The Cause of Barabbas and Jesus
- Feb 11
- 3 min read
I have always been fascinated with the person of Barabbas, and why the crowd choose a murderer over Jesus. I found out there was more to this man than I previous thought. I wrote a Facebook post that explains the why:
The name Barabbas was known among the people during the trial of Jesus, mainly because he was a Zealot who rebelled against Roman occupation. Being in opposition to Roman rule could have made him the better choice among the people for Pilot to release, rather than Jesus of Nazareth. Barabbas and Jesus were both revolutionaries fighting for freedom. One fought for freedom from government tyranny, while the other fought for the freedom from the tyranny of sin. Barabbas was the choice of the people. Not much is said of Barabbas following that day, but Jesus had a legacy that changed the world. Barabbas saw government as the problem, while Jesus saw sin as the problem. Not much has changed … government is still a problem, no one fixes it, but Jesus did fix the problem with sin. Amen. ~Larry Kutzler, Facebook Post
What About Your Cause?
Barabbas has always been symbolically identified as the sinful humanity that was released, leaving Jesus to take his and our punishment. Even though that is true, Barabbas was more than just a murderer … he was fighting for something that was important to him, so much so, that he gave up his life to pursuit it. Now, I am not making the case that Barabbas was a principled man, I am not, but he had a cause that captured his life. In like manner, Jesus had a cause as well. His cause was to fulfill the will of His Father who sent Him to redeem all humanity by the sacrifice of His life.
I wondered, as I write this, if the causes in my life have captured me in a way that could cost me my life. It is sobering to ask that question, and often we don’t ask it because we don’t want to know the answer. For me, the cause of Christ and His message would be worth dying for, but at this point, I don’t have a threat that would take my life, so it is easy to say. Yet, do I live out my life in such a way that my influence in what I believe could bring me before the authorities of the land?
One of my concerns is someday the cause of our faith may bring us into question before the masses, and we would be seen as subversive to the freedom of a secular society. It could happen, especially if our cause affects society. Take Charlie Kirk for example … he died because his cause was affecting young people.
Last Words
I have said, “If your cause is worth living for, your cause will be worth dying for.” What cause are you living for today? I believe the greatest cause is the cause of how you will spend eternity … that is the cause Jesus came to fulfill. Knowing Jesus is a cause that transcends this life into the next and makes eternity with God possible for all who believe. Is that your cause today?
Challenging the Culture with Truth … Larry Kutzler