As Easter nears, I think about two men 香蕉视频直播� one who died, and one who didn香蕉视频直播檛. Jesus died; Barabbas didn香蕉视频直播檛. Or maybe it香蕉视频直播檚 the other way around, in the long term.

If 1st century Israel had telephone books, Jesus could not have been listed. He didn香蕉视频直播檛 qualify for a last name. Although he is commonly called Jesus Christ, Christ was not his family name. In fact, it香蕉视频直播檚 not a name at all. It香蕉视频直播檚 a title, an honorific, like 香蕉视频直播淩everend香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播淧resident.香蕉视频直播� Christ 香蕉视频直播� Christos in Greek 香蕉视频直播� is the term used for the Messiah, the anointed one, the chosen one.

In his culture, sons were identified by their father香蕉视频直播檚 name. The prefix 香蕉视频直播淏ar香蕉视频直播� meant 香蕉视频直播渟on of,香蕉视频直播� just like 香蕉视频直播淢ac香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播淢c香蕉视频直播� for the Scots, and 香蕉视频直播淥香蕉视频直播� for the Irish.

The earliest biblical texts describe Jesus only as the son of Mary 香蕉视频直播� making him a no-count illegitimate. Later versions legitimize him by providing a human father 香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播淔ather香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� in Aramaic, 香蕉视频直播渁bba,香蕉视频直播� better translated by our familiar 香蕉视频直播淒addy香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� for his relationship with God. John香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播淏arabbas.香蕉视频直播� Barabbas 香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播渢he son of the father香蕉视频直播�.

And so the man who said 香蕉视频直播淭he Father and I are one香蕉视频直播� was executed on a trumped-up charge of claiming to be King of the Jews, while the man named 香蕉视频直播淪on of the Father香蕉视频直播� 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 didn香蕉视频直播檛 get executed. Par Lagerkvist wrote a 1950 novel called Barabbas.

A commentary describes the novel as founded on thesis and antithesis 香蕉视频直播� 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 can香蕉视频直播檛 accept the exalted beliefs of early Christians about Resurrection and the Second Coming. What he really believes in is the 香蕉视频直播渙paque and remorseless void that surrounds his life.香蕉视频直播�

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

Perhaps the novel香蕉视频直播檚 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