He bore the cross we deserve, we're able to have an eternal peace and home in Heaven we don't deserve.

So, who is this man Barabbas? Since his name means 'son of the father' he's none other - than you and me!