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ODMPOD

I am BARABBAS

I am BARABBAS

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That’s a powerful message. The idea that “every Christian is Barabbas” is not about shaming believers—it’s about magnifying grace. Let’s go deeper historically, biblically, and theologically.

1. Who Was Barabbas — Really?

All four Gospels mention him (Matthew 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 18).

What we know:

  • He was a notorious prisoner (Matthew 27:16).

  • He committed murder in an insurrection (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19).

  • John 18:40 calls him a robber (Greek: lēstēs), a word often used for violent revolutionaries, not petty thieves.

Barabbas wasn’t just a criminal — he was a violent rebel against Rome.

2. The Shocking Exchange

Pilate offers the crowd a choice:

  • Jesus (innocent, called “King of the Jews”)

  • Barabbas (guilty, actual rebel)

The crowd chooses Barabbas.

And here’s the staggering moment:

The guilty man goes free.
The innocent man is condemned.

Barabbas deserved the cross.
Jesus took it instead.

This is substitution in narrative form.

3. The Meaning Behind His Name (Deep Insight)

“Barabbas” means:

  • Bar = son of

  • Abba = father

So his name literally means:

“Son of the Father”

Now think about that.

The true Son of the Father (Jesus) takes the place of a man called “son of the father.”

It’s almost symbolic — almost theatrical in divine irony.

One son of the father is guilty.
The true Son of the Father dies in his place.

This is the Gospel in a single scene.

4. Why Christians Say “We Are Barabbas”

Because spiritually:

  • We are guilty (Romans 3:23)

  • We deserve judgment (Romans 6:23)

  • Christ takes our place (Isaiah 53:5–6)

  • We go free because He is condemned

Barabbas is a living picture of substitutionary atonement.

He didn’t repent.
He didn’t ask.
He didn’t promise to change.
He simply walked free because Jesus took his cross.

That’s grace.

5. The Deeper Layers

A. The Great Exchange

2 Corinthians 5:21:

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us…”

Barabbas shows us:

  • The innocent treated as guilty

  • The guilty treated as innocent

That’s the cross.

B. The Crowd and the Human Heart

The crowd preferred:

  • A violent revolutionary

  • Over a peaceful Savior

We often prefer:

  • Power over humility

  • Control over surrender

  • Political deliverance over spiritual redemption

Barabbas represents what humanity naturally chooses.

C. The Silent Man

Scripture never records a word from Barabbas.

Imagine the scene:

  • He expected execution.

  • Instead, his chains are removed.

  • The man next to him is taken to die.

No speech.
No recorded gratitude.
Just freedom.

It mirrors how many receive grace without fully grasping its cost.

6. Theological Depth: Substitution & Identification

Barabbas doesn’t just represent sinners in general — he represents you personally.

The cross he was supposed to carry?
Jesus carried that very cross.

This means:
The wood meant for Barabbas became the altar of salvation.

It wasn’t abstract.
It was specific.
It was physical.
It was personal.

7. A More Sobering Angle

There’s another layer many sermons don’t explore:

Barabbas walked free…
but we don’t know what he did with that freedom.

Grace always creates a question:

Now that you’ve been released — what will you do?

Christianity isn’t just:
“I am Barabbas.”

It’s:
“I was Barabbas — but now I follow the One who took my place.”

8. Why This Idea Is So Emotionally Powerful

Because it removes religious pride.

You are not the hero in the Passion story.

You are:

  • Not the faithful disciple

  • Not the brave martyr

  • Not the innocent observer

You are the guilty one released.

And Jesus is the innocent one condemned.

That humbles the heart.

9. Final Reflection

If you stand in Barabbas’ sandals, imagine:

The prison door opens.
Your name is called.
Your chains fall.
You step into daylight.
Behind you, you hear the hammer.

That’s the Gospel.

If you would like to go deeper just DM us or email us....

Gender: Unisex
Model: Loose
Fabric:100% cotton
Fabric Weight: 5.6 oz/yd² (190 g/m²)
Fabric Thickness: Moderate
Fabric Stretch: Slight Stretch
Care Instructions: Machine wash at 30°C (gentle cycle); Do not bleach; Tumble dry low; Iron at low temperature, avoid ironing on print; Do not dry clean
Features: Casual, Basics, Daily Casual, Outdoor, Home, Pure Cotton, Short Sleeve, Drop Shoulder, Round Neck / O-Neck, Regular, Loose, Summer
Print Size:40*52cm
Notes: Batch variations are normal due to factors like temperature and materials, and we strive to minimize these differences as much as possible. We appreciate your understanding.

 

Size Chart

S M L XL 2XL
inch inch inch inch inch
Chest 22.4  23.6  24.8  26.0  27.2 
Length 28.0  28.7  29.5  30.3  31.1 
Shoulder 20.9  22.0  23.2  24.4  25.6 
Sleeve length 8.7  9.1  9.4  9.8  10.2 
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