In recent years, there has been a controversial move to restore the practice of Barabbas. Some adherents of this movement advance the argument that this was a valid form of worship in the early church and that it should be reinstituted today. Perhaps the best-known example for discussion of the practice is Mark 15:6-15: It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. The curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
The thought of creating a sermon about Barabbas should terrify an amateur preacher. They have to find the most important facts about Barabbas and be able to use the information to their advantage. Using a miracle as a great example. Understanding the story behind the miracle and being able to make it relatable for anyone listening can be very difficult for a beginner Bible study teacher. It is important that you choose wisely when selecting a Bible study on Barabbas. These are all important factors to take into consideration when planning your lesson on Barabbas.
In the midst of the media buzz and hype over movie renditions of the story of Barabbas, there is little time to examine this man’s true story in Scripture. Many people have a false impression of the story of Barabbas that has led to the distortion of truth about fleshly freedom and the good news of repentance and forgiveness. Understanding the story in it’s context reveals that it is God’s plan and love for mankind to grant us a compassionate pardon. This compassion appeals not to feelings, but to our free will to choose whom we revere.
Bible Study On Barabbas
The Bible study on Barabbas is from the New Living Translation.
The story of Barabbas can be found in Matthew 27:15-26, Mark 15:6-15, and Luke 23:18-23.
The crowd demanded that Jesus be crucified (crucified means to put a person on a cross and kill them by hanging) instead of Barabbas. Barabbas was a prisoner who had been put in jail because he had been involved in an insurrection (a violent rebellion). The insurrection was against the Roman Empire.
Jesus was also involved in an insurrection against Rome, but he didn’t use violence like Barabbas did. Instead, Jesus spoke words of love and forgiveness toward those who killed him.
Bible Study on Barabbas: Who Was He?
Barabbas, who is also known as Jesus Barabbas, was a prisoner in Jerusalem during the time of Christ (Matthew 27:16). The name “Barabbas” was quite common in that time; there were several men named Barabbas in the Bible. In fact, there are two other men named Barabbas mentioned in the New Testament. So which one is this?
The most likely candidate is Barabbas the robber (Mark 15:7). Mark’s gospel tells us that Barabbas was often called “Jesus,” probably because he was so famous for his deeds. In fact, he even had a nickname — “the son of Jesus.” This may have been because he claimed to be related to Jesus or because he had similar traits as Jesus did (like being a thief).
This man was also known for being rebellious and violent — traits that we see reflected in our modern day term “barbarian.” This term originally referred to someone who lived outside of civilization but over time it has come to mean someone who acts without thinking or compassion for others.
According to Mark 15:7, Barabbas had been imprisoned for treason against Rome
Barabbas is a man who was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate for sedition. He was released, in place of Jesus, at the request of the crowd. Barabbas’ name has been adopted as the name of a fictional character in many books, films and plays.
The story of Barabbas first appears in Luke 23:18-25 and Matthew 27:15-23, which describes how Pilate offers to release either Jesus or Barabbas to be pardoned by Caesar during Jesus’ crucifixion. The Gospel of Mark says nothing about this incident but does mention that another prisoner named “Jesus” was released from prison along with Barabbas (Mark 15:7).
In Luke’s Gospel, Pilate asks the crowd whether they want him to release Jesus or Barabbas; they choose Barabbas (Luke 23:17). In Matthew’s Gospel it is said that the Jews ask for Barabbas, but this could imply that they were asking for all prisoners to be released.[2]
In John 18:39-40, John mentions both prisoners being freed in order to show that Christ did not have any power over his own fate; however this passage
In the Bible, Barabbas was a Jewish insurrectionist who was freed by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus.
The name “Barabbas” is a Hellenized form of the Aramaic term Bar Abba (Son of the Father), or possibly “son of Abba,” meaning son of a High Priest. In the New Testament it is found only in Mark 15:7-15 and Matthew 27:16-26, where it refers to one of two criminals crucified along with Jesus. The other criminal was named Jesus Barabbas.
According to Mark’s account, the two were thieves (Greek kleptes), but Matthew describes them as murderers (Greek phonos). It is possible that both accounts are correct and that Barabbas was guilty not only of theft but also murder.
The Gospels differ on whether Simon or Jesus was released from prison by Pilate’s choice (Mark) or by popular demand (Matthew). According to Mark 15:6-7, after hearing that Jesus’ followers had stolen his body from the tomb, Pilate insisted on having Jesus’ dead body produced for him in order to satisfy himself as to whether he really was dead or not; whereupon they produced it wrapped in linen cloths
There is a great deal of confusion about who Barabbas was. The Bible says that he was a robber, and that he was condemned to death for his crimes. However, there is also some confusion as to how the Gospel of Mark referred to Barabbas. Some people believe that Barabbas was the name of a person, while others believe that it was just an expression for a group of people.
