Numbers 35:31
31 ” ‘Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death.
This is from the commands of the LORD given to Moses before they entered into Caanan, the promised land. What’s significant about this passage? I suddenly thought of Good Friday and Jesus and Barabbas. Jesus and Barabbas were held by the Roman government. Mark 15:7 says that Barabbas was with a group of prisoners who were responsible for a riot where someone was killed, so he was a murderer. The custom was to release someone before the feast days (Passover). Pilate offers Jesus or Barabbas. And here’s the tie-in – Barabbas is a murderer, and yet he is “ransomed” by Jesus. The crowd wants to kill Jesus in the place of Barabbas. This is a direct contradiction of the OT teachings. Surely the Pharisees knew about that, and yet they didn’t prevent it.
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