BARABBAS UNDERSTOOD THE ATONEMENT

Revised from a Middletown Bible Church paper on "Barabbas' Theory of the Atonement" by C. I. Scofield.

Barabbas was condemned to die. No one has ever questioned the justice of his sentence. He was a rebel against the law, a robber, and a murderer. He was under the sentence of death. He was not awaiting trial, but execution by crucifixion. He knew that meant long hours of unspeakable agony, with his hands and feet torn by great spikes, his wrist and shoulder joints dislocated by the dragging down of his body, and experiencing an unquenchable thirst. He would not have to wait long, for he knew that his jailers had prepared three crosses; it was just a matter of time.

But as night fell, the prison was buzzing with talk of something unusual going on. The night dragged on, and at last, it is daylight—the light of his last day! He heard footsteps, the key in the lock, his prison door opened, and just as he had summoned all of his fortitude for the ordeal which awaited him, he heard the joyful words: "You have been set free, Barabbas; another is to die in your place."

As Barabbas emerged into the free, glorious sunshine, the crowd was already surging out toward the Place of the Skull. One can, easily imagine that Barabbas followed the throng, striving eagerly to see the Man who was to die for him. Perhaps it was not until the sound of the hammer driving the nails had ceased, and the cross—Barabbas’ cross—had been raised, that Barabbas saw the Sufferer.

Barabbas knew Him. His substitute was the new Teacher out of Galilee, the Man who spoke as no man had ever spoken. He was the Man whose life had been watched so closely, and yet, no one could rightfully say they had seen Him sin. He had heard that Jesus healed leprosy, had raised Lazarus, and that He fed five thousand men, not to mention the number of women and children, from just five loaves and a few small fishes. Because of these, and like things, Barabbas must have considered this Jesus might really be the Messiah His disciples had proclaimed Him to be.

Barabbas did not need to be a theologian to understand the meaning of the atonement for his sin:

*He knew that he was a sinner, under the righteous condemnation of the law (Luke 23:25). And as a sinner, Barabbas represented all men (Rom. 3:10-20, 23; Gal. 3:10).

*He knew that the Sufferer before him had done no sin (Jn. 8:46; 19:4; 1 Pet. 2:22).

*He knew that Jesus was, for him, a true substitute (Isa. 53:5-6; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:22-24; 3:18).

*He knew that he had done nothing whatsoever to merit Jesus taking his place; it was pure grace (Ps. 69:19-20; Rom. 4:4-5; Eph. 2:4-9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 2:11).

*He knew that Christ’s death for him was complete the instant that his Substitute said, "It is finished" (Jn. 19:30; Rom. 5:19; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14, 20; Heb. 10:10, 14; 1 Jn. 1:7).

I tell you, my brethren, that Barabbas, of all men, understood the atonement!