son of the father

His name was Barabbas. 

We are told he was a murderer and a notorious thief.  He was an insurrectionist.  In other words, he was a terrorist in the eyes of the Romans.  A freedom fighter, if you will.  But, a criminal no less.

Tradition had it that one criminal might be released back to the Jewish people each year at Passover.  Whether the Roman Governor did this in order to win their favor, well, only God knows.

His name was Barabbas:  son of the father.

His sins were many.

There was another man that went by the name of Jesus.

We are told that He was perfection and peace.  King and Son.  He lived his life doing only what His Father told Him to do.  He was a freedom fighter against the war of sin.  But not a criminal.

His name was Jesus:  he often referred to Himself as the Son of the Father.

He knew no sin.

One took the place of the other.

The Son of the Father paid the price for the son of the father.

The criminal was set free because Christ became the substitute.

How ironic that the people chose the freedom of Barabbas over the freedom of Christ that day.

And yet, what a glorious picture of substitution we behold.