Give us Barabbas

In the season of Lent, we reflect on aspects of Jesus’ suffering for us. Unfortunately, the story of Barabbas has been radically misused against the Jewish people throughout church history.

Barabbas is significant enough that all four Gospel writers reference him. Matthew tells us that he was “a well-known prisoner” and might even give him the first name of “Jesus,” although textual evidence of this is varied (Mt. 27:16). “Barabbas” may mean a generic “son of a father,” or son of a specific father named “Abba.” Mark says he was imprisoned with murderous insurrectionists (Mk. 15:7), with which Luke agrees (Lk. 23:19). The older translation was “robbers.” John just tells us, “Barabbas had taken part in an uprising” (Jn. 18:40). From these descriptions most scholars consider Barabbas a Jewish freedom fighter, or, from the Roman point of view, a terrorist. Barabbas is guilty.

What does Pilate do?

Barabbas does not act. Pilate is the main actor. Pilate attempts a political maneuver. He wants to find a way to free Jesus against the desires of the Jewish leadership by a populist appeal to the crowd, but he miscalculates. This is not the Galilean pilgrim crowd of “Palm Sunday” that celebrated Jesus as the coming Messiah. This is a Jerusalem mob stirred by envious Jewish leadership to get rid of Jesus.

Pilate wants to look like the benevolent colonizer. He thinks the crowd would choose Jesus, called the Messiah. When they do not, Pilate tries to cleanse himself of the situation, prompted by his wife’s dream (Mt. 27:19). No legitimate charge is brought against Jesus, but Pilate chooses political expediency over justice. Pilate is guilty.

What do we do?

In Matthew, we often identify with the disciples, but they are not present here. Few will identify with Barabbas, but we can still identify him today. People use power and violence thinking they are accomplishing worthy goals. We may agree on the goals and be tempted to overlook the means. We cry, “make us great again – give us Barabbas.”

We see the dangers of Pilate today. We want to look good in the eyes of the crowd. We want to maneuver politically, outsmarting opponents. We ignore what is right for political expedience. We might manipulate the crowd to get our way. When it does not work out our way, we check out.

We can be the crowd, manipulated by self-interested, envious, leadership. We follow without grasping the consequences. We crucify others when misled. In Matthew 27:25, the crowd takes responsibility for Jesus’ death, and Matthew’s first audience probably thought this led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

We are guilty children of our parents, like Barabbas, “son of a father.”

What does Jesus do?

There is irony in the crowd saying, “His blood is on us and our children” (Mt. 27:25). The rest of the New Testament continues: “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father…” (Rev. 1:5, cf. Rom. 5:9, Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:20, 1 Pet. 1:2).

Give us Jesus.