15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgement seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
The story of the involvement of Barabbas the robber in the condemnation of Christ is deeply interesting and significant, for unwittingly - he provides a perfect, and we may say, literal illustration of' what has already been said about our Lord's substitutionary work for us. He was an insurrectionist, a violent rebel leader who had at one time led a revolt against Rome, was imprisoned for his crimes and was awaiting execution. It seems likely that already three crosses had been prepared by the authorities, two for the thieves, and one for Barabbas. At all events, Pilate's attempt to bargain with the crowd and the priests made it inevitable that it should be a case of either Barabbas or Jesus to be released. Barabbas knew, as the dying thief knew, that he deserved to die, but when Pilate's offer of clemency to one or the other was made, and the crowd indicated their choice of Barabbas, then, in a very literal sense Jesus took Barabbas' place, and went to the cross prepared for the robber. One can imagine a rough figure - if we may anticipate for a moment - standing on the edge of the crowd gathered at Calvary, and if we could hear him he would be muttering to himself: 'I cannot understand this. I am released, and He has taken my place. That is my cross He is hanging on, prepared for me, for my sins. It was His release that I got. He should have been set free, but I was instead, and because of this He is dying there in my place, for me'. Barabbas, in fact, stands in this story as representative man, man the sinner; and Jesus takes his place.