The Faithful & The VileSample

Barabbas, the Rioter

The insurrectionists sat in their cells as they awaited their fate. They, who had once taken pleasure in creating chaos and fear, were now the ones who trembled for what was to come. Instinctively, they kept rubbing their hands and feet before the Roman spikes would be driven through them. 

Barabbas heard the jailer unlock the cells of his two murderous friends. He heard the hardened men resist, cry, and curse as they were led out to the Praetorium for sentencing. The key turned in his lock now, 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. There was something unnerving about that guy, Jesus. The way he stood, the way he looked at Pilate and the crowd through his nearly swollen-shut eye. Something about it all was very off. 

Normally the prisoners pleaded for their lives, but Jesus just 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)? 

But to Barabbas’ surprise, even those 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!”

Pilate knew Jesus had done nothing deserving of death, and six times he declared there was no fault in him. In his effort to wash his hands of Jesus, he asked the most eternally significant question of all time:

“Then what shall I do with Jesus?”  

The world chose to set a murdering rebel named Barabbas free and crucify the King of glory. 

Three crosses stood on that lonely hill called Calvary. The center spot belonged to Barabbas where he should’ve hung between his two criminal 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. 

So Pilate’s question still remains. What are you going to do with Jesus?