Throckmorton column: 'The notorious prisoner' for whom Christ was traded

Barabbas was mentioned in all four of the gospels in the New Testament. I chose the story of Barabbas recorded by St. Matthew, in the King James Version, for this telling.

According to Matthew 27:15-26, “Now at that feast, the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas.

“Therefore, when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, ‘Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus, which is called Christ?’ For he knew that for envy, they had delivered him.

“When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, ‘Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.’ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

“The governor answered and said unto them, ‘Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you?’ They said, ‘Barabbas.’ Pilate saith unto them, ‘What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?’ They all say unto him, ‘Let him be

crucified.’

“And the governor said, ‘Why, what evil hath he done?’ But they cried out the more, saying, ‘Let him be crucified.’ When Pilate saw that he could prevail, nothing but that rather a tumult was made; he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.’

“Then answered all the people and said, ‘His blood be on us and on our children.’ Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.”

Barabbas is also mentioned in Mark 1:6-15, Luke 23:18-24, and John 18:40. His life intersects with Jesus’ at the trial of Christ before Roman Governor Pontius Pilate. At the trial of Jesus, it was Pontius Pilate’s custom to pardon a prisoner before the feast of Passover. The crowd demanded that Barabbas be released and Jesus crucified, and Pilate complied.

The gospels describe Barabbas as a “notorious prisoner.” He was “in prison with rebels who had committed murder and during the insurrection against occupying Roman forces.” Barabbas was also described as a bandit. The name Barabbas does not appear anywhere else in the Bible.

Barabbas’ name may be Aramaic patronymic, meaning “son of the father” (bar abba) or “son of the teacher” (bar Rabban), implying that possibly his father was a Jewish leader. Early biblical scholar Origen and other scholars said that Barabbas’ first name may have been Jesus since Jesus was a common first name. If this were true, the crowd was presented with a choice between two persons with the same name. That may support the fact that Jesus was also identified as “Christ,” setting apart the two Jesuses.

Historically, many have blamed Christ’s death on the Jews, citing Matthew 27:25, where the crowd shouts, “His blood be on our children!” Many modern Christian scholars, including Pope Benedict XVI, have denounced this position. They maintain that the crowd on that day included Jewish temple authorities and Barabbas’ supporters and not the entire Jewish people.

These scholars also believe that the crowd can be understood as compromising all of humanity and Jesus’ blood as effecting a reconciliation between humanity and God, not as a crying out for retribution.

The critical fact to remember is what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:18: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”