Speaking at Awana

Luke 22:47-24:6  New Living Testament

Narrator 47But even as he said this, a mob approached, led by Judas, one of his twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus and greeted him with a kiss.

Jesus - "Judas, how can you betray me, the Son of Man, with a kiss?"

Narrator  - 49When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed,

Disciples - "Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!"

Narrator  - 50And one of them slashed at the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear.

Jesus - "Don't resist anymore."

Narrator  - And he touched the place where the man's ear had been and healed him. 52Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests and captains of the Temple guard and the other leaders who headed the mob.

Jesus - "Am I some dangerous criminal, that you have come armed with swords and clubs to arrest me? 53Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns."

Narrator  - 54So they arrested him and led him to the high priest's residence, and Peter was following far behind. 55The guards lit a fire in the courtyard and sat around it, and Peter joined them there. 56A servant girl noticed him in the firelight and began staring at him. Finally she said,

Servant Girl - "This man was one of Jesus' followers!"

Peter - "Woman," he said, "I don't even know the man!"

Narrator  - 58After a while someone else looked at him and said,

Someone Else - "You must be one of them!"

Peter - "No, man, I'm not!"

Narrator  - 59About an hour later

Someone Else - "This must be one of Jesus' disciples because he is a Galilean, too."

Peter  "Man, I don't know what you are talking about."

Narrator  - And as soon as he said these words, the rooster crowed. 61At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said, "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny me three times." 62And Peter left the courtyard, crying bitterly.
63Now the guards in charge of Jesus began mocking and beating him. 64They blindfolded him; then they hit him and asked, "Who hit you that time, you prophet?" 65And they threw all sorts of terrible insults at him.

66At daybreak all the leaders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council, 67and they said,

Chief Priests - "Tell us if you are the Messiah."

Jesus - "If I tell you, you won't believe me. 68And if I ask you a question, you won't answer. 69But the time is soon coming when I, the Son of Man, will be sitting at God's right hand in the place of power.”

Chief Priests - "Then you claim you are the Son of God?"

Jesus - "You are right in saying that I am."

Chief Priests - 71"What need do we have for other witnesses?" they shouted. "We ourselves heard him say it."

Narrator  - 1Then the entire council took Jesus over to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2They began at once to state their case:

Chief Priests - "This man has been leading our people to ruin by telling them not to pay their taxes to the Roman government and by claiming he is the Messiah, a king."

Pilate - "Are you the King of the Jews?"

Jesus - "Yes, it is as you say."

Narrator  - 4Pilate turned to the leading priests and to the crowd

Pilate - "I find nothing wrong with this man!"

Chief Priests -  "But he is causing riots everywhere he goes, all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem!"

Pilate - 6"Oh, is he a Galilean?"

Narrator - 7When they answered that he was, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, because Galilee was under Herod's jurisdiction, and Herod happened to be in Jerusalem at the time.
8Herod was delighted at the opportunity to see Jesus, because he had heard about him and had been hoping for a long time to see him perform a miracle. 9He asked Jesus question after question, but Jesus refused to answer. 10Meanwhile, the leading priests and the teachers of religious law stood there shouting their accusations. 11Now Herod and his soldiers began mocking and ridiculing Jesus. Then they put a royal robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. 12Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before, became friends that day.
13Then Pilate called together the leading priests and other religious leaders, along with the people, 14and he announced his verdict.

Pilate - "You brought this man to me, accusing him of leading a revolt. I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent. 15Herod came to the same conclusion and sent him back to us. Nothing this man has done calls for the death penalty. 16So I will have him flogged, but then I will release him."

Narrator - 18Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted,

Crowd - "Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!"

Narrator  - 19(Barabbas was in prison for murder and for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government.) 20Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. 21But they shouted,

Crowd - "Crucify him! Crucify him!"

Narrator  - 22For the third time he demanded,

Pilate - "Why? What crime has he committed? I have found no reason to sentence him to death. I will therefore flog him and let him go."

Narrator  - 23But the crowd shouted louder and louder for Jesus' death, and their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die as they demanded. 25As they had requested, he released Barabbas, the man in prison for insurrection and murder. But he delivered Jesus over to them to do as they wished.

26As they led Jesus away, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country just then, was forced to follow Jesus and carry his cross. 27Great crowds trailed along behind, including many grief-stricken women.

32Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33Finally, they came to a place called The Skull. All three were crucified there--Jesus on the center cross, and the two criminals on either side.

Jesus - "Father, forgive these people, because they don't know what they are doing."

Narrator  - And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[8]
35The crowd watched, and the leaders laughed and scoffed.

Chief Priests - "He saved others, let him save himself if he is really God's Chosen One, the Messiah."

Narrator - 36The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37They called out to him,

Soldiers "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"

Narrator  - 38A signboard was nailed to the cross above him with these words: "This is the King of the Jews." 39One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed,

Criminal - "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself--and us, too, while you're at it!"

Narrator  - 40But the other criminal protested,

Other Criminal - "Don't you fear God even when you are dying? 41We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn't done anything wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."

Jesus - "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Narrator  - 44By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. 45The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the thick veil hanging in the Temple was torn apart. 46Then Jesus shouted,

Jesus - "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!"

Narrator -  And with those words he breathed his last.
47When the captain of the Roman soldiers handling the executions saw what had happened, he praised God and said,

Captain - "Surely this man was innocent."

Narrator  - 48And when the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw all that had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. 49But Jesus' friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
50Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he had been waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 53Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation for the Sabbath.
55As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where they placed his body. 56Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to embalm him. But by the time they were finished it was the Sabbath, so they rested all that day as required by the law.

1But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. 3So they went in, but they couldn't find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. 5The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked,

Angels - "Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? 6He isn't here! He has risen from the dead!

Jesus was innocent. See what Pilate said? “I have examined him thoroughly on this point in your presence and find him innocent.”

Why did he die?

Injustice, but he gave his life.

He died in our place. We should have died, but he did.

That is why our sins are forgiven when we ask Jesus into our life.