LANGUAGE:
Easter 2024
I Am Jesus Barabbas[i]
(Monologue)
(Luke 23:18–25: Matt 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; John 18:39–19:16)
My name is Jesus Barabbas.[ii] I am an insurrectionist, a murderer, a revolutionary. My friends Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all mention me in their writings. As surely as my name is Jesus Barabbas, I despised and hated the Romans. But something happened on March 31, 30AD. It was on the hill called The Skull that my life was changed.
Let me tell you my story.
To begin with, you need to know that I am a devout Jew. Mary and I went to the same school together. Together we studied the law and the prophets. But at some point our paths separated, and we lost touch with each other. But I can tell you this, we both longed for the day that the Messiah would come and overthrow the Romans.
There came a time I could no longer wait for the promised Messiah. I had heard of a group known as the Zealots, and began hanging out with them. They preached revolution against Rome. I became their leader, raising and training an army of Jewish resistance. One of my trainees was Simon the Zealot.
As we wandered the countryside, we met up John the Baptist. On more than one occasion we sat around his camp fire eating locust dipped in honey,[iii] and listening to his take on the one known as Jesus of Nazareth. I like John the Baptist. Even though he preached repentance and something about the Kingdom of God, He boldly criticized the religious establishment, including King Herod, Pilate, and Rome.
I remember one time Simon the Zealot and myself joined a huge crowd by the Jordan river. People from all over had come to hear my friend John the Baptist. Something really strange happened that day. John the Baptist was preaching to a large crowd from Jerusalem. Me and Simon enjoyed watching the religious leaders squirm under his sharp tongue. [iv] In the middle of his sermon he sees a man walking along the path and yells out, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.!![v] I later learned that His name was Jesus of Nazareth. Now that’s a hillbilly town if there ever was one.
I began listening to this Jesus. He was fascinating. I followed Him for a time. But became perplexed with His teachings. He sought no soldiers. He organized no army. All he did was talk, heal, feed and raise people from the dead. He talked with everybody. It didn’t matter whether they were bad Jews, good Jews, or Romans. But one thing was for sure, He didn’t talk of a revolution against Roman. Instead He talked about love and compassion, righteousness and forgiveness. From my perspective, it was nonsense, and I grew more impatient.
Then one-day word came King Herod had taken John the Baptist put him in prison. He didn’t like what he was preaching. Months later at one of His wild parties he had John’s head cut off.[vi] That really ticked me off, John was my friend. Right then I had had it with the religious establishment and Rome.
My Zealot movement needed money. I got six of my friends together. I knew where there was a lot of money, so I decided to rob the temple treasury. It was the time of Passover and the city was filling up with Jewish pilgrims. We’d hope that the confusion of the crowds would improve our chances of success.
The treasury was located in the temple complex in a guarded vault. Our plan was to overpower the guards and force our entry into the vault. But things did not go as we had planned. We managed to sneak in and surprised the initial guards. We finished them off easily. But when we reached the treasury vault, we were surprised to see an army of Roman soldiers. We fought bravely, managing to kill four of them, but four of my men were also killed. Myself and two of my friends were overpowered, beaten and thrown into prison.
I envied my four friends who had been killed. Their deaths were quick and noble. But my fate and that of my friends not so good. The sentence for killing a Roman citizen was death by crucifixion, and I had killed many. I had seen many a man hung on crosses in indescribable pain for deeds lesser than mine for days on end. I knew that the death facing me would be most humiliating and painful. I tried to think of other things, but I could only think of the pain of the spikes being driven through my hands and then my feet.
I began praying to God, asking that I die quickly and not suffer for days as I had seen others do. I tried to be brave and comfort my two comrades, but I knew that their thoughts were the same as mine. We would soon be put on display and die a painful death. I could hear the grim reaper’s hellish laughter. My own sins haunted me. My rebellious heart, the ways I dishonored my father, the money I’d stolen. I thought to myself, “Barabbas, you fool! You’re going to die and no one will weep for you. You can’t blame them.” I’m going mad with fear.
I heard the crowds shouting, “Crucify him, Crucify him”!!! .[vii]
Moments later I heard the unmistakable sound of Roman boots thundering down the hall toward our cell. Soon we would be forced to take up our crosses.
