23 February 2026
Mark 15:6-7 Now at the Passover Feast he used to release for them any one prisoner whom they requested. And the one named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the rebels who had committed murder in the revolt.
Let's quickly pause and ponder over what actually happened on the day that Jesus was crucified, for on that day, Barabbas should have died, because he was guilty—Jesus was not. He, Barabbas, deserved punishment—Jesus did not, yet he was completely set free, record cleared, and sins forgiven.
It might sound as if it was the crowds who chose Barabbas that day instead of Jesus, but the truth is that Jesus chose to take the place of Barabbas and the crowds and us that day.
You see, we all were equally guilty, filthy sinful people deserving death and punishment, yet we are set free and made innocent because of the Lamb that took our place.
Not many people know this, but Barabbas is a Hebrew name which means: Bar - Abba, son of the father. "Ah, can you see how Jesus, the only begotten Son of the Father, took our place so that we may be called Barabbas, sons of the Father now walking away free, no condemnation, redeemed and forgiven?
When Barabbas was set free that day, we shouldn’t just witness history, nor just his story—for this is just as much our story! Jesus didn’t just take Barabbas's place, He took ours too. When we read this familiar testimony in the Gospels, we should reckon how the nails that were meant for Barabbas, were driven into Christ's hands and feet.
God foretold this not only for Barabbas, but for all of us through Isaiah who prophesied: But He was pierced for our offenses; He was crushed for our wrongdoings; The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. All of us, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him (Isa 53:5-6).
As much as we tend to think we were at least better people than Barabbas, the truth is we were equally lost and guilty, full of sin just like he was, and just like he was set free by Christ taking his place, the same rings true of us.
And that’s why Paul's words in Colossians 2:13-14 remind me of how I was set free by Christ, just like Barabbas, as Paul wrote:
And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having cancelled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
As Christ took our place and set us free, let us not walk away from His grace as we are, but with all due respect to the name Barabbas, as sons of the Father, all because of the only begotten Beloved Son of the Father.
Amen