As we move through the Lenten Season (see last week’s post), it has been suggested that we consider some of the more distinctive characters that surrounded Jesus as He approached his crucifixion.
This week’s subject will be Barabbas, and what we might learn from what we know of his story.
Barabbas appears in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but nowhere else in the New Testament. We are told little about him, and what we are told is derogatory. Matthew speaks of him as a, “notorious prisoner.” [Matthew 27:16] Mark describes him as, “…a man…in prison…” [Mark 15:7] Luke says that Barabbas, “…had been thrown into prison because of a riot and murder.” [Luke 23:19] And John tells us that, “Barabbas was a bandit.” [John 18:40]
From these references, we can infer that Barabbas had a history of illegal activities which had gotten him arrested and thrown in jail. The typical Roman punishment for the types of crimes attributed to him was execution.
So, what might we learn from the story of this disreputable person who appeared only briefly in Jesus’ story?
Some Background.
To begin, let’s do a brief review of the part Barabbas played. According to all four gospels, Pilate had adopted the practice of releasing one Jewish prisoner during the Passover festival. He was not required by law to do so, but Pilate was hugely unpopular with the Jewish populace and this was his small attempt to diminish the animus they felt toward him.
Barabbas appears shortly after Jesus had been delivered to Pilate. The Jewish leaders had managed to have Jesus arrested, and He was now before Pilate for judgement and sentencing. But Pilate knew the charges against Jesus were trumped up, and he’d been warned by his wife to have nothing to do with Jesus. (See accounts of his indecision in all four gospels).
Jesus refused to say anything that was self-incriminating. Pilate had made a poor attempt at avoiding the decision by sending Jesus to the Jewish overlord Herod (who promptly sent Him back to Pilate). And his appeals to the crowd for reason were doing nothing other than to rouse them further. What could Pilate do to avoid sending an innocent man (his deduction) to the cross?
When he remembered his practice of releasing a Jewish prisoner during Passover, Pilate thought he’d found the answer to his dilemma. Surely this would work! How could anyone prefer to see a known criminal like Barabbas released instead of Jesus? Jesus had raised people from the dead, healed the sick, and fed thousands. In Pilate’s mind Jesus had to be more popular with the crowd. After all, consider the terrific reception the people had given Jesus earlier in the same week?
But, when he asked the crowd, “…would you like me, then, to release for you Jesus (paraphrased)?” they responded, “Not this man … but Barabbas!” [John 18:40]
Pilate didn’t know what else to do. He made one last attempt to satiate the bloodthirsty crowd by having Jesus scourged, and when that didn’t work, he literally, “…washed his hands…” of the matter [Matthew 27:24], turned Barabbas loose, and ordered that Jesus be crucified.
By his action, Pilate made Barabbas the first person to be redeemed by Jesus’ death. One minute, Barabbas was facing certain death by crucifixion and the next, his life was spared. He was a free man. Jesus took Barabbas’ place at Golgotha. His death allowed Barabbas to go free.
That’s all we know about Barabbas. Other than an obscure reference in another ancient text from between 100-200 AD, Barabbas is never heard from again. He disappears from history. We do not know the rest of his story. And, while much has been written about him, it is all conjecture.
The Question.
Earlier we asked what we might possibly learn from this story of a murderer, a thief and a felon? How could this man’s story possibly be relevant for us today?
I think, the answer is, “A lot.”
When Barabbas was released there were three paths he could have taken for the rest of his life.
Path One. The road to self-destruction.
By all accounts, Barabbas was someone who’d made poor life choices. Depending on which description we believe, he was either a “murderer” or a “bandit,” or possibly both. In any case he was certainly a known criminal whose crimes were serious enough to have him arrested with the most probable outcome, his execution. It almost as though he had been purposefully self-destructive.
Given his history, it is highly likely that Barabbas would have continued on his path of self-destruction. They say that, “A leopard doesn’t change its spots,” and there is a strong probability that Barabbas didn’t either. He could have returned to his life of crime and might even have landed back in prison as a result. If that was the case, avoiding execution by the Romans again was unlikely.
By staying on the life-path he’d adopted before encountering Jesus, Barabbas would have made a mockery of the wonderful gift he’d been given. He wouldn’t have only wasted the gift, he would have contemptuously disregarded it. By reverting to the life he’d led before, he would have effectively said, “Not only am I not grateful, you were a fool to sacrifice yourself for me. I didn’t ask you to stand in my place.” He would have absolutely modeled the definition of an Ingrate.
