The Man Who Had A SubStitute

Barabbas - The notable prisioner, committed to prison for robbery and murder, but preferred to Christ. (Matt 27:16-26)

Who was Barabbas? Jewish men had names that identified them with their Fathers. Simon Peter, for example, is called Simon Bar-jona (Matt 16:17; also translated "Simon, son of Jonah). Barabbas is never identified by his given name and this name is not much help either - bar-abbas means "son of papa" He could have been anybody's son and that's just the point. (Luke 23:17-19)

Mark 15:7; Matt 27:15-16; John 18:40 tells us that Barabbas was arrested for his part in a rebellion against the Roman government and was an enemy to Rome. As a political insurgent, he was no doubt a hero among some of the Jews. The feircely independent Jews hated to support the despised government and its gods. Most of the Roman authorities who had to settle Jewish disputes hated the Jews in return so the time was ripe for a rebellion.

Matt 27:21 tells us that crowds are frickle. If they loved Jesus on Sunday because they thought he was going to inaugurate his kingdom, they could easily hate him on Friday when his power appeared broken. In the face of the mass uprising against Jesus, his friends were afraid to speak up.

Luke 23:17-19 also tells us Barabbas , son of an unnamed papa, committed a crime. Because Jesus died in his place, this man was set free. We too are sinners and criminals against Gods holy Law. Like Barabbas, we deserve to die. But Jesus has died in our place, for our sins, and we have been set free. We don't have to be important to accept our freedom in Christ. In fact, thanks to Jesus, God adopts us all as his own sons and daughters and gives us the right to call him Abba - "papa" (see Gal 4:4-6)

Barabbas should have died for his crimes but Jesus occupied his cross, along with the two other thieves. What a night Barabbas must have spent before Christ was selected in his place! The thief and murderer had visions of a terrible death. All the torture of crucifixion came up before him. Then as the light of morning looked in through the bars of his prision he hears the march of soldiers coming to take him out to his horrible death.

Can we not imagine how stupefied he must have been when he heard the officer of the guard say, "Barabbas you are free. Another is to die in your stead"? When Barabba came to himself and realized how true the news was, out he went, grateful to the One condemned to die as his substitute. A just and holy Man to die in the place of a thief and murderer? Yes, Barabbas was saved at such a cost. What a picture of divine grace this substitutionary death presents! Thereafter, whenever Barabbas thought of Christ, he could say, "He died for me" just as he died for us all.

Don't let his death be in vain, accept Christ today!