Then they shouted in return, 'Not this man, but Barabbas!' Now Barabbas was a bandit — The crowd's violent preference for Barabbas (whose name ironically means "son of the father") over Jesus constitutes rejection of Jesus' kingship in favor of Zealot resistance. "Bandit" (lēstēs) designates revolutionary or insurrectionist rather than common thief, suggesting Barabbas embodied anti-Roman resistance. The irony: those demanding a violent liberator reject the true deliverer, whose kingdom transcends political categories.

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