As Easter nears, I think about two men 91裸聊视频� one who died, and one who didn91裸聊视频檛. Jesus died; Barabbas didn91裸聊视频檛. Or maybe it91裸聊视频檚 the other way around, in the long term.

If 1st century Israel had telephone books, Jesus could not have been listed. He didn91裸聊视频檛 qualify for a last name. Although he is commonly called Jesus Christ, Christ was not his family name. In fact, it91裸聊视频檚 not a name at all. It91裸聊视频檚 a title, an honorific, like 91裸聊视频淩everend91裸聊视频� or 91裸聊视频淧resident.91裸聊视频� Christ 91裸聊视频� Christos in Greek 91裸聊视频� is the term used for the Messiah, the anointed one, the chosen one.

In his culture, sons were identified by their father91裸聊视频檚 name. The prefix 91裸聊视频淏ar91裸聊视频� meant 91裸聊视频渟on of,91裸聊视频� just like 91裸聊视频淢ac91裸聊视频� or 91裸聊视频淢c91裸聊视频� for the Scots, and 91裸聊视频淥91裸聊视频� for the Irish.

The earliest biblical texts describe Jesus only as the son of Mary 91裸聊视频� making him a no-count illegitimate. Later versions legitimize him by providing a human father 91裸聊视频� Joseph, son of Jacob, a descendant of the legendary King David. But Jesus is never, never, described as Jesus Bar-Joseph.

And Jesus himself never refers to Joseph as his father.

He reserves the term 91裸聊视频淔ather91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� in Aramaic, 91裸聊视频渁bba,91裸聊视频� better translated by our familiar 91裸聊视频淒addy91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频� for his relationship with God. John91裸聊视频檚 gospel regularly pairs Jesus with a divine father. Jesus spends almost two chapters of that gospel exploring the intimacy of his relationship with his Father, meaning God.

By a cruel irony, when governor Pontius Pilate offers to free Jesus as a goodwill gesture for the Jewish Passover, an angry crowd demands that he release, instead, a thief and murderer named 91裸聊视频淏arabbas.91裸聊视频� Barabbas 91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频渢he son of the father91裸聊视频�.

And so the man who said 91裸聊视频淭he Father and I are one91裸聊视频� was executed on a trumped-up charge of claiming to be King of the Jews, while the man named 91裸聊视频淪on of the Father91裸聊视频� was set free. The coincidence is so keen, it almost demands further exploration.

Did the freed Barabbas go to Golgotha, to the hill of many skulls, to watch his stand-in die?

What did it do to him, to know that he was alive only because an innocent person took his place? Was he haunted by guilt? Did it change his life? Or did he grab his unexpected freedom with both hands and scamper out of Jerusalem, away from the unholy liaison between Temple and Rome, to resume his career of crime?

At least one writer has felt inspired to look at life through the eyes of the man who didn91裸聊视频檛 get executed. Par Lagerkvist wrote a 1950 novel called Barabbas.

A commentary describes the novel as founded on thesis and antithesis 91裸聊视频� similarities and contrasts. Jesus dies first; Barabbas dies later. Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem; Barabbas, in Rome. Jesus talks to God; Barabbas, to darkness. Barabbas is, in many ways, a modern person. He says he wants to believe, but can91裸聊视频檛 accept the exalted beliefs of early Christians about Resurrection and the Second Coming. What he really believes in is the 91裸聊视频渙paque and remorseless void that surrounds his life.91裸聊视频�

He is a fatalist. Where others find meaning, Barabbas finds only meaninglessness.

Perhaps the novel91裸聊视频檚 central antithesis is that because Barabbas has never known love, he can never understand someone who embodied love.

Author Jim Taylor lives in Lake Country: rewrite@shaw.ca