This morning I would like to spend a short amount of time studying about a man that we do not know too much about, but a man that for a small amount of time plays an important role in the darkness and injustice that happens the day our Lord was crucified. The man I am speaking of is Barabbas. There are only a few texts that speak about him in the gospel and one verse in Acts (Acts 3:14). Let’s look at one text in particular.
Read Matthew 27:11-26
Jesus is before Pilate for His trial. We see in parallel accounts that Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent, and in verse 18 we are told that Pilate knows that they handed Jesus over because of envy. So Pilate makes a plan of what to do about this. There is a custom that the Romans have towards the Jews that they observe at Passover where the governor, here being Pilate, gives one prisoner freedom. This may have been done as a gesture of political courtesy. They wanted to show some goodwill towards the Jewish people. They did it at the time of Passover, which is interesting. One criminal who is sentenced to death can be passed over by being released. The criminal does not have to receive the punishment they are deserving of. It may be the case that Pilate was not the biggest fan of this custom. Just think about it: you are releasing guilty criminals into the streets who may commit more crimes! But it seems that he welcomed the possibility of using this custom in the case of Jesus because he seemed to be convinced that Jesus is innocent.
We are introduced to Barabbas in verse 16. We are told that he is a notorious prisoner, which means that he is infamous; well known for his crimes. We are not told what crimes he committed in Matthew’s account, but in other accounts we learn about them. In Mark 15:7, we are told that he was in prison for being an insurrectionist. Some commentators assume that there is a possibility that Barabbas was a member of the group called the Zealots, a group known for being anti-Roman and causing riots and rebellion against them. Whether he was a member of this group or not is debatable. Either way, he was guilty of causing an insurrection or uprising against Pilate’s authority over them. And during this uprising, this group murdered people, more than likely Romans. John’s account tells us that Barabbas was also a robber, or a thief. This is the picture that the scriptures paint of Barabbas. He is clearly a guilty man deserving of where He is! He was arrested for these things and put into prison, and the purpose of being put into prison at those times was two-fold. One reason was to await judgment, the other to await execution. More than likely for Barabbas, he was awaiting execution. On this day, there was the planned execution of three thieves, the 2 that were crucified to the left and right of Jesus, and the third: Barabbas. So just imagine what is going through Barabbas’ mind as he contemplates what will happen to him for his crimes. A cross is awaiting him. So as the guards come to his cell, unlock the door, and bring him out, he was probably surprised (along with Pilate) about what soon followed. Pilate probably expected that if he gave the people the choice to release a notorious criminal or the King of the Jews that the people would cry out for the King’s release. But one thing he did not count on was the chief priests and Jewish elders had done. They convinced the people to cry out for the release of Barabbas and the execution of the King. The people were convinced to do this; and it seems convinced about the supposed guilt of Jesus, that they were even willing to make this amazing statement in verse 25, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!" So Barabbas is released and Jesus is sentenced to be crucified. Jesus took the place of Barabbas on that cross.
The things that I just stated about him pretty much exhausts the knowledge that we have about him. But there is one more thing about Barabbas I would like to talk about: his name. We do not know for sure what his name is. You may be saying to yourself, “Umm… you already told us his name… it’s Barabbas.” Well, maybe. This name may not be the name given to him at birth. The name Barabbas in the original Greek means “Son of father.” Bar means “son of” and 'abba' means “father.” There is a passage in Matthew 16 that refers to Simon Peter as “Simon Barjona,” which literally means Simon, son of Jonah.” So the question is, if Barabbas isn’t his name, what is his name? That is a very good question. And the answer is… we don’t know for sure. So for a moment I would like to give Barabbas a new name. You are Barabbas. I would like each one of us to look at ourselves as though we are Barabbas, because in reality, we are Barabbas in a sense. Whenever we do this, we will learn some very powerful lessons! We see how the gospel is played out in the account of Jesus’ trial.
BARABBAS WAS A INSURRECTIONIST: So were we before we were saved. Each one of us had been an insurrectionist against God's rule. We have been zealous for our sin. We have rebelled against the law of God.
BARABBAS WAS A THIEF: If we have stolen anything in our life, no matter what the value of the thing stolen, we are also a thief.
