Pietro Sarubbi was cast to play Barabbas, the prisoner the crowd chose to free instead of Jesus.
But one scene in The Passion of the Christ became far more than acting for him.
Director Mel Gibson had reportedly instructed Sarubbi not to look directly at Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus, until the moment Barabbas was released.
Then came the scene.
Barabbas turned.
Jesus looked at him.
And Sarubbi says something happened inside him.
He later described the encounter as feeling like an electric current and said the experience began a profound spiritual journey that eventually led him deeper into Christian faith.
Looking back, Sarubbi explained it this way:
“while i was playing barabbas, the holy spirit used one man to look at another man.”
He said he could hardly imagine that an actor portraying Jesus could look at him in a way that would turn his soul “upside-down.”
Sarubbi has also been clear that conversion did not suddenly make him perfect. Rather, his encounter with Christ began changing the direction of his life. He later created faith-inspired theatre and has spoken about trying to see others through the eyes of Christ.
There is something deeply symbolic about his story.
He played Barabbas, the guilty man who walked free while Jesus went toward the cross.
And Christians see themselves in that story too.
We were guilty.
Christ took our place.
We received grace.
“but god demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, christ died for us.” — romans 5:8
we are all Barabbas. jesus took our place.