BARABBAS, SON OF THE FATHER
Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed TWO birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop: And the priest shall command that ONE of the birds BE KILLED in an EARTHEN VESSEL over running water: As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the LIVING bird IN THE BLOOD of the bird that was KILLED over the running water: And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall LET THE LIVING BIRD LOOSE into the open field. -- Lev. 14:4-7 (Lev. 14:50-52)
And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. -- Luke 23:35-43
Barabbas the Notable
And they had then a NOTABLE prisoner, called Barabbas. -- Matt. 27:16
Imagine Jesse James Barabbas was wanted for crimes against the state. Imagine a picture of him nailed on every Jewish post office wall in Jerusalem.
Barabbas the Robber
Barabbas was a ROBBER. -- John 18:40
Barabbas was not merely a thief or a burglar, but he was a murderous highwayman, capable of terrible violence, much like the ones that left the Samaritan for dead.
Barabbas the Murderer, Rebel, and Seditionist
And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will. -- Luke 23:25
And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder . . . -- Mark 15:7
Barabbas was a rebel and seditionist killer. Imagine him as military protestor, draft card burner, malicious anarchist crying, “Burn baby burn!” Imagine him as a civil rights rioter (following a multitude to do evil), a killer insurrectionist.
Barabbas the Prisoner
And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. -- Mark 15:7
Barabbas was captured and imprisoned. He was bound in chains and fetters. His rights were taken away; he had no TV in his dungeon. The rats and stench of human waste and unwashed flesh and untended wounds permeated the prison. His buddies were captured also and were with him in prison.
Barabbas the Parolee from Bondage
But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? -- John 18:39
And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. -- Mark 15:15
For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast. -- Luke 23:17
Surprised Barabbas awakes to the sound of the jailer unlocking the dungeon and entering with a key to unlock the Barabbas’ fetters. Imagine Barabbas saying to the turnkey, “Hey man, it’s too early to go to the cross.” He is told that he is free to go. Imagine after being told that he was free him saying, “Free? What do you mean?” as he rubs wrists. Imagine the jailer telling Barabbas that a man called Jesus has taken his place. “You have been released; now, get out of here, while the getting is good.”
Barabbas the Representative Sinner
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? -- Jer. 17:9
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. -- John 8:36
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. -- Rom. 3:12-18
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; -- Rom. 3:23
Barabbas is representative of the sinners of this world, sinners, who have no hope, apart from Jesus Christ. The sinners of this world are filled with deceit, destruction, and misery. Although they may not know the depths of sin that Barabbas stooped to, they were sinners nevertheless. Imagine that Barabbas finally leaves prison into the morning light and adjusts his eyes just in time to see a mocking jeering procession. He sees Jesus and Barabbas’ robber buddies being led along the way to Golgotha. Imagine Barabbas buddies spotting Barabbas and saying, “Hey man, what are you doing out? You cop a plea (bargain) or something?” Barabbas is speechless and in awe, and cannot help but be drawn like a magnet to this sordid procession.
Barabbas, the Son of the Father
And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. -- John 12:32
Barrabbas’ name means son of the Father. He is drawn to the cross to watch the man, who took his place and his two Robber buddies. BARABBAS witnesses the spikes put into Jesus hand and witnesses the cross thudding into the hole. Then Barabbas watches as his buddies revile Jesus Christ (Matt. 27:44; Mark 15:32) along with the mob. Barabbas wonders as one of his robber buddies suddenly repents and turns to the other reviling robber, and says to him, “Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?”
Barabbas continues to listen to his former partner in crime tell the other that they deserved what they were getting, saying “This man hath done nothing amiss. (Luke 23).” Barabbas hears his repentant buddy’s cry, “Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” and hears Jesus response, “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”(Luke 23). Barabbas hears Jesus’ final cry, IT IS FINISHED after commending His spirit, and He gave up the ghost (Matt. 27:50; Luke 23:46; John 19:30).
Barabbas sees his buddies’ legs broken with heavy Roman mallet and sees Jesus’ side pierced, since He is already dead (John 19:31-34). Barabbas sees the blood and water pour from Jesus’ side. Barabbas thinks of the birds in Leviticus, one killed and one set free after being dipped in the blood. Grandma used to always tell him that story, when he was a young lad. Suddenly, Barabbas thoughts are, “He took my place, and I am set free.” Then Barabbas begins to sing, “Rock of ages, cleft for me.”
Christ Our Substitute
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. -- 1 John 2:2
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. -- 1 Pet. 2:24
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit . . . -- 1 Pet. 3:18
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. -- 2 Cor. 5:21
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: -- Gal. 3:13
We have used a lot of imagination and speculation in regard to Barabbas, but the fact of Christ, our propitiation, taking our place and being our substitute is not speculation nor is it imagination. Jesus suffered for our sins and bare our sins. Jesus was made to be sin for us. Jesus Christ became the curse that should be ours. Is Jesus Christ your substitute or will you burn in hell for your own sins?
Illustration: A schoolboy stole another’s lunch, another schoolboy volunteers to takes the boy’s whipping by the schoolmaster as a substitute after seeing the frail emaciated body that the school master stripped.
– by Herb Evans