Another interesting fact about Barabbas is that Jesus Christ spoke out against him when Pilate asked which prisoner should be released. Jesus said: “Do not release him… For this man will lead many astray.” (Mark 15:7-8)
The Bible has little information on Barabbas’ life before he was arrested, but we do know that he had a reputation as a dangerous criminal who had committed murder and robbery. The Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus had told His disciples about this man, saying: “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28)
It seems that this warning was not taken seriously by those who were involved in choosing between releasing Barabbas or Jesus. When Pilate presented them with these two choices, they
bible study on barabbas
The story of Barabbas is found in the Bible, specifically in the gospel of John. The story tells of a prisoner who was released by Pontius Pilate instead of Jesus Christ.
Barabbas was a thief who had been imprisoned for an insurrection (a rebellion against the Roman Empire). Pilate offered to release one prisoner–either Jesus or Barabbas. As you can imagine, this created quite a stir among the people who were present at the trial. They began to shout out for either Jesus or Barabbas to be released, but Pilate decided to release Barabbas and crucify Jesus instead.
Barabbas is the name given to a man who was released from prison in place of Jesus Christ. The story of Barabbas is found in the Bible, in all four Gospels (Mark 15:6-15, Matthew 27:15-26, Luke 23:17-25, and John 18:39-40).
Barabbas and Jesus were both arrested by Roman soldiers. They were both tried and convicted of crimes they supposedly committed. The difference between them was that Barabbas had been arrested for murder while Jesus had been arrested for being a troublemaker who claimed to be King of the Jews.
When Pilate offered the crowd a choice between releasing either Barabbas or Jesus, they chose to release Barabbas instead of Jesus because he wasn’t “guilty” like Jesus was guilty of being a troublemaker who said he was King of the Jews.
That’s why we’re grateful for this gospel lesson today because it reminds us that God wants us to take responsibility for our actions and make good choices even when it’s difficult or scary because He loves us so much!
Barabbas was a man who was released from prison by Pontius Pilate, instead of Jesus Christ.
Barabbas was a thief and murderer. He had committed a crime against Rome, and had been arrested for that crime. The Jews were angry at the Romans for arresting Barabbas, but they were even angrier when they learned that Jesus Christ had been arrested and sentenced to death for crimes against God’s laws. They wanted Barabbas released instead of Jesus Christ because they did not want their Savior killed.
Barabbas is a thief, a murderer, and a revolutionary. He is a man who has been in prison for many years, and he is now being released by Pontius Pilate in place of Jesus Christ.
Barabbas doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ or his teachings. He thinks that Jesus is too soft to be the Messiah because he doesn’t fight back against those who oppose him.
He also thinks that if Jesus were really the Messiah, then why didn’t he perform any miracles while he was alive? Barabbas thinks that if Jesus had performed miracles, then there wouldn’t have been any reason for them to crucify him.
Barabbas thinks that if he were released instead of Christ it would have given Pontius Pilate an opportunity to show off how much power he had over both the Jews and Romans alike by releasing someone like Barabbas instead of Christ who was considered dangerous by both sides due to his message of peace and love throughout Israel.
Barabbas is a man whose name is mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible. He was one of two criminals that were released by Pontius Pilate, who had been given the responsibility of choosing which criminal would be pardoned. The other criminal was Jesus Christ. Barabbas was set free while Jesus was crucified.
The story of Barabbas is found in John 18:39-40, Mark 15:6-15 and Matthew 27:16-26. It is also mentioned briefly in Acts 3:13; 4:27; 10:39; 13:27; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Galatians 3:19; 1 Timothy 2:6; Titus 2:14.
The word “Barabbas” means “son of a father.” It is derived from the Aramaic word בר אבא meaning “son of a father.”
Who was Barabbas and Why Did the People Choose Him over Jesus?
Believe it or not, Jesus and Barabbas actually share more than one similarity. Not only did they both get convicted and sentenced with a capital punishment, but they both share similar names.
Barabbas’ full name was most likely Jesus Barabbas, in which the church father Origen took major issue, going as far to say that heretics put in the holy name of Jesus in front of Barabbas’ name.
Similar to the Yom Kippur tradition, one sacrifice is set free and one dies, which happens to Jesus and Jesus Barabbas in Matthew 27.
Barabbas, a criminal on the brink of receiving his execution, gets set free by the Jewish people when they are given a choice between releasing either Barabbas or Jesus from their penalty, a customary pardon as part of the Passover Feast (think about the American pardoning of a turkey by the President on Thanksgiving).
In this article, we’ll explore the personhood of Barabbas, what he did to earn a capital offense, and why the Jewish people chose to set him free instead of Jesus.
Where Does Barabbas Appear in the Bible?
Barabbas makes an appearance throughout the Gospels, and receives even an implied mention in Acts. Let’s highlight some of these verses.
Matthew 27:16 “At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.”
Mark 15:7 “The man named Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection.”
