The exchange of prisoners in Matthew 27 is a Passover scene.  One man goes to his death, the other goes free.  Both are “sons of the Father,” so we can say that one son goes to death and the other goes free.

In the original Passover, of course, Israel’s son is delivered, Egypt’s son dies.  In a sense this is what happens in Pilate’s court.  Israel’s favorite son, Barabbas, Israel’s firstborn, is delivered from the Egyptian slavery of Roman imprisonment.  That’s how Barabbas would see it, and probably many of the Jews.  Something to celebrate at Passover: A nationalist Jew saved from the empire was something extra to celebrate at the feast.

That means Jesus is the son of Egypt, the firstborn who goes to death, the firstborn that God takes in place of the firstborn that Pharaoh has attacked.  Jesus is the cursed son.  But once we say that, of course, we realize that the whole situation has been profoundly inverted.  In choosing Barabbas, the Jews are ultimately choosing domination by Rome.  Jesus is the true Son, the true Israel, who is called out of Egypt.  But he is called out of Egypt by first becoming or being treated as the Egyptian son, called out of Egypt by suffering both the death of Egypt’s firstborn and enjoying the resurrection of Israel.