BARABBAS WAS A MURDERER: We may think that we are cleared from this one, but unfortunately for most of us, this is not the case. Jesus says in Matthew 5 that whoever is angry with or says hateful things to someone is just as guilty as a murderer, even deserving of fiery hell. The Apostle John says in 1 John 3:5 that "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." We must remember that God does not judge our actions alone, but also our thoughts and motives. Hatred is just as much rebellion against God as murder. Lust is just as much a sin against God as adultery. So many of us here are murderers at heart!
BARABBAS WAS A NOTORIOUS PRISONER: Just as Barabbas, we are well-known for our crimes. God knows every single one of our sins. He sees us for who we are. On our own, without the mercy of God, each and every one of us are criminals and prisoners because of our sin. We deserve to be in God's eternal prison. Each one of us are guilty and deserving of death!
THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENS FOR US: Barabbas, in spite of deserving death, was released from his prison cell. Judgment "passed over" him. It was given to Jesus who took his condemnation and cross. Jesus also, while we were prisoners, slaves of sin, helpless before God, was condemned for you and me, taking up the cross in our place. We deserved death, but Jesus took our place as God's sacrifice for our crimes!
We can receive freedom from our sin through Jesus Christ! The question we must find the answer to in scripture is, "how?" What must I do to be freed from the prison of sin that I am in? Romans 6:7 tells us the answer:
“he who has died is freed from sin.”
This is interesting. We are told by Paul that if we "die," we are freed from sin. This kind of language is used often in the New Testament in reference to when someone is converted and becomes a Christian.
New Testament terminology identifying the point when one is forgiven:
-He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross so that we might die to sin 1 Peter 2:24
-“…If we died with Him we shall also live with Him” -2 Timothy 2:11
-“Now if we died with Christ we believe we will also live with Him. -Romans 6:8
-“…for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3
-“I have been crucified with Christ…” Gal. 2:20
All of these verses use the same language. Paul tells Christians in these passages that at some point in the past, they had died to sin, had been united with Christ in His death (and resurrection), and at this moment God in a sense looked at these Christians as though they had died. Christ's death became their death. And His life became their life. What we see in these verses is important. We cannot be freed from the prison of our sin unless we have:
-died to sin,
-died WITH Christ,
-been united WITH Christ in His death,
-been crucified WITH Christ
When does the Bible say these things happen? Our answer is in Romans 6:
The Roman Christians had a false belief at that time that if they sinned more they would receive more grace from God. Paul writes these things to show them why their belief was wrong. He begins in verses 1 and 2:
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?”
Paul makes the statement that these Christians had died to sin. Here is the first question that we need answered. How did they die to sin? The answer is in verse 3.
“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ” (Romans 6:3-4)
Here is our answer! When we are baptized into Christ, God says that we die to sin. We are baptized into His death! Take note of the prepositions that Paul uses. We are buried with Christ into His death. Paul also says that we are raised out of the water with Christ into a new life. We are raised out of spiritual death! We are born again.
“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:5).
What happens when we are baptized? We are united with Christ’s death and resurrection. Also take note that Paul states “if” we are united with Christ in His death then we are united with His resurrection and given life. This only happens if we are baptized into Christ.
“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin ” (Romans 6:6-7).
We are crucified with Christ at baptism. The price of death that we owed is paid by dying with Christ, and most importantly of all, our sin is taken away. It is “done away with!” We are freed from the slavery sin causes when we are baptized!
“Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:8-11)
Paul makes it clear; we can only believe we will live with Christ IF we are baptized into Christ. We can only defeat sin and its mastery over us IF we die with Christ.
Romans 6:1-11 answers all of the questions we asked. When does God view me as dead to sin, dying with Christ, united with Christ in His death, crucified with Christ, and freed from sin? God’s answer: when I am baptized into Christ.
INVITATION
Has you been freed from the prison you have put yourself into by your sin? You are guilty and deserving of God's righteous judgment because of your sin. The only way for you to escape it is to come to God with a repentant heart, believing the gospel of Jesus Christ which you have heard today. God promises when you come to Him in repentance, being willing to confess Jesus as your Lord and Master, that when you are baptized INTO Christ (Rom 6:3-4), He will give you new life.
“why do you delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.” -Acts 22:16