Path Two. Acceptance but dissipation.
Or, Barabbas may have realized that his past actions and choices were not wise and decided to cease his illegal activities. He may have retired from a life of crime and lived the rest of his days as an inconspicuous non-entity.
We don’t have any clue what Barabbas might have done to earn a living. He may have returned to his relatives to help with the family business. Or, he may have traveled to other lands, seeking work as he went. In any event, it could have been a quiet, unassuming, and uneventful life. Full of nothing.
He might have tried to avoid drawing attention to himself out of fear that doing so might again bring him to the attention of the Roman authorities. He might have refused to talk about what Jesus had meant to him and how Jesus’ act of sacrifice had saved him because to do so would make him stand out.
Barabbas might have recognized what Jesus had done for him and even appreciated it. He might have even understood the great debt he now owed to Jesus. But because he was afraid, he might have hidden the gift. His fear could have overridden his sense of appreciation and obligation.
On this path, Barabbas wouldn’t have been contemptuous or dismissive of the gift. But the gift would have been squandered. Of all people, only Barabbas could have said, “Jesus died for me first.”
In this scenario Instead of becoming a rallying point for Jesus and His message, because of fear (or just laziness) Barabbas would have allowed his opportunity to dissolve and dissipate until there was nothing of it left. There would be no further opportunities to tell the world what Jesus had done for him or about what Jesus had meant to him. By refusing to share the message of his gift, it would have been wasted.
Path Three. Joyous Proclamation.
As an alternative to Paths One or Two, Barabbas could have chosen the path of Joyous Proclamation. He could have left prison with a new purpose in life, to use what life he had remaining to tell his story. He could have proclaimed his joy over the gift he’d been given and led others to the same joy.
If he’d chosen this path, he could have joined the apostles and disciples to celebrate Jesus’ life and His sacrifice for him and all the rest of mankind. He would have had a uniquely powerful story to tell. And it could have persuaded dozens, or hundreds, or thousands of persons who had also been lost before they met Jesus to accept the gift that He had given them.
Imagine how fulfilling his life could have been if he’d taken the opportunity Jesus had afforded him! If he’d chosen this path, we’d be still singing his praises to this day. He and the meaning of his story would not have been lost to history, but rather celebrated.
The Lessons from the Three Paths.
Instead, we hear nothing further from or about Barabbas. He fades into history as a minor player in the greatest story ever told. Yes, we know of him over two thousand years later, but how is he regarded? What was/is his legacy?
Precisely because we hear nothing about him, I strongly suspect that Barabbas chose either Path One or Path Two.
Along Path One, he would have been almost hostile to the gift he’d been given. He certainly wouldn’t have accorded Jesus’ sacrifice any respect or dignity. He may have seen his redemption as another opportunity to “get back” at the Romans, or to continue his ways as a thief and a bandit. But whatever he did with the rest of his life would have been small, mean, and of little or no value to him or to anyone else.
Along Path Two, Barabbas wouldn’t have been hostile to Jesus’ gift, but wouldn’t have evidenced any particular appreciation for it either. By living a life huddled from attention, refusing to share his story and his gift with others, and avoiding further contact with Jesus’ message or His followers, this path would render him unimportant and insignificant. He would use the gift but in a profoundly selfish and meaningless way. The gift would have been wasted.
But along Path Three, Barabbas would have found paramount joy and fulfillment. His life could have become a beacon for all others to see what Christ had done for him and for them. To put it in current vernacular, “He could ‘a been a contender!”
How different might history have been if Barabbas had chosen Path Three over Paths One or Two? We will never know, and that’s a shame.
The Message.
Today we have the same Paths before us. We also must choose.
Are we going to be coldly dismissive of Jesus gift and mock its meaning for our lives? Will we hide from the gift and refuse to share it with others, thereby squandering it? Or, will we loudly acknowledge and proclaim Jesus’ gift of redemption and salvation, and share it with everyone around us?
Just like Barabbas we have a choice. I confess that I don’t take advantage of Path Three each day as I should. Although I don’t live many days on Path One, I spend too many slogging along Path Two. But occasionally, I choose Path Three, and those are my best days.
That’s my confession. Which Path will you elect?
And, that’s what we can learn from Barabbas.
God’s Blessings on You All.
Richard
March 15, 2019
