Barabbas – Who Is He? Mark 15:6-15

Text: Mark 15:6-15

Most of us have reflected on the final hours of Jesus again and again.  There is probably little to be said that we have not heard before.  I suppose that’s a danger here for all of us, isn’t it? The story can become too familiar, too common. But it’s a story we need to hear.

We need to reflect on it, absorb it, be touched by it.

As you read the beginning of Jesus’ Roman trial, slow down – read it as if you’ve never heard it before:

Now at the feast he was accustomed to releasing one prisoner to them, whomever they requested.  And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.

Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.  But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”  For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.  But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”  Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”

But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them;

(Mark 15:6-15a).

There’s a lot of irony there

• Barabbas means “son of a father,” and he had committed insurrection.
• Jesus was the “Son of God” and was accused of insurrection.
• Barabbas, who was guilty, was released.
• Jesus, who was innocent, was convicted.

I’ve often wondered why the story of Barabbas is included in the New Testament. It seems, at best, tangential to the Lord’s trial, which is the focal point.

Perhaps it was included just to show us how much some of the leaders hated Jesus.

But there’s probably a more theological reason than that.

One who was guilty was pardoned while one who was innocent died

Mark wanted to remind us again that this is the gospel.

The story of Barabbas took place in my life several years ago. I was guilty and deserved to be condemned, but God chose to release me.

In my place on the cross went an innocent man. He stepped in and took the mocking, beating, and execution that I deserved.

I am Barabbas – You are Barabbas

I wonder if the first Barabbas hung around Jerusalem long enough to stop by Calvary and see the cross where he almost hung.

I doubt it. I’d guess he got out of Jerusalem as quickly as he could.

But you and I can’t do that. We’ve been acquitted of crimes we committed, and we need to go to Calvary and see the cross that has our name on it.

This story doesn’t ever need to get old.  It needs to remind us that we were pardoned.