How did the Lord lose and ultimately win over Barabbas?

Today is Easter Sunday, the Lord has risen. The gospel today is taken from John 20:1 -9, and from Matthew 28: 1 - 10 as well as from Luke 24:13 - 30. The Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ is the central doctrine and the core dogma of the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church. But, even as we rejoice today, it is apropos for us, the millions of faithful, to continue contemplating on the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord. One specific thing that often touches me is how did Christ lose to a convicted criminal Barabbas.

Who was Barabbas?  How did he win in the viva voce election in front of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, the prefect of Judaea? Well, today, there are many Barabbases running for public offices and I'm afraid some of them may yet win by schemes and machinations usually perpetrated by the modern scribes and Pharisees. According to the encyclopedia Britannica, Barabbas was a son of a teacher who became a rebel. St Matthew (27:16) described him as a convicted prisoner. John (18:40) called him a bandit. Luke (23:19) wrote that Barabbas was in prison with other rebels who committed murders during the Jewish insurrection against the occupying Roman forces.

According to the four evangelists of the New Testament, Barabbas won over Jesus when Pontius Pilate called for a vote between the two arrested accused. Jesus was accused of treason, Barabbas was a common criminal and a rebel. It was the tradition among the Jews to give a pardon to one prisoner before the Jewish feast of the Passover. The crowds voted overwhelmingly for Barabbas. That was the result of the vote-buying, the threats, the intimidation and pressures exerted by the high priests, Caiphas and Annas as well as manipulations by the scribes and Pharisees.

The same crowds who shouted alleluia when Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday are the same people who cried: Crucify Him on the eve of Good Friday. These were the same people who were treated and cured by Jesus, the same people who were inspired by His parables, the same people who hailed Him as the Messiah. They were under the strong domination of the evil politicians of those days. The apostles already fled fearing for their lives. Only John, the beloved remained, along with Mary, the Mother and Mary, the Magdalene. They lost to the manipulated crowds.

In the next month's elections, I am afraid, that the manipulation of the crowds by the “trapos” and family dynasties will most probably be reenacted in many provinces and towns of the land. But ultimately, the good ones shall prevail, as Jesus ultimately won over Barabbas by His glorious resurrection. In the same manner, the good candidates will have their day of victory over the evil ones at the proper time.