Re-enact Jesus' Trials

Categories: Easter (Passion Week)

Re-enact Jesus' trials – without the spitting and hitting. Students or teachers can write out the scripts from the Bible verses. Or you can discuss each of the places Jesus is taken after his arrest and discuss the fairness of the trials.

The first stop is to meet with Annas. He asks Jesus incriminating questions, which he isn't allowed to do. Jesus is hit by a soldier.

Then Jesus is taken to Caiaphas before the Sanhedrin. The high priest, Caiaphas, questions Jesus. When Jesus says he is the Son of God, the Jews hit the jack pot – now they can take him to the Roman officials for blasphemy since the Jews can't kill him by crucifixion. Crucifixion was a crime only carried out by the Roman government. If the Jews could kill him, it would have been by stoning.

Pilate doesn't want anything to do with Jesus' death. He thinks he's innocent. He realizes the Jews are jealous of Jesus. But the Jews blackmail him into acting.

Pilate sends Jesus to Herod Antipas because Jesus is a Galilean and not under his jurisdiction. Jesus doesn't say anything to Herod so Herod lets his soldiers mock Jesus by dressing him in a purple robe and a crown of thorns and shouting: Hail King of the Jews.

Jesus is sent back to Pilate where he is scourged 39 times. Then Pilate suggests they follow a tradition and let a prisoner go free. The crowd wants Barabbas freed and they want the Romans to kill Jesus.

Why couldn't Jesus get a fair trial?