He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7, NLT)
Thursday:
8 PM – Passover Meal in Upper Room
10 PM – Garden of Gethsemane
12 Midnight – Betrayal by Judas, arrest by Temple guards
Friday:
1 AM – Unofficial hearing at home of Caiaphas
4 AM – Abuse and mockery by Temple guards
5 AM – Peter’s denials, rooster crows at dawn
6 AM – Trial before the Sanhedrin
7 AM – Trial before Pilate and sentencing
8 AM – Abuse and mockery by Roman guards
9 AM – Crucifixion
3 PM – Death
4 PM – Burial
Taking the 12 disciples aside, Jesus said, “Listen, we’re going up to Jerusalem, where all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man will come true. He will be handed over to the Romans, and he will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit upon. They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33, NLT)
Jewish Trial, focused on
The guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. They blindfolded him and said, “Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time?” And they hurled all sorts of terrible insults at him. (Luke 22:63-65, NLT)
Jesus was led before this high council, and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?”
But he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.” (Luke 22:66-69, NLT)
They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?”
And he replied, “You say that I am.”
“Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard him say it.” (Luke 22:70-71, NLT)
Roman trial, focused on
Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). (John 19:13, NLT)
Then the entire council took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. They began to state their case: “This man has been leading our people astray by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king.” (Luke 23:1-2, NLT)
So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus replied, “You have said it.”
Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd and said, “I find nothing wrong with this man!” (Luke 23:3-4, NLT)
Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” (Luke 23:18-20, NLT)
But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed. So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he turned Jesus over to them to do as they wished. (Luke 23:23-25, NLT)
Notice the ironies:
• Pilate was supposed to represent Roman law and order, but he succumbed to mob rule—this was
• The Sanhedrin arrested a man with no formal charges, convened in the dead of night, and allowed the judge to be prosecutor—this was
• The mob asked for a man of violence to be freed and a man of peace to be killed—this was
Who sent Jesus to the Cross?
On the human level:
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- Jews throughout history are
- Our attitude and actions to Jews today should be guided by love, respect, and kindness. Remember:
I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! … No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. (Romans 11:1-2, NLT)
On the divine level:
“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son …” (John 3:16)
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily.” (John 10:11, 18, NLT)
On the personal level …
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed … but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world but was revealed in these last times for your sake. (1 Peter 1:18-20, NIV)
Additional Notes: