Here is a short post today about two names in the Bible that are almost always overlooked. The two names are Theophilus and Barabbas.
Theophilus was the man to whom Luke wrote his Gospel account and also the book of Acts. Luke’s purpose in writing to Theophilus was that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed. The name Theophilus means beloved of God or friend of God. Theophilus is a type of every Christian who should know that the reason for the writing of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts is to build their confidence in their faith to the level of absolute certainty (a rock on which to stand). The emotional motivation for these two books is that believers in Jesus Christ are beloved of God. We are Theophilus.
Barabbas was the criminal who was released when Christ was crucified. He was a murderer, an insurrectionist, and a robber as the Gospels describe him. His name means son of the father. We are Barabbas. We are the sinful sons of our father, Adam. The Gospel message is that the Son of the Father is crucified in our place. We were pardoned and released while Christ was crucified in our place. How great is this salvation, how overwhelming His mercy, how free His grace.