Arrested, charged in secret, unjustly convicted, beaten, mocked, and killed. Certainly not what we would consider a "good" Friday, and yet since the man upon whom all this fell is Jesus, it was a very good Friday indeed!
Good Friday Reading
- The Jewish Trials
- Matthew 26:57-68; 27:1-2
- The Roman Trials & Sentencing
- Luke 23:1-25
- Jesus Beaten & Crucifixion
- Luke 23:26-43
- Jesus' Death
- Matthew 27:45-55
- Jesus' Burial
- John 19:38-42
- The Jewish Trials
- In the middle of the night after his arrest, Jesus is brought before a secret gathering of the religious leaders. When he refers to himself as the Son of Man, they explode with rage, accuse him of blasphemy, and decide that he must die. The decision to send Jesus to the Romans for a death sentence is confirmed in the morning by a full gathering of the religious leaders.
- The Roman Trials & Sentencing
- While the Jewish leaders could sentence Jesus to death for blasphemy, they couldn't actually carry out the sentence. That power belonged to the Romans alone. During their trials of Jesus, neither Pilate nor Herod Antipas found just cause to execute him. The religious leaders, however, could not let that decision stand and eventually convinced the Romans to sentence Jesus to death.
- Jesus Beaten & Crucified
- Mark's account tells us that Pilate was seeking to "satisfy the crowd" and so he handed Jesus over for crucifixion. Jesus was mocked, beaten, and led away to die as a common convicted criminal. People jeered that Jesus should just save himself and come down from the cross...they didn't understand that he held himself there precisely so he could save them instead of himself!
- Jesus' Death
- Sin leads to death...always, without fail. Though we hated God and rebelled against him, he so loved us that he gave up Jesus as a sacrifice. Because Jesus (who was sinless and therefore innocent) died, when we trust in him, we can live (though we are sinful and guilty). Our sin goes to him, and his righteousness comes to us. This is the great exchange that is accomplished by Jesus' death on the cross.
- Jesus' Burial
- Jesus' death is verified, he is taken down from the cross, prepared for burial, and sealed in a tomb. It would seem the religious leaders got what they wanted...but things aren't always as they seem, are they?
- The Jewish Trials
- How do you think the religious leaders must have felt now that they finally arrested Jesus? Why do you think they hated Jesus so much?
- The Roman Trials & Sentencing
- Why didn't the Roman rulers want to kill Jesus at first? Why did they change their minds and sentence him to be crucified?
- Jesus Beaten & Crucified
- Why did people make fun of Jesus? How does it make you feel to know Jesus went through all that so he could save you?
- Jesus' Death
- Why is it such good news that Jesus died? Why would it have seemed like such bad news to Jesus' disciples at the time?
- Jesus' Burial
- Once Jesus was shut in the tomb, the religious leaders thought they had won and the disciples thought they had lost...what do you think?
- The Final Days of Jesus: Friday
- Video: https://vimeo.com/89429101
- Holy Week Timeline visualization: http://goo.gl/aZ8WZG
Calvary Discipleship Team
