Meet Barabbas

I felt like this was the right time to share, because the cross and its story isn’t just something we visit at Easter. It’s for every single day. And I cannot tell you how many times I’ve read through the same passages, only to miss the gold hidden between the lines. Sometimes, the most powerful truths are tucked quietly in the background, waiting for us to lean in and look closer. Barabbas is one of those truths.

I couldn’t get that criminal out of my mind. I’ve always skimmed over his part in the story, like a side character used only to move the plot forward. Just one more name in the crowd surrounding the cross. But today, I saw it differently. How foolish of me to think anyone in God’s Word is just “filler.” Nothing is wasted. Every person has a place. So I went back to the Scriptures and, I’m no expert, but this is what I found. Let me try my best to explain…

In all four Gospels, we read that it was customary during Passover for the Roman governor to release one prisoner chosen by the crowd. In Matthew 27: 11-26, Pilate offered them a choice between two men: Jesus of Nazareth, the one called Messiah, and Barabbas, a notorious prisoner.

Some ancient manuscripts of Matthew’s Gospel reveal something fascinating—Barabbas’ full name may have been Jesus Barabbas. That’s right. The crowd was given a choice between two men, both named Jesus. One was the sinless Son of God. The other, a known rebel, murderer, and bandit. The name Barabbas means “son (bar) of the father (abba).” Jesus Barabbas—Jesus, son of the father. And standing next to him: Jesus, Son of the Father.

How deeply symbolic is that? One guilty, one innocent. One condemned by Roman law, the other wrongly accused by the religious elite. And yet the crowd cries out, “Give us Barabbas!” Not once, but again and again, they demand the release of the criminal and shout for the crucifixion of Christ.

Here’s where it wrecked me: Barabbas didn’t even ask for mercy. He didn’t repent or fall at Jesus’ feet. And yet, he was set free. That’s grace. Pure grace. A guilty man walked away, and the innocent one took his place. That’s the gospel.

Jesus didn’t die for the polished or the put-together. He died for the ones with chains still around their wrists. He died for the worst of us, the ones whose records read “insurrection,” “murder,” “guilty.” And like Barabbas, we didn’t earn it. We didn’t deserve it. But the cross says, “You are free.”

Barabbas is us.

He is every sinner that’s ever stood guilty. He is every one of us who walked out of our prison because Jesus took our punishment. And what amazes me most? It wasn’t the crowd that truly set Barabbas free. It was the Father. God knew what He was doing. From beginning to end, He wrote this moment into the story—a shadow of substitution, a holy exchange.

This wasn’t random. It was divine poetry. The sinless Son of the true Father took the place of the sinner named “son of the father.”

So next time you read the story, don’t skip past the prisoner. His name matters. His freedom matters. His role matters. Because your name matters, too. And the same grace that released Barabbas still speaks over your life: You are free, because the innocent one stood in your place.

Don’t ever underestimate the details in the Word. God hides treasure in the margins, and sometimes the most powerful messages come through the quietest characters.

Dig deeper. Look again. There’s more to this story than we think.

Love,

Sarah xx

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