Station 3: Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin
At daybreak all the elders of the people assembled, including the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. Jesus was led before this high council, and they said, “Tell us, are you the Messiah?”
But he replied, “If I tell you, you won’t believe me. And if I ask you a question, you won’t answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.”
They all shouted, “So, are you claiming to be the Son of God?”
And he replied, “You say that I am.”
“Why do we need other witnesses?” they said. “We ourselves heard him say it.”
Luke 22:66-71
When I read this passage, I want to believe that I would act differently than these religious leaders. I want to believe that as a leader in my church I would recognize the Messiah when he came to earth in the flesh. But I also know I’d be skeptical, I’d wonder about his intentions, I’d be upset that he was flipping tradition on its head. And I’d be threatened by the possibility that surrendering to him and his power would render me obsolete. That if he was truly the son of God, the church would have no need for me.
Deep down I think these men knew that if this was the Messiah, the man God sent to save the world, then people would no longer have to go to them for every religious need. They wouldn’t need sacrifices, they wouldn’t need someone to interpret God’s words for them. They would be able to speak to the living God from their tables, from their seats in church. They feared that by surrendering their belief to this man who was sent from God, they would no longer be important, or valued.
How often do we not surrender things to God in fear that we ourselves will become of no value? If I accept that I can do nothing without Jesus and his sacrifice, then what does that make me? It makes us stronger than we could ever know, more useful, and more precious to Him, and to the world. The world needs us to surrender to Him, to accept that he is the son of God, and our need for him makes us great. And to surrender our gifts and talents to him so that they can be used for his purposes.
What do you need to surrender to him today, and how can God use that thing for his glory?
For the Kids:
Supplies Needed: paper, drawing supplies
Give each child a piece of paper and ask them to draw what they are good at: their talents, gifts, things they love to do.
Read Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Jesus was created to die for us on the cross, and we have all been created to do big things for God. Because of Jesus, we were created anew, and now we can use our gifts and talents for God. Ask the kids to pray that God will use their gifts and talents for his purposes.
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