They opened our cell door and directed us to Pontius Pilate’s courtyard. There a Centurion was waiting. The crowds were still roaring, but instead of Crucify Him, Crucify Him, I heard, “Not this one, but Barabbas!” “Not this one, but Barabbas!”[viii] I thought, why are they shouting my name?
The Centurion pulled me aside and told the soldiers to take away my two comrades. As they disappeared out of sight, he said to me, "You may go, You are Free!!!! You will not die as deserved. Jesus of Nazareth will take your place on the cross." I was stunned. I left the courtyard in a daze. I stumbled into the street, and found myself being carried by the crowd.
At the hill called The Skull. I was shocked by the scene. Three crosses, and on two of those crosses were my comrades!! Between them was this Jesus of Nazareth. Above His head was a sign, “King of he Jews”.[ix] I suspect that was Pilate’s jab at our hatred of Rome. In fact, on several occasions we had tried to make Him our King.[x] And now, the King of our hopes was about to die.
Standing at the foot of the crosses, I found myself staring into the eyes of my comrades. They yelled angry at me--they on the cross, and me standing free with no explanation. They spate at me, they cursed me, then turned their anger on Jesus of Nazareth. It was a horrible way to die.
As they hung on the crosses the jeers and shouts of the crowd became almost deafening. Then the noise died down, and I heard Him, the one called Jesus of Nazareth, His voice was strong, Father, forgiven them, for they do not know what they are doing.[xi] Then I heard one of my guys rebuke the other, then turning to Jesus said, "Remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.[xii] Whoa, did I miss something? What was my comrade in crime saying?
Then I looked into the eyes of Jesus. Although his face was bloodied and bruised, His eyes were clear and gentle, compassionate and full of love. His eyes locked onto mine. It was as if He could see deep into my very soul. In my mind, I kept hearing the Centurion, “This man is innocent. He is dying in your place.” The Man, looking down at me with eyes of love, was hanging on the cross meant for me. An innocent man dying in my place. I felt as though my heart would burst. I wanted to scream, “OH GOD, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!”
What about this man who died in my place? He was innocent, I was guilty. Yet he took my death so that I could live.[xiii] Can such love really die?
My thoughts were interrupted. Suddenly pitch black darkness swept over the land, the most horrible earthquake I have ever felt shook the ground, and I heard the Centurion say, Truly, this man was the Son of God!!![xiv] It was then that this Son of God cried out ‘It is finished’! I thought those were strange words for a dying man to say.
The crucifixion lasted until late afternoon. As the crowds broke up I left to be alone with my thoughts. I came to a quiet place by the sea of Galilee. Four days past. Still numb from what I’d seen, felt and heard, a voice pierced the cool morning air, "Jesus Barabbas"! I knew that voice. It was my friend Simon the Zealot.
I stumbled to my feet. He threw his arms around me and gave me a bear hug, saying, "I knew I would find you here. Have you heard the news?" Before I could answer, laughing like a crazy man, he yelled, "He’s alive Barabbas!!!! He’s alive!!! He has risen from the dead!![xv]
I thought to myself, "Simon, you are out of your mind. No one could survive what that man went through". To top it all off, I saw the Roman thrust his spear into His side. Simon, He’s dead!
Simon shook my shoulders. Looking straight into my eyes, he said it again--"Barabbas, He’s alive, He’s really alive" But how? Alive? How can this be?
Then I remembered the words of the Centurion: Truly this man was the Son of God!!!
Again Simon interrupted my thoughts. He remembered Jesus telling him and the others, The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people, be crucified, and come back to life on the third day.” [xvi] Then Simon told me Jesus had met up with Mary.[xvii] And He had met up with Peter, and a couple of guys on the road to Emmaus.[xviii] And what He had said to Martha days earlier, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.[xix]
Simon’s tone changed. He now pleaded with me, “Believe it, Barabbas”!!! He came to save His people from their sins. [xx] I knew that I was a sinner. I wondered, what does one do with their sins?
Then I heard Simon, "Confess your sins and ask Him to be your Messiah, and believe in your heart that God really raised Him from the dead. If you do that, sin will no longer be your master. He will remove the rage within you. He died to free you from sin’s guilt"[xxi].
Aaah, the Lord knows, my sins were great. I longed for the freedom Simon spoke of. And so I confessed, believed. Suddenly the burden of sin rolled off my shoulders, the rage within me began to fade. Jesus of Nazareth, the freedom fighter, by His death and resurrection set me free from the rage with in, from sins guilt. That inner freedom I so desperately wanted began to swell up within me. If it had not been for Jesus death and resurrection that day my rage within would have gone on and consumed me.
Simon broke into my thoughts again. He remembered Jesus saying, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.(xxii)
You know what is so strange? My name is Jesus Barabbas. Barabbas means son of the Father. I became a freedom fighter, fighting against tyranny, fighting against political oppression, I wanted freedom from irresponsible temple leadership. There I stood, deserving death, but now free?! By being a freedom fighter, I thought I would be set free from the rage within. But the man on the cross, the one they called Jesus of Nazareth, I began to realize that He was the freedom fighter of all time. But the freedom He fought and died for was freedom from powers far stronger than my agenda.
Folks, I can testify, He is really alive and by His death and resurrection He gives real freedom. I want you to know that the freedom I experienced that day can be your freedom also. All you have to do is, declare that Jesus is your Lord, your Messiah Savior; and believing that God brought him back to life, you can have a life of freedom from the rage within. By believing you will receive God’s approval, and by believing in Him you will be saved from sin’s condemnation. For as it is written “Whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.”(xxiii)
I’ll never forget that Easter in 30 AD. I tell you my story so that you would believe that Jesus is the Messiah Savior, the Son of the everlasting God, and that in the act of believing you can have a life of freedom freedom from the tyranny of sin, freedom from the rage within, freedom from the fear of death, and freedom from the power of Satan. You can go on living as you are, a prisoner of your own choosing or accept the freedom He offers that lasts for time without end.
If the weight of your sins are weighing you down, look deeply into the loving eyes of the living Son of God, who, by rising from the dead, broke sins death grip on your life. How about asking Jesus to make this Easter the day you became free?
Let me close with a short prayer. -- Father, thank you that Jesus delivered us from our sins through his suffering on the cross. You sent him into the world for the falling or rising of every person. Help us to take hold of him by faith and be lifted up! And make this Easter season a memory that we will never forget. Amen
[i] https://gracetruth.blog/2022/04/14/barabbas-good-friday/ https://www.ronsumners.org/post/barabbas-a-monologue
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=5994980730585894, Colin Smith, Heaven, How I Got Here, https://www.kevinhalloran.net/watch-the-evangelistic-film-heaven-how-i-got-here-this-holy-week/
[ii] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005), Mt 27:16, in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas. an additional name assigned to Barabbas (Mt 27:16, 17, apparatus);
[iii] Matthew 3:4 (NASB95) 4Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
[iv] Matthew 3:7–12 (NASB95) 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8“Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10“The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
[v] John 1:29 (NASB95) 29The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
[vi] Mark 6:14–29 (NASB95) 14And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” 15But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!” 17For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Phili, because he had married her. 18For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”
19Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so; 20for Herod was afraid of John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed; but he used to enjoy listening to him. 21A strategic day came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his lords and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee; 2and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 23And he swore to her, “Whatever you ask of me, I will give it to you; up to half of my kingdom.” 24And she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25Immediately she came in a hurry to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26And although the king was very sorry, yet because of his oaths and because of his dinner guests, he was unwilling to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, 28and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb.
[vii] Matthew 27:22 (NASB95) Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Crucify Him!”
[viii] Luke 23:18 (NASB95) 18But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” John 18:39–40 (NASB95) 39“But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover; do you wish then that I release for you the King of the Jews?”
40So they cried out again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.
[ix] Luke 23:38 (NASB95) 38Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
[x] John 6:15 (NASB95) 15So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. CF., John 18:36–37 (NASB95) 36Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” 37Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
[xi] Luke 23:34 (NASB95) 34But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.
[xii] Luke 23:40–42 (NASB95) 40But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41“And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”
[xiii] John 3:16 (NASB95) 16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
[xiv] Luke 23:47 (NASB95) 47Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.”
[xv] Matthew 28:5–7 (NASB95) 5The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
[xvi] Luke 24:7 (NASB95) 7saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.”
[xvii] John 20:18 (NASB95) 18Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
[xviii] Luke 24:15 (NASB95) 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.
[xix] John 11:25–26 (NASB95) 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
[xx] Matthew 1:21 (NASB95) “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Acts 5:31 (NASB95) 31“He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
[xxi] Romans 10:9–11 (NASB95) 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” (GW)
[xxii) John 14:6 (NASB95) 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
(xxiii) Romans 10:11, For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”