Luke 23:18 “But they cried out all together, saying, ‘Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!’”
John 18:40 “So they cried out again, saying, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Now Barabbas was a robber.”
Acts 3:14 “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.”
From these verses alone, we can get a bigger picture of who Barabbas was. We’ll discuss his crimes in a moment, but all four Gospels deemed it necessary to not only mention him, but to mention him by name. Even the rich young ruler does not get this privilege.
Was Barabbas a Real Historical Figure?
Outside of the Bible do we have any historical evidence that Barabbas existed? We do know from the historian Josephus that many Jews had rebelled similarly through insurrections, earning a great deal of these zealots a crucifixion punishment by the Romans.
We do, after all, have historical evidence of Pilate.
Pilate, a Roman prefect, had Jesus tortured and tried to get the Jews to release him. Instead they chose Barabbas, and Pilate washes his hands of the deed of Jesus’ crucifixion (in which he passively allows it to happen).
As far as Barabbas goes, considering the Romans dominated the historical records at the time, and that they really weren’t incredibly concerned with Jewish affairs and Jewish insurrections, we don’t have any historical evidence outside of the Bible for his existence.
The Bible is, of course, a historical book. Tradition states that after his release, Barabbas either watches Jesus’ crucifixion, or that he gets killed in another insurrection.
In either case, a lack of physical manuscripts outside of the Bible does not negate his existence. The authors most likely included his name because people at the time would’ve recognized it due to Barabbas’ notoriety, or Barabbas was still alive and could attest to these events.
What Was Barabbas’ Crime and Why Was He Freed?
As we see in the Gospel accounts above, they seem to conflict in Barabbas’ crime. Some indicate he’d murdered someone, others said he robbed, and others say he participated in a revolt of some kind. Perhaps he’d done all three.
From contextual clues, we know that he somehow had rebelled against the Roman Empire, because crucifixions only went to those who committed crimes against Rome, writes Joe Allotta for the Crossroads Church.
We also know he had received a certain notoriety or popularity with the Jewish people. This most likely indicates he was a freedom fighter of some kind, similar to many of the zealot uprisings that occurred during that time. He likely represented what the people wanted Jesus to be.
The Jews, spurred on by the religious leaders in the crowd, ask for Barabbas to be released as per the Jewish tradition of pardoning one criminal during Passover. We don’t really get many hints of this throughout the Old Testament, so perhaps the custom had woven its way into Jewish tradition later on.
In either case, Pilate seems well aware of this tradition, and trying to please the Jewish people, and trying to free Jesus, gives them a choice of which prisoner to release.
The Jewish people choose Barabbas.
Why Did the People Choose Barabbas over Jesus?
Scripture makes it clear that the religious leaders had kneaded their way through the crowds, convincing people to choose Barabbas over Jesus. Jesus’ experience of a “trial” that night (a kangaroo court, really) involved religious leaders trying to dodge their own rules, just to get him convicted. They brought in false witnesses who gave conflicting accounts and held his trial during the evening and early morning, certainly not protocol.
In other words, they were trying everything in their power to get Jesus convicted, through illegal means, because Jesus had not truly committed a crime.
The people, swayed by the religious leaders, end up choosing Barabbas.
We ought to analyze some of the reasons for their doing this. After all, a week prior, they waved palm branches and sang “Hosanna” (“Save us, now!”) to Jesus. What changed?
Most likely, Barabbas represented what they wanted for salvation. They loved this Jesus guy, but Jesus’ message didn’t really align with their insurrectionist ideas to topple Rome. Jesus had preached on turning the other cheek and going the extra mile. They didn’t like that Jesus’ message didn’t involve destroying the Romans. Instead, it involved obliterating sin.
Jesus and Barabbas both were popular, but Jesus had fallen in his poll numbers. This may have also swayed the Jews to swing to Barabbas, whom they had more of a hope in overthrowing the Romans.
As Christians now, we may feel far removed from this passage. After all, we would never call for Jesus’ death over Barabbas (sarcasm heavily implied). In reality, we often choose a Jesus alternative (a Jesus bar Abbas) over Jesus on a daily basis. How often do we prioritize something we think will save us, when we need true salvation and redemption through Jesus?
If we truly are honest with ourselves, we may realize how often we call upon Jesus Barabbas, idols and solutions that don’t last, instead of the true solution: Jesus himself.
A Temporary Solution
Barabbas was most likely a freedom fighter who had taken his zealous actions too far. He shared a name with Jesus, but the similarities stopped there. Instead of receiving the punishment he ought due to his actions, Jesus takes his place and receives Barabbas’ warranted punishment.
The Jewish people saw Barabbas as the solution to his problems. Besides traditional accounts, where Barabbas dies in another insurrection, we don’t hear much else about this freedom fighter.
Perhaps because he only provided a temporary solution and not a lasting one, like Jesus had. He fought against Rome, and Jesus fought against sin.