And Such Were Some of YouExemple

The Pardoned Insurrectionist

The insurrectionists sat in their cells as they awaited their fate. They had once taken pleasure in creating chaos, and now they trembled for what was to come. Instinctively, they rubbed their hands together, knowing spikes would soon be driven through them.

Barabbas heard the jailer unlock the cells of his two murderous friends. Then the key turned in his lock, and the soldiers lunged into the cell and grabbed him by his chains. On the balcony, Barabbas saw Pilate and another prisoner they called Jesus, beaten and bloodied, standing across from him.

Barabbas wasn’t a smart man, but he could read people. Something was unnerving about Jesus. The way he stood and looked at Pilate and the crowd through his nearly swollen-shut eyes. Normally, the prisoners pleaded for their lives, but Jesus stood there seemingly resolved to his death sentence.

Pilate, however, was agitated and nervous. He called out to the crowd, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews” (John 18:38b-39)? Barabbas expected the crowd to see the obvious difference between him and Jesus and ask for Jesus's release. But to his Barabbas’ surprise, even the religious guys with the long robes started yelling for Pilate to release him. “Give us Barabbas!” they shouted. Then their chanting became even louder and more frantic, “Crucify Jesus! Crucify him!”

In one of the many ironies of the cross, the name ‘Barabbas’ means ‘son of the father.’ Jesus, the Son of the Father, stood in Barabbas’ place so that he could be a son of the Father. Barabbas represents every son or daughter of the Father who ever lived.

There was nothing lovely or redeeming about Barabbas except that Jesus set his love upon him and took his place. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us too. The Father treated Jesus like Barabbas so that he could treat Barabbas like Jesus. It’s the greatest exchange in the history of the world.

Three crosses stood on that lonely hill called Calvary. The center spot belonged to Barabbas, where he should’ve hung between his two rebellious friends. But Jesus willingly took his place and bore the wrath he deserved. He did that for Barabbas, and he did that for you and me.

Yesterday, we saw that we are all like Pilate in that we must decide what to do with Jesus. In the same way, we are all Barabbas, too. Barabbas represents the just punishment for our sins. He deserved to die for his sins, yet Jesus took his place. Praise him today that Jesus died to make you a son or daughter of the Father.