15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 17 So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.
Barabbas had the unique privilege of being the first one to have Jesus take his place in death. As beneficial as this was for him, it was a gross injustice against Jesus. His background, what can be pieced together of it, is interesting. His name means, “son of a father,” which some scholars suggest indicates he was of noble birth. Luke records that, “He was one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder” (Luke 23:19). Most likely he was a member of a group called the Zealots who strove to overthrow Roman oppression.
Historian N.T. Wright points out that the Zealots thought that by rebelling against Rome, they would demonstrate to God their faithfulness and God would in turn bring the Messiah to raise the Jewish people up to superiority among the nations. Tragically they failed to recognize that the Messiah had in fact arrived, but that the kingdom plan was unfolding differently than what they thought. We note that one of the Zealots did recognize who Jesus was and become one of the twelve closest followers, namely Simon the Zealot (Matt 10:4).
There was nothing more odious in the eyes of the Romans than those who defied imperial authority—indeed, they ruled with a cold, iron fist. This accounts for Matthew’s describing Barabbas as “notorious.” He was notoriously rebellious and a lawbreaker in the eyes of the Romans. Yet Jesus was found to be innocent by Pilate, the Roman governor (see Matt 27:24). Could the irony of this whole prisoner exchange be what Peter had in mind when he wrote, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust…” (1 Peter 3:18)?
During the Passover season, the custom was for the governor to grant clemency to one of the Jewish prisoners. This was Pilate’s attempt to placate the Jews, with whom he had an otherwise tenuous relationship. He could see clearly the Jewish leaders’ enraged jealousy of Jesus. Rather than ruling for the innocence of Jesus and risking a riot, he took a cowardly way out of the dilemma. He gave them the choice between the two: Jesus or Barabbas. Maybe he thought they would choose the obvious one, Barabbas. But the Jews chose to let the murderer go free, and to execute the One who spoke of love, forgiveness and righteousness. They chose to kill their Messiah.
Lord, show me where jealously has a grip in my life and I will confess it as sin.
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