Faith & Reason Nexus

• Who Was Barabbas?
  Barabbas means “Son of the Father” or “Son of the Master Teacher.”
  Some ancient Syriac and Armenian versions of the New Testament refer to him as “Jesus Barabbas.”
• Descriptions in the New Testament:
• A Notable (Notorious) Prisoner
  Matthew 27:16 – “At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.”
• Had Made Insurrection
  Mark 15:7 – “And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.”
• Had Committed Murder
  Mark 15:7 – “They had committed murder in the rebellion.”
• Was a Robber
  John 18:40 – “They cried out, ‘No, not him! Give us Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising.”
• Released in Place of Jesus
  Matthew 27:26 – “Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.”
• No Positive Record in the Bible
  Nothing good is mentioned about Barabbas in the Bible, emphasizing his role as a criminal, yet he was chosen by the crowd to be released instead of Jesus.
• The Crowd’s Choice
  Matthew 27:21 – “The governor answered and said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ They said, ‘Barabbas!’”

Barabbas’ role in the Bible serves as a stark contrast to Jesus, highlighting the crowd’s rejection of Jesus and choosing the criminal, whose name ironically means “son of the father.”