βAnd they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:β (Luke 23:18).
One son will be liberated to live, and the other Son will be sentenced to die!
At the time of Christβs trial, Barabbas is a prisoner (Matthew 27:16). Barabbas is a murderer, a robber, and guilty of βinsurrection,β or rebelling against the government (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:18,19; John 18:40).
It is Passover. Roman governor Pontius Pilate has a custom that, at the feast, he releases a prisoner, whomever the people desire (Matthew 27:15; Mark 15:6). βBut 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 crucifiedβ (Matthew 27:20-22).
Israelβs chief priests, rulers, and common people all demand Christβs crucifixion and Barabbasβ release, so Pilate gives the sentence (Luke 23:23-25). Guilty Barabbas is set free to live, and innocent Jesus Christ is condemned to be crucified. While Barabbasβ involvement in the matter seems insignificant upon first glance, God included it in His written Word because to provide us with an amazing illustration!
βBarabbasβ means βson of the father.β Barabbas is a criminal, and he represents sinful, rebellious mankind who is worthy of death. He is bound by sin, and faces eternal death. Spiritually, sinful mankind is the son of Satanβman is of his father the devil (John 8:44). Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, God, βknew no sinβ (2 Corinthians 5:21), but took upon Himself our sins and was punished in our place.
Innocent Jesus Christ took the place of guilty Barabbas, which actually represented Christ taking the place of the whole world, suffering Godβs wrath on our behalf! βFor Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjustβ¦β (1 Peter 3:18). Thus, through Christβs finished crosswork, we sinful sons of Adam (and Satan) can be freed from sin, and we can become the righteous sons of God. source