The Crowd Chose Barabbas—But God Chose You
When the crowd chose Barabbas over Jesus, they chose rebellion over righteousness. Discover the deeper meaning and how God’s mercy still chooses you.
📜 The Crowd Chose Barabbas
The moment Pilate offered the people a choice between Jesus Christ and Barabbas was more than a political spectacle—it was a reflection of the human heart throughout history. In one corner stood Jesus, innocent and righteous. In the other, Barabbas, a known criminal. And yet, the crowd shouted for Barabbas.
📖 Matthew 27:21 – “The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.”
🔎 This moment wasn’t just about one man being freed—it was about humanity choosing sin over salvation, rebellion over righteousness.
And yet, while man chose wrongly—God chose us. This is a story about rejection, mercy, and love beyond understanding.
Who Was Barabbas?
Barabbas was a notorious prisoner, a rebel and murderer (Mark 15:7). He represents the guilty—those who deserve judgment.
✔ He was part of an uprising against Roman authority.
✔ He had blood on his hands, yet he walked free.
✔ In every way, he is a picture of us—guilty before God, in need of mercy.
📖 Luke 23:19 – “[Barabbas] who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.”
🔎 Barabbas did not earn his freedom. He received it at the cost of an innocent man.
Why Did the Crowd Choose Barabbas?
Blindness to Truth
✔ The people had seen Jesus heal, teach, and perform miracles.
✔ Yet their hearts were hardened. They were swayed by the religious leaders.
✔ They chose a man of violence over the Prince of Peace.
📖 John 1:11 – “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”
🔎 This rejection was foretold—and still echoes today.
A Symbol of Human Nature
✔ Mankind has always chosen the world over the Word.
✔ We choose temporary satisfaction over eternal salvation.
✔ The crowd chose Barabbas because he represented their rebellion—and that seemed more appealing than righteousness.
📖 Isaiah 53:3 – “He is despised and rejected of men…”
🔎 The rejection of Jesus was not just historical—it’s personal and spiritual.
God’s Choice Is Different – A Love Story of Redemption
While the crowd shouted for rebellion, God whispered redemption. In the face of betrayal and injustice, God responded with a divine love that overcomes the worst of humanity.
📖 Romans 5:8 – “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
🔎 God did not wait for us to be worthy—He loved us at our worst.
✔ Where man chose violence, God chose peace.
✔ Where man chose darkness, God sent the Light.
✔ Where man chose Barabbas, God chose the cross.
This is not just a story of injustice—it is the greatest love story ever told.
📖 1 John 4:10 – “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
🔎 The cross wasn’t reaction—it was God’s eternal plan to redeem those who rejected Him.
Even in the moment when humanity shouted its rejection, heaven was orchestrating a rescue mission.
📖 Isaiah 53:5 – “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities…”
🔎 Every wound Jesus bore was a declaration: ‘I still choose you.’
This is a divine reversal—the innocent dies so the guilty may live. Jesus’ silence before Pilate was not weakness, but willingness—He laid down His life so we could rise with Him.
📖 John 15:13 – “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
🔎 And yet, Jesus laid down His life not just for friends—but for those that hated him (Romans 5:10).
The Mirror of Barabbas
Barabbas is not just a character in a story—he’s a mirror. He shows us who we are without Christ:
✔ Bound in sin.
✔ Deserving of judgment.
✔ Powerless to save ourselves.
✔ Freed only by the mercy of the innocent Lamb.
📖 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
🔎 Jesus took the place of every Barabbas—past, present, and future.
The Crowd Still Speaks Today
Every day, the world still cries, “Give us Barabbas!”
✔ The world still chooses sin over sanctity.
✔ It prefers pride over repentance.
✔ Entertainment over holiness.
✔ Flesh over Spirit.
📖 Galatians 6:7-8 – “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption…”
🔎 The voices may change—but the heart remains the same without Christ.
🔥 Powerful Irony:
📖 Barabbas means “son of the father” (Bar = son, Abba = father).
The crowd chose Barabbas, a false “son of the father”, over Jesus, the true Son of the Father. Prophetic and heartbreaking.
💡 Final Reflection: He Chose You
While the crowd shouted for Barabbas, God was shouting something louder through the cross:
📖 Isaiah 43:1 – “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”
✔ You were chosen.
✔ You were loved before the crowd ever spoke.
✔ Jesus took your place—not out of obligation, but out of overwhelming love.
📖 1 Peter 2:24 – “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree…”
The crowd chose Barabbas—but God chose you.
🚀 Will you now choose Him?