Click below to download the Cornerstone Connections leader’s guide and student lesson. This week’s resources also include two lesson plans and a discussion starter video which offer different ways of looking at the topic. Each lesson plan includes opening activities, scripture passages, discussion questions, and real-life applications.
The trials Christ endured the night before He was crucified revealed betrayal and injustice on the part of the Jewish legal system as well as cowardice and corruption from the Roman authorities. But Christ was always in complete control.
Scripture Passage
OVERVIEW
Have you ever watched a trial? There are rules and procedures that must be followed in order for the trial to be fair, right? The prosecution calls witnesses, the defense call witnesses, and the judge plays referee. Jesus’ trial was different. There were witnesses, a judge, and an angry mob, but it wasn’t what anyone would have called a fair trial. Through it all Jesus never lost His calm demeanor or said ugly things. How would the world be different if everyone tried to follow His example?
OPENING ACTIVITY:
PARAPHRASE SCRIPTURE
Supplies: Paper and Writing Utensil
The 23rd Psalm was written by David, who was a shepherd. Most of the world isn’t herding sheep anymore but this passage is still counted a favorite.
QUESTIONS
TRANSITION
Have you ever stopped to wonder what Jesus was thinking about during His trial? What would you have been thinking if you had been in Jesus’ place? Jesus was innocent and yet He willingly stood in the court of Pilate and took the abuse so that you and I might be saved. What an amazing Friend and Lord.
BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
Read Joshua 20:1-6.
1 Then the Lord said to Joshua: 2 “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, 3 so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. 4 When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. 5 If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. 6 They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”
Read Luke 23:1-7.
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
QUESTIONS
Read Luke 23:8-12.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
QUESTIONS
Read Luke 23:13-16.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
QUESTIONS
Read Luke 23:18-25.
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
QUESTIONS
APPLICATION
It’s easy sometimes to get caught up in the moment. Revolutions have started because of a powerful speaker and the impetuosity of being with others who are like minded. Crowds do crazy things, which is why following them isn’t always in our best interest.
There are probably more options, but you fit somewhere in the story and where that is may change throughout the day, week, month or over the course of your life.
FOLLOW UP
Following Jesus isn’t always easy. There may have been a time when you made the wrong choice and followed the crowd.
During this coming week as you have your daily devotions, ask Jesus to forgive you where you have failed, and invite Him to show you opportunities where you can make different decisions. Ask for His help to change some of those habits that you aren’t proud of and to build a stronger relationship with Him.
SCRIPTURE PASSAGES
LEADER’S NOTE
For a Relational Bible Study (RBS) you’ll want to get into the Scripture passage and encourage the youth to imagine participating in the story while it’s happening. Then you will be able to better apply it to your own situation today.
You will need to ask God for the Holy Spirit to be present as your small group discusses the questions (no more than 3-6 people in a group is recommended). Start with the opening question. It is a personal question and the answer is unique for each individual. There is no right answer and nobody is an expert here, so don’t be surprised when you hear different responses. You are depending on the Holy Spirit to be present and to speak through your group. Say what God prompts you to say, and listen to what others share.
Take turns reading the chapter out loud. Follow that with giving the students some time to individually mark their responses to the questions (a PDF version of the handout is available as a download). This gives each person a starting point for responding when you start to share as a group. Next, begin the discussion by asking the students to share what they marked and why on each question as you work your way through. Feel free to take more time on some questions than others as discussion warrants.
Encourage each person in the group to apply what is discussed to their personal lives and to share with the group what they believe God wants them to do. Then ask them to pray that God will help each of them to follow through in doing so. Remind them to expect that God will show them ways to live out the message of this passage in the coming week, and that they are free to ask others in the group to help hold them accountable.
OVERVIEW
The term “kangaroo court” describes a group of people who meets unofficially to determine someone is guilty without needing any evidence to reach their “guilty” verdict. This is what the religious leaders did to convict Jesus, except they considered their work to be official, even taking it to the Roman authorities so they could get the death penalty. Since the Romans ruled the Jews at this time, the Jews couldn’t put someone to death without the Roman powers giving their permission.
Because Judea often functioned as a powder keg for political and military revolt, Pilate decided to leave the comfort of his palace in Caesarea to be in Jerusalem during the Passover, just to be sure there wouldn’t be an uprising when so many Jews gathered for their annual festival of freedom from slavery. Herod, who ruled the area around the Sea of Galilee, headed south to Jerusalem for the festival since it was “the place to be” during Passover.
A “telltale trial” is one that reveals something, perhaps something that certain people are trying to hide. The religious leaders seemed to be losing their power and control over the people. Jesus had just marched into Jerusalem with the crowds shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David”—an obvious indication they considered Jesus to be the promised Messiah. This would create a Roman crackdown, plus the religious leaders couldn’t handle losing their grip on the masses. So they determined to eliminate Jesus, but to do so without creating a popular revolt from His many followers. The fact they had to break their own laws for bringing someone to trial, and lie as necessary to the Romans, didn’t matter, as long as they got rid of Jesus.
Our relational Bible study for this week covers Luke’s rendition of Christ’s trial before Pilate and Herod. You might be somewhat familiar with the Roman part of this trial, but pay attention to what the “telltale” elements are—things that are obvious and things that aren’t so obvious—in this story. Place yourself in the scene and ask yourself how you would have responded, depending on who you are in the story.
Telltale Trial
What is a crime so bad that you could condone someone losing their own life to pay for having committed it?
Read Luke 23:1-25.
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” [17]
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
1. What compelling reasons could Jewish leaders give Pilate to kill Jesus?
2. Why did Pilate publicly announce Christ’s innocence?
3. What made the religious leaders desperate to have Jesus condemned?
4. What part did Herod play in sentencing Jesus to die?
5. What did this “telltale trial” reveal?
6. Who can you relate to in this story?
____ Pilate
____ Herod
____ The religious leaders
____ Jesus
____ The crowd
____ Roman soldiers
____ Barabbas
____ Invisible disciples
____ Other: __________________________
7. Who are some of the individuals or groups that influence you?
8. When you’re treated unfairly, are you more likely to think about yourself, those who treat you unfairly, or Jesus knowing what you’re experiencing?
SUMMARY
Be careful of what you want, because you might get it! Would getting rid of Jesus really get rid of Jesus? It certainly seemed like it to those trying to erase Him. But the “kangaroo court” officially met and came up with the most “telltale trial.” Those currently in power pronounced the innocent “guilty,” and declared the guilty (Barabbas) to be “innocent” and free to go. It seems unreal. It also appears, at the moment, that this will be the end of Jesus.
Since we live 2,000 years later with the story familiar still today, it’s difficult to image what it must have seemed like back then. Would this indeed be the end of Jesus? Could God be eliminated? Could religious and political leaders and the crowd of people make that happen? If they could, we wouldn’t be talking about Jesus today, would we?!
APPLICATION
Instead of zipping ahead to the crucifixion and resurrection, stay for a while with the story of this telltale trial. Here are three ways you can apply this week’s lesson to your life this week, or let it trigger additional ways for you to live out the Scriptural story in your life at this time.
The incredible injustice of this story could make you demand justice. “This is a sham!” might be your response. “Bring in someone who does things right!” could be your demand. The cry for justice has its origins with God, and He plants it in our minds and hearts. But ever since sin has been in our world, injustice often overwhelms justice. The cry goes out repeatedly in the Psalms, and the last book of the Bible, Revelation, calls for justice (Revelation 6:9-11). Jesus will bring about final justice. Until then, we will experience both justice and injustice.
Typically we want justice to be served to everyone else, but we want mercy for ourselves. We might pray, “God, get those bad guys. Bring them to justice and give them what they deserve!” But when we are guilty, our prayer is more likely to be something like, “God, please be merciful to me. I might have been wrong, but I’m sorry now, so go easy on me. Please!” Which should it be: justice or mercy? The Old Testament prophet Micah pronounced God’s golden mantra for this: “Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God” (Micah 6:8).
