Up until a week ago, all I ever knew about Barabbas was that he was a murderer who deserved to die instead of Jesus. While that is absolutely true, there is so much to the story in Mark 15.
So, who was Barabbas?
Yes, Barabbas was on trial for murder, but he was not just some blood thirsty assassin. Barabbas killed somebody while leading a Jewish rebellion against Rome. He was fighting against an evil Roman empire that had dominated them for years. He wasn’t just some violent figure to these people. He was more of a Robin Hood folk hero to these people. He was the one leading the charge to stand up to this tyrannical empire.
On top of that, his name was not Barabbas. That was a last name. His name was Yeshua Bar Abba. That name literally translates to Jesus son of Abba. In scripture Abba translates to father, but they also called the teachers/leaders by the name of Abba. Barabbas wasn’t just some thug; he was leading a rebellion as the son of a spiritual leader.
Barabbas going to prison was a big deal. He was well known. He had the right name, Yeshua. He was from the right family, Bar Abba. He did the right things by fighting for political control and coming against the Romans with force. Barabbas was everything the Jews expected their Messiah to be. For generations, they were anticipating the arrival of a political leader that would establish God’s people as the dominant political force on Earth.
They were expecting someone that would lead a rebellion against Rome in force and power… someone who would give their life to free them from the rule of Rome. Their expectation was that the result of the Messiah’s reign would be that Jewish people would become the dominant political force.
So, these people stared at two men. Two Yeshua’s. They were asked which one is your Messiah… the fighter/leader from the right family, or the bastard son of Mary? The one who promises you political power, or the one who is insignificant and unappealing in every way?
It wasn’t some egregious decision… it was an easy decision for any informed and educated person. You pick the man from the right family who promises political power. You pick Barabbas.
And that same decision stands before us today. It stands before us in ministry… are we more concerned about influence and numbers, or are we more concerned with truly loving well? It stands before us with where we put our hope… is our hope in who holds the presidential office, or is our hope in Who sits on the throne? Because at the end of the day, even if we elect a president who openly hates Jesus Christ, nothing about the mission of the Gospel ever changes.
So let’s learn from the bad judgement in Mark 15. They demanded that the Messiah give them political control. One man had nothing to offer but perfect love. One man offered political power and control. And they said, Give us Barabbas.
In the midst of all of that, Jesus stood by. He knew that with one word, everything Rome had built could come crumbling down. He was conscious of the fact that He is the supreme authority. Yet, He chose to subject Himself to the poor judgement of broken men.
See, Jesus had a different set of priorities. He knew that the Roman empire was just a vapor in the wind. Even with all the horrors that they carried out… the intensity and the aggression… Jesus set His priority on the souls of men. His priority was never on safety or political freedom, but on spiritual freedom.
And that brings me to my point: There are no political solutions to spiritual problems. That doesn’t mean that we don’t stand and fight for justice. We absolutely do. But what if our primary focus was to fight just as much on our knees as we do for policy. What would life look like if we were so convinced that the power of prayer had more authority than we could ever muster up on our own?
Righteousness will always come by way of revelation. Not legislation. What our nation needs is a revelation of Jesus Christ. Far more than we need the “right” president in the White House, we need the church to be brave enough to be the church. To love wildly, love boldly, live courageously, stand for truth, and be so ridiculously convinced of the power of prayer.
