Holy Week: The “Trial”
Jesus on Trial
Matthew 27:11-26
11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.”20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”
24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
This trial is a sham.
Jesus stands before the governor—accused, questioned, and condemned.
Yet He offers almost no defense.
“He gave him no answer… so that the governor was greatly amazed.”
The charges are false. The verdict is predetermined. The outcome is unjust.
Even Pilate sees it.
He recognizes the envy behind the accusations.
He even receives a warning from his wife: “Have nothing to do with that righteous man.”
And yet—he still gives in.
Then comes the moment of decision. Pilate offers the crowd a choice:
Jesus—the innocent one.
Or Barabbas—a known criminal.
The response is shocking.
“Barabbas.”
Days earlier, crowds cried out, “Hosanna!”
Now they shout, “Crucify Him!”
Even when Pilate pushes back—“What evil has he done?”—No answer is given, only louder shouts of “Crucify Him!”
Pilate tries to distance himself.
He washes his hands.
He declares himself innocent. But he is not.
Jesus is condemned and Barabbas is free.
The guilty is released.
The innocent is punished.
Reflection
It’s easy to look at the crowd and wonder:
How could they do this?
How could they turn so quickly?
But we are not as different as we think.
We are all susceptible to influence. To pressure. To going along instead of standing firm.
Sometimes it’s not loud rebellion—it’s quiet compromise.
Where are you being shaped more by the crowd than by Christ?
Where are you tempted to go along instead of stand out?
Holy Week: Wednesday
Jesus in the Garden
Matthew 26:36-46
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
The Son of God was truly human.
In the garden, we see it clearly. Him like us!
Sorrowful. Troubled.
He knows what is coming.
Judas is on the way. Arrest is imminent. The cross arriving with tomorrows sunlight.
Jesus knows the road ahead: mocking, beating, scourging, and crucifixion. He knows the physical agony that is coming—and the weight of what He is about to carry.
And so He prays.
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…”
This is not weakness—it is honesty.
Jesus does what we are invited to do: He brings His honest feelings before God.
He does not pretend the path is easy.
He does not hide His desire for another way.
But He does not stop there.
“…nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
That is the turning point.
Jesus does not allow His desires to override His obedience.
He trusts the Father—even when the path is painful. Because at times the Way of the Cross is the Will of God.
Reflection
We often find ourselves in this same place.
Facing something heavy.
Fearing what is ahead.
Asking God for another way.
And it is right to ask.
But we must learn to end our prayers the way Jesus does:
“Not my will, but yours.”
Are you seeking God’s will—or asking Him to approve yours?
It is right to bring your requests. It is wrong to demand the outcome.
Prayer Prompt
What are you carrying right now?
Name your fears.
Speak them honestly to God.
And then—open your hands.
Ask Him for what you desire,
but trust Him with what He decides.
His will is good—even when it is hard.
Holy Week: Tuesday
Jesus’ Warnings
Matthew 23:1-5
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others.
Jesus is not finished exposing what is broken.
After cleansing the temple, He now turns His attention directly to the temple leaders—the scribes and Pharisees. These are the respected voices. The teachers. The examples.
“They preach, but do not practice.”
They know the truth. Often, they even teach the truth.
But their lives do not reflect it.
They place heavy burdens on others—expectations, rules, standards—yet do nothing to help.
They perform their religion, but their motivation is clear: “They do all their deeds to be seen by others.”
Jesus doesn’t soften His words.
In the rest of Matthew 23, He delivers a series of sharp warnings (seven in total). In essence, He says:
You deny entry to God.
You lead others—but toward the wrong things.
You are consumed with gain rather than God
You major on the minor and ignore the majors.
You look good on the outside but neglect your inner life
You appear alive, but are spiritually dead
You claim to be better than past failures, but you are no different.
Jesus is clear: You are missing what matters.
Reflection
It’s easy to read this and think of them.
But Jesus is inviting us to examine ourselves.
Where has your faith become more about appearance than reality?
Where are you going through the motions without true surrender?
Holy Week: Monday
Jesus in the Temple
Matthew 21:12-17
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read,
“‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”
17And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
For a long time, Jesus has been set on Jerusalem. He enters the city to celebration—welcomed like a king. But the tone shifts quickly.
Instead of heading to a palace, Jesus goes to the temple—the very place meant for worship, sacrifice, and prayer. What he finds is something else entirely. Commerce. Noise. Exploitation.
What may have begun as a helpful system—providing animals for sacrifice—has become corrupted. The temple courts now resemble a marketplace more than a place of worship.
And so Jesus acts.He overturns tables. He drives people out. He declares:
“My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.”
This isn’t random anger—it’s righteousness on display.
The space meant for God has been overtaken by the priorities of man.
And then comes the contrast.
The blind and the lame come to him—and he heals them.
Children cry out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”
Worship is restored. Praise returns.
But the religious leaders? They see all of it—the healings, the praise, the undeniable work of God—and they are indignant.
Matthew even highlights the irony:
“When they saw the wonderful things that he did… they were indignant.”
They don’t miss what Jesus is doing—they reject it.
Why? When we become more concerned with the things of man rather than the things of God, we miss the messiah and focus on what is mine.
Reflection
Jesus didn’t just cleanse the temple then—he still exposes what doesn’t belong.
Where has attention on God been replaced with something else in your life?
What has subtly taken over what should belong to Him?
What needs to be overturned in your life?
Loving Temptation
In Mark 8:32, Peter takes Jesus aside to rebuke Him.
On Sunday, I clarified that this rebuke of Peter was simply an outpouring of love. Because Peter loved Jesus so much, he could not stand even considering that Jesus would suffer. Peter could not stand for it!
There are a lot of things that we do out of love. We help, care, serve, listen, and offer advice. We clean dishes, make beds, fold laundry, run errands, and buy gifts for those we love.
There can also be danger in loving that can actually be harmful.
You know the old proverb: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” If you have ever tried to teach someone, you know that in that moment they would much prefer you to give than teach.
I catch myself in parenting giving more fish than teaching to fish. It is easier for me and Cooper. It is less messy and takes less time. But he must learn to fish.
Furthermore, it is easier to protect him from any danger, pain, or disappointment. I am working on this as well. Rather than constantly warning about the consequences of jumping on the bed, not wearing a helmet, or why to hold a plate with two hands, I am giving him space to goof around and find out. I could bubble wrap him for 18 years, but eventually he will be released into the world. If I protect him from every challenge or problem now, he will never be prepared to handle issues then.
In the book When Helping Hurts, Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett argue that at times loving others is not doing for them or giving them money to handle it. In fact, we can do more damage when we never expect anyone to lift a finger on their own.
Peter loved Jesus, but his help was not helpful. Peter was, in fact, tempting Jesus to deny God’s plan for a choice of peace. Sometimes love tempts people away from obedience because we want to spare them pain.
Consider today:
Are you loving those in your life for their benefit or for your benefit?
Is your love helping them or delaying the inevitable?
How can you help someone in a way that helps them not only in the moment but for days and years to come? This help will take more time, energy, and thought, but it is for the best.