READ: ISAIAH 53:3-12; MATTHEW 27:15-26; ROMANS 5:6-11; 8:15

I love names. I’m a fiction writer, and every time I start a new book, I have to choose character names. Sometimes one just lands on the character from the very beginning and sticks, but other times I have to do in-depth research about name meanings to pinpoint the name that’s just right.

God also likes using names with meanings! The Bible often outright tells us what people’s names mean, but sometimes it doesn’t, even when a name is significant. So it’s left to us to pay attention—and do some research. And that’s the case with today’s passage.

You may have heard about Barabbas—he might even make it into your church’s yearly Easter service. When Jesus was taken to be crucified, the governor offered to release one prisoner to the people, as was his tradition during Passover. The people opted for Barabbas—a revolutionary and rebel—to be released instead of Jesus. Barabbas, who had actually committed a crime worthy of crucifixion according to Roman law. Barabbas, who deserved to die.

Barabbas’s name is pretty simple to break down: bar and abbas. In Hebrew, bar means “son of,” and you may have heard abba before—it means father. Put it together, and Barabbas means “son of the father,” or even “son of a father.”

Every son is a son of a father, meaning Barabbas is…anyone. And if we look at his story, it’s true—Barabbas is like every single one of us. Barabbas sinned, and he deserved death, just as we do. But Jesus, through God’s great mercy for us, took the penalty for our crimes. Though He did no wrong, the Son of God died in Barabbas’s place…and my place, and your place. Then He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death to save us and adopt us into God’s family.

Barabbas lived out our story. He walked away, set free by the Son. And if we’ve put our trust in Jesus, that’s who we are: beloved sons and daughters of the Father, set free from the power of sin and death, forever. • Hannah Ruth Johnson

• Consider taking some time to read Barabbas’s story slowly, and imagine yourself in his shoes. What do you notice? How do you feel?

• If you know Jesus, you have a new identity—you are a son or daughter of the Father, beloved and free. When do you struggle to remember your true identity? Consider taking some time to talk to Jesus about this. Additionally, who is a trusted Christian in your life you could talk with?

Yet God, in His grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:24 (NLT)