Son of the Father

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. 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?”– Matthew 27:15-17

This is one of those biblical passages that is generally read without catching the hidden meaning woven so intricately between the words. At first glance, it appears to only be a part of the crucifixion story where a prisoner was customarily released at the Passover. In this particular case, the prisoner’s name was Barabbas and he was to be exchanged, not released, for Jesus’ death.

I want to assure you that every word of this verse is true. I believe the story is correct in every sense and detail. Barabbas, a “notorious” prisoner, was freed and Jesus was condemned in his stead. But, I also believe there’s a huge allegory that simply shouldn’t be missed!

The Greek prefix “Bar” meant “son of.” For example, Barnabas (Acts 9:27) was the “son of” Nabbas. Bar-Jesus (Acts 13:6) was the “son of” Jesus (not our Savior, but a magician false prophet named Jesus). In like manner, Barabbas was the “son of” Abbas. Interestingly, “Abbas” means father (remember, when Jesus cried out, “Abba! Father!” in Mark 14:36?). Barabbas’ name means son of the father which is peculiar if you think about it.

It’s no coincidence that a notorious prisoner, a prisoner who had committed a heinous crime, a prisoner who was sentenced to very long jail time, was freed at the expense of the death of Jesus Christ. Barabbas, the son of the father (Satan, the father of lies) represents you and I before we came to know Christ as our Lord and Savior. We deserved the same jail sentence, the same deplorable living conditions, the same “hell” if you want.

Ironically, Jesus Christ, the Son of the true Father, was given in exchange for the son of the earthly father, Satan. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s love toward mankind that He gave His only son to redeem His creation. Another picture of the saving grace of Christ!

Thank you Lord Jesus! For I, like Barabbas, was a filthy sinner sentenced to death. But You gave Your life in exchange for me so that I may live free. Thank you Lord Jesus!

In Christ,

Pastor Dave

Have you signed up for our email list? If you give us your email address, we’ll make sure you never miss a post and are kept up to date on all the latest resources that we offer (average of only one to two emails/week). You can also choose to read through the Bible in one year with us. We'll send you the reading assignment each week with a snippet highlight (average of one email/week). We promise that we will not sell your information and you can be removed from the list at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each of our emails. See our Privacy Policy for more details.

Below are the latest offers from our Affiliate Partners. Please click the links and visit their sites.
They have lots of products at great prices. We may make a small commission if you purchase through these links which help keep this website up and running and the best part is... there is no extra cost to you! Read our Disclosure for more information. For more details on each affiliate see our "Shop" page.