Last week we covered Jesus’ agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, His arrest , arraignment, and Peter’s denial. This week we pick up near the end of Chapter 22 and Jesus’ second trial before the Sanhedrin. We will move into Chapter 23 where Jesus is questioned by Pilate and Herod, and Simon bears His cross.

Luke Lesson 42 Study Questions

1.    The elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council: This daytime meeting of the Sanhedrin council was necessary because by the Sanhedrin’s own laws and regulations the _____ trial described in Matthew 26:57-68 was ________.

2.    According to Jewish law, a trial always began by bringing forth evidence for the _________ of the accused before the evidence of ______ was offered; this was not the practice here.

3.    If You are the Christ, tell us: They wanted to hear from Jesus Himself if He claimed to be the ________. Again, this was all a formality because they had already passed __________ on Jesus with the illegal trial held the night before.

4.    Here after the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God: This was essentially the same reply Jesus gave to the high priest at the earlier trial (Matthew 26:64). Jesus warned them that though they sat in _________ of Him now, He would one day sit in _________ of them – and with a far more binding judgment.

5.    Led Him to Pilate: The Roman government did not allow the Jewish leaders the _________ to execute a criminal. The religious leaders sent Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the Roman _________ over the region of Judea.

6.    Are You the King of the Jews?” It is as you say: Jesus gave no majestic _______ and performed no instant miracle to save His own life. Instead, Jesus gave Pilate the same simple ______ He gave to the high priest (Matthew 26:64).

7.    He hoped to see some miracle done by Him: Herod gave his attention to Jesus and was even exceedingly glad to see Him. He wanted to _____ from Jesus (on Herod’s own terms) and wanted to see Jesus do a ________. 

8.    Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing: Herod governed over Galilee, where Jesus spent most of His ________. He had countless opportunities to hear Jesus again and again – Jesus did not speak in secret meetings in hidden places. All this led Jesus to understand the truth about Herod: he was not a sincere ________.

9.    For it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast: Pilate believed he had a ____ for Jesus to escape death. He planned to release Him according to the custom of releasing a prisoner every __________ season.

10.    Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas: The crowd, whom Pilate was convinced would release Jesus, instead _________ Him. Because of this, Pilate did not find the courage to ________ both the religious leaders and the crowd.

11.    No doubt, Simon was visiting Jerusalem as a _______ pilgrim from his native land (some 800 miles or 1300 kilometers away). He knew little if anything about this ______ and had no desire to be associated with this Man who was condemned to die as a criminal.

12.    Wonderfully, we have reason to believe that Simon came to know what it really means to take up one’s cross and ______ Jesus. There is some evidence to suggest that his sons became _______ among the early Christians (Mark 15:21 and Romans 16:13).