Barabbas… Bar-Abbas. Bar means “Son.” Abbas… Abba… means daddy. Abba is a name Jesus used to refer to God. Barabbas means “Son of the father.” Jesus was the REAL Bar-Abbas (Son of The Father… God). Interesting… (Picture is from The Passion).
Barabbas was a nefarious individual. He was part of an insurrection and possibly a murderer. At the very least he was a robber. By all accounts Barabbas was a low-life, a bottom feeder, an evil common criminal on death row. BUT…
There was a custom that each year at Passover one person was set free from prison. So Pilate found the worst criminal he could and let the people choose who to let go, Barabbas or Jesus. A criminal, or a man he knew was innocent. Pilate thought surely they’d choose Jesus. But they didn’t. They chose the worst criminal of their day… Barabbas.
Thus the last prisoner set free by Jesus before his death was Barabbas… Bar-Abbas… Son of The Father. The REAL Son of The Father (Jesus), was condemned to die. The next two Jesus would set free would be a thief on a cross and a Roman soldier.