"Pilate went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in an uprising." (John 18: 38b-40)
Every Christian who reads the Bible knows very well who Barabbas is. For those who already watched “The Passion of the Christ,” you may know how Barabbas looks. I want to invite you to reflect upon him that is sometimes forgotten yet has become an important figure on the way of the cross of Jesus Christ. In this reflection, I use the Gospel of John, as we will also read during Good Friday.
Barabbas was an armed rebel who had participated in an organized political uprising against the Roman occupation of Judea. During this riot, blood was shed. He was found guilty of murder and sedition, which carried the ultimate Roman punishment: crucifixion.
Yet, that is not the point. The point is the name itself: Barabbas.
Irony of Two ‘Sons’
Maybe some of you do not really pay attention to the name of Barabbas. His name, in Aramaic, means "the son of the father" (Bar = son of, Abba = father). His ‘sonship’ belongs to the earthly father, which is rooted in the fallen world's systems of violence, rebellion, and taking life. And in this place on earth, we have Jesus, Son of God, the Father. His ‘sonship’ belongs to Father, who “so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son" (John 3:16). Different from the ‘earthly’ sonship, Jesus’ sonship is rooted in perfect obedience, truth, and giving up his own life so that others might live.
Two ‘sons’ yet different identities. Barabbas is taking life, yet Jesus is giving up his life for all. Barabbas represents the human attempt to seize the kingdom through force, political uprising, and bloodshed, yet Jesus demonstrates that the kingdom of God is established through self-emptying love (kenosis) and non-violence. Jesus conquers the world not by killing his enemies but by dying for them.
“No, not him! Give us Barabbas!”
When the Jews shouted ‘give us Barabbas,’ they chose the ‘son of the earthly father.’ They were very disappointed with Jesus, who could not fulfill their expectation to save them from Romans. Some were disappointed because He claimed Himself as the son of the heavenly 'Father.' "What a blasphemy," said the Pharisees. Yet, they chose Barabbas! They chose a violent, no-mercy rule because they experienced slavery for a long time.
Then, I am really sure that today we still follow the shout of the Jews from two thousand years ago: We choose Barabbas!
We choose to be sons of earthly fathers: War and armed conflict, believing that conquering the enemy through public shame or force is the only way to win; using platforms to tear others down, destroy reputations, and divide communities in the name of "justice" or "truth." We build walls, hoard resources, and justify our indifference because, in the worldly system, survival belongs to the strongest, not the most merciful.
In all, the earthly son believes that tangible action, noise, and taking matters into our own hands are the only things that actually work. In this mindset, the silent, trusting surrender to God's will is viewed as weak, and the quiet act of prayer is often dismissed as useless or passive.
It is not about we who crucify Christ again (for the cross is the possible way that Jesus chose to save us from sins), but it is about how I see my real identity. You may ask: in our way of living, to whom do I belong as Christians? Which Father do I rely on?
