Imagine that you were behind bars, on death row, just waiting for that dreaded moment when your life would be snuffed out from you. Your execution is sealed—a certain end to your life’s journey. But all of a sudden, something shifts! Something phenomenal happens. You receive the unexpected news that you’ve been pardoned and that you can go free—all because someone decided to die in your place—just to give you a second chance to get it right! This is the story of Bar Abba (also known as Barabbas), whose place was taken by Messiah YAHUSHUA, Sovereign of the Yahudim!
Here is what the Scripture says:
Now it was the governor’s custom at the feast [Passover] to release to the crowd a prisoner of their choosing. At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner named Bar Abba.
So when the crowd had assembled, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Bar Abba, or YAHUSHUA who is called Messiah?” For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed YAHUSHUA over to him.
While Pilate was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him this message: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered terribly in a dream today because of Him.”
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Bar Abba and to have YAHUSHUA put to death.
“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Bar Abba,” they replied.
“What then should I do with YAHUSHUA who is called Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Impale Him!”
“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Impale Him!”
The above account is taken from MattithYahu (Matthew) 27:15-23. The books of Mark (15:6-15), Luke (23:18-25), John (18:39-40), and Acts (3:14) also provide insights into what happened.
The Scriptures don’t provide any more information about Bar Abba beyond the cited text we’ve included here. We don’t know for certain whether Bar Abba seized the opportunity to change his life or whether he continued in his murderous ways. We only know that Messiah took his place, so he didn’t have to die the second death.
Bar Abba, which appears to be a nickname and not his real name, means “son of the father” in Aramaic, a cousin language to Hebrew. The fundamental lesson in Messiah’s death on the torture stake is that He took the place of all children of the Most High as a substitionary sacrifice for our sins. Just as He took the place of Bar Abba and gave him a second chance to choose eternal life, so did Messiah take our place when He died, so we don’t have to die the second death.
