The Trial and Denial of Jesus (Luke 22:54-23:25)
They seize Jesus and lead Him to the house of the high priest. Peter follows at a distance. A fire is burning in the middle of the courtyard and people are sitting around it. Peter sits down with them. A servant girl looks closely at him and says: this man was with Him too. Peter denies it: "Woman, I don't know him."
A little later someone else looks at Peter and says: you are one of them. Peter says: "Man, I am not!" About an hour later another person insists: certainly this fellow was with Him. He's a Galilean. Peter says: "Man, I don't know what you're talking about!" And immediately, while he is still speaking, a rooster crows. The Lord turns and looks straight at Peter. Peter remembers the words Jesus had spoken: before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times. And Peter goes outside and weeps bitterly.
At daybreak the elders of the people and the chief priests and teachers of the law meet together and bring Jesus before their council. They ask: if you are the Messiah, tell us. Jesus replies that even if He tells them, they will not believe Him. But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God. They say: are you the Son of God? He says: "You say that I am." They declare no further witnesses are needed. He has condemned Himself with His own words.
They bring Jesus before Pilate. They accuse Him: He misleads the nation, opposes taxes, and claims to be the Messiah, a king. Pilate asks Jesus: are you the king of the Jews? Jesus answers: "You have said so." Pilate tells the chief priests and the crowd: I find no basis for a charge against this man. They insist He is stirring up trouble from Galilee to Jerusalem. When Pilate hears that Jesus is a Galilean and therefore under Herod's jurisdiction, he sends Jesus to Herod.
Herod is delighted to finally see Jesus. He has heard about Him and hoped to see a miracle. He questions Jesus at length. Jesus gives him no answer. The chief priests stand there, accusing Jesus forcefully. Herod and his soldiers mock Him, dress Him in an elegant robe, and send Him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate become friends, having previously been enemies.
Pilate calls together the chief priests and the people and says: I have examined Him in your presence and found no basis for your charges. Herod found nothing wrong either. I will