John 18:40

Amharic Tigrinya 2011

ሽዑ ኸም ብሓድሽ ዓው ኢሎም፡ ንበርባን ደኣ እምበር፡ ን አዝስ ኣይኰነን፡ በሉ። በርባን ግና ከታሪ እዩ ዝነበረ።

What Does This Mean?

The crowd shouted that they wanted Barabbas released instead of Jesus. Barabbas was a criminal, known for robbery. This shows the people's preference for a criminal over Jesus.

Explained for Children

Imagine if everyone in your class chose to let the kid who always takes others' lunch money go free instead of helping the nice teacher. That's like what happened here; they wanted Barabbas instead of Jesus, even though he was a bad guy.

Historical Background

John wrote this around 90 AD for early Christians in Asia Minor. The text reflects the tension between Jewish authorities and Roman rulers during Passover celebrations, highlighting the crowd’s role in choosing Barabbas over Jesus.

Living It Out Today

Today, we might choose temporary pleasures or easy choices over doing what is right. Like preferring a quick fix rather than hard work towards our goals.

Topics

• justice
• choice
• salvation
• forgiveness
• freedom
• leadership

Related Verses

• Matthew 27:15-26
• Mark 15:6-15
• Luke 23:18-25
• Romans 3:23
• Psalm 14:1

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did the crowd choose Barabbas over Jesus?

The crowd chose Barabbas because he was a known criminal and they were influenced by the religious leaders who wanted Jesus to be crucified.

What does this passage teach about justice?

This passage highlights how justice can be manipulated by public opinion, showing that true justice often requires standing against popular will for what is right.

How was Barabbas' freedom linked to Jesus' trial?

Barabbas' release was part of a Passover tradition where one prisoner could be freed. The crowd's choice led to the unjust condemnation of an innocent man, Jesus, for Barabbas.

What does this say about human nature?

It suggests that humans can easily choose immediate gratification or a familiar wrong over a better but less understood good, even when it leads to injustice.