After being arrested, Jesus was taken before a number of different religious and civil courts.  He suffered false accusations and mistreatments at every stage.  The result was that Jesus was sentenced to death on the cross.  Even as these trials were taking place, Peter denied him, and Judas took his own life.  Everything about the trial of Jesus and the surrounding events was unfair and sad, yet Jesus never strayed from his purpose. 

Emphasise that we can do the right thing even if we are treated unfairly.

Bible verses used in this episode:

• Matthew 26:57-27:31
• Mark 14:53-15:20
• Luke 22:54-23:25
• John 18:12-19:16

Outline:

1. Unfair religious leaders (Matthew 26:57-68)
2. Unfair friends (Matthew 26:69-75)
3. Unfair government leaders (Matthew 27:1-26)
4. Unfair soldiers (Matthew 27:27-31) 

Tips for teaching:

• Ask children to draw a picture of Jesus.
• Explain the meaning of “fair” in a way children can understand. To be fair is to be impartial and just without favouritism or discrimination. Help children relate to the unfair treatment of Jesus by using examples of someone cheating at a game or being punished when they have not done anything wrong.
• Adults or older children can participate in a dramatic reading. Select students to read the speaking parts of individual characters in a selection from the Bible.  For help in preparing the readings, follow this link. 
  • Jesus before the Sanhedrin: Matthew 26:57-68 
  • Peter’s denial: Matthew 26:69-75 
  • Judas’ end: Matthew 27:1-10 
  • Jesus Before Pilate: Matthew 27:11-26 
  • Soldiers mock Jesus: Matthew.27:27-31 
• Discussion questions for adults:
  • Think of a time when you were treated unfairly and share your story about that. 
  • How did you respond to this mistreatment?  
  • How would you respond now if this happened to you again? Why? 
  • Read 1 Peter 2:21-25 and ask the class how Jesus responded to this unfair treatment.  How should we respond?

Full teaching instructions available free from Mission Bible Class:
Bible Lesson:  The Trial of Jesus

Scriptures quoted from the International Children’s Bible®, copyright ©1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson. Used by permission.

Excerpts from Mission Bible Class used by permission.

For questions or comments email: mary@missionbibleclass.org