Jesus on Trial :: Luke 22:66 – 23:25 Erik Braun April

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Jesus on Trial :: Luke 22:66 – 23:25 Erik Braun April 10th, 2011 Discussion Guide Intro: Do you have any vivid memories of a trial that captured the attention of the nation? Why do you think we in western culture are so interested in trials, particularly those of famous people? I. The Charges (v. 66, 72) Are you the Christ? Is Jesus claiming to be the saving Messiah from God? Are you the Son of God? Is Jesus claiming to be the divine son of the living God? Pastor Erik said that we are to put ourselves in the place of those asking the questions. We have two great needs – a sin problem (we are under the condemnation of sin) and a relational problem (we are separated from God). How do these charges demonstrate the reality that Jesus provides a remedy for these needs? Why must we answer these questions about Jesus? II. The Sinful Setup Consider this quote from Pastor Erik: The people have stacked the deck against Jesus. But as we come to examine the evidence regarding Jesus, we see that sin has stacked the deck against us… sin is the most readily proven reality everywhere and in everyone else, yet so patently denied in ourselves. Read Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1-3, 12, 1 Cor. 2:14, John 3:19 What does the setup of Jesus at his trial and the injustice done against him reveal about man’s sin nature? How does the reality of our sinfulness change the way that we relate to God and others? III. The Prosecution We see four groups of people, and in them four ways to approach and respond to the claims, works and demands of Jesus. 1. The Sanhedrin – religious/idolatrous rejection of Christ 2. Pilate – political rejection of Christ (condemning him for expedience, power) 3. Herod – superstitious, foolhardy and fleshly rejection of Christ 4. The Crowd – rejection of Christ in conformity to the patterns of this world

Discuss each of these types of wrong responses. What do they look like in our lives today? With which group of people do you most identify? IV. The Silence of the Savior Why does Jesus say so little in response to the charges brought against him? What does Jesus’ silence teach us about him? How are we to respond to Jesus?