“I Am Barabbas”
Text: Mark 15:6-15
3-29-2024
In the name of Him who suffered to save us, dear friends in Christ. Over the years I’ve discovered that one of the best ways to really grasp the meaning of the Scriptures is to imagine myself in the narrative. Put yourself in the sandals of the people mentioned in the story. What would you have thought or felt if you were there? What questions does it raise and does the Bible or history answer those questions? Sometimes, just knowing human nature and emotions will help fill in some of the blanks. And hopefully, in the end, you will walk away with a deeper understanding of what God was accomplishing through that person and event. Tonight, I invite you to do that with Barabbas. We only know what happened with him on one day of his life: Good Friday. Let’s see what we know about him and put ourselves in his position so that we can better appreciate the deeper, spiritual impact of what happened on the day Christ was crucified.
Judging by his name, Barabbas was almost certainly a Jew. In Hebrew it literally means, “Son of the father.” His name hints that his father was a respected man in the community, perhaps even a rabbi. Somewhere along the way, Barabbas went astray. He got involved with the insurrectionists who opposed the occupation of Israel by the Romans. He possibly belonged to the group called the Sicarri. It means “dagger-men” because they hid a dagger under their clothes. Whenever they had the chance, they used it to kill an unsuspecting Roman, or a Jew who was a Roman sympathizer, or a wealthy Jew who was living comfortably under Roman rule. Apparently, he had been arrested for his crimes and was sitting on death row.
You would think that guys like Barabbas were heroes to the Jews. But the majority of sensible Israelites knew that these terroristic actions only made the Romans act more harshly against them, and it would never free them of foreign occupation. Worse than that, these bloody men were stirring up riots which the Romans were more than happy to put down with excessive force. It made the soldiers edgy and more prone to violence. Rebels like Barabbas were not viewed as freedom fighters or justice warriors by their fellow Jews. With that in mind, it’s easy to see why Pilate offered the choice of Barabbas to be released versus Jesus. Did they want the unpopular, bloody criminal to go free or the respected, gentle Rabbi? It seemed like a no-brainer. But in a strange twist of circumstances, the vile rebel was released and the Son of God was crucified in his place.
Okay, with that backdrop let’s go into the prison where Barabbas was held. These were not the comfortable, sterile jail cells of our modern times. Instead, it was a stone, dungeon-like place usually in the basement level of the soldiers’ barracks. It was cold, dank, and smelled horrible because of the open latrines. The prisoners would be chained or tied with ropes to the walls or stone support pillars. And, of course, they could be beaten for the slightest infraction or for no reason at all. Considering the crimes against Rome that Barabbas had committed, you can be sure he had been abused.
So, there he sits, knowing that he will probably be executed soon. The other two men who were crucified with Jesus were possibly cellmates and partners in crime of Barabbas. In fact, the word that the Gospel writers use to describe those “criminals” is the same word that is used for Barabbas. St. Mark tells us he was charged with murder and insurrection. It’s a logical conclusion that all 3 of those men were scheduled to be executed together for committing the same crimes. The punishment would be the slow, excruciatingly painful death of crucifixion because it sent a powerful message: “Don’t do what this person did or you’ll be next!”
Remember what I said at the beginning? Put yourself down in that dungeon to get a better sense of what was happening. It was far enough away that Barabbas can’t hear the discussion between the Jewish leaders and Pilate. In fact, he probably hasn’t a clue what the conversation is about. Nobody in their right mind would be pleading for his pardon or release. He knows that. So, even though he was aware of the tradition of the Governor releasing a prisoner as a kind of “gift” to the Jews, the chances are nil that anyone would ask for Barabbas. And certainly, Pilate would never go along with it anyway! Barabbas was an insurrectionist, a sworn enemy of Rome.
He can’t hear the discussion in the Governor’s courtyard; however, he can hear the crowd whenever they start yelling in unison. He doesn’t hear Pilate ask who they want him to release: Jesus or Barabbas. All he hears is his name being chanted. “Barabbas! Barabbas! Barabbas!” Why are they yelling his name? He didn’t hear Pilate asking the crowd what he should do to Jesus. Barabbas thinks this uproar is about his fate. His heart must have sunk when he next heard the crowd yelling, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Well, that was no big surprise. He expected to be headed to a cross for execution. So, the guards come and yank him out of his cell, treating him roughly. Again, no surprise there. But imagine his shock when Pilate looks at Barabbas and says “Release him.”
Essentially, Jesus was charged with insurrection. The Jews accused Him of claiming to be a king and encouraging people to not pay their taxes to Rome. That’s why Pilate worded the placard that hung over Christ’s head the way he did. “Jesus of Nazareth. King of the Jews.” The Governor knew Jesus was no earthly king and was no threat to Caesar. However, this is what His charges were, whether true or not, and Pilate was in no mood to argue about it. So, Jesus was crucified alongside the other 2 insurrectionists. Pilate wagered that the Jews would rather have Jesus set free than this vile animal, Barabbas. He was wrong and lost the bet.
We don’t have a record what happened to Barabbas after this incident. Did he go off and change his life? Did he go back to doing what he was doing before? Who knows? But in the immediate future, what if, even just out of curiosity, he followed his 2 buddies out to Golgotha? He knew that the middle cross is where he was supposed to be hanging from. Instead, Christ is nailed there in his place. Perhaps he found out from others in the crowd who this Jesus really was. He could read the placard over the head of Jesus, but Barabbas was familiar with all the other insurrectionists and he knew this Galilean Rabbi wasn’t one of them. He knew that the sign with the accusation was a mockery and not a factual charge. Regardless, Jesus became his substitute. Christ was crucified for crimes He didn’t commit and Barabbas, the guilty rebel, was set free.
Friends, Barabbas was a real person. But he also is a symbolic figure. You see, I am Barabbas. And you are Barabbas. Just like that hardened criminal, we have rebelled against God. Through our sins, we led an insurrection against our Lord and Creator. Like Barabbas, we’ve cheated, stolen, lied, and yes, even murdered people with our anger and hate. We have been judged guilty and deserving of eternal death. Living in our sinful condition was like sitting on death row. It was just a matter of time before our deserved execution took place. There was no way out. Our “Governor” is God and there was no legal reason for Him to even consider releasing us. But we never counted on His mercy. In love, He sent His only Son here to be our substitute. Jesus Christ came down here to earth and lived the perfect life that we couldn’t live. He was innocent of all sin. And yet, in a strange twist, the holy Son of God takes our place. He became our substitute. On the cross, He didn’t just replace Barabbas. No. He also replaced you and me. He took the punishment for our crimes against God, our sins, and He suffered and died for them. What an amazing and glorious exchange!
I said earlier that we don’t know what Barabbas did after his release. Did he place his trust in Jesus? Did he trust in the substitutionary death of Christ for his salvation? We won’t know until we get to heaven. But for now, that doesn’t really matter. What matters is what your response is. Remember, in essence, you are Barabbas. God has been gracious. In your Baptism, He has claimed you as a “son or daughter of the Father.” He forgave all your sins and made you a citizen of heaven. But you rebelled through your sinfulness. You rejected God’s benevolent authority over you every time you gave into temptation. And yet, the Lord still showed mercy. He offers you freedom and release from your prison and chains of sin. All you need do is confess them and ask for forgiveness. Because of the death of Jesus in your place, God removes the guilt of all your wrong doing. He restores you to your place as a beloved child of God. I urge you then to look to the cross. See Jesus dying there in your place. And join together with the rest of the believers to thank Him for that great sacrifice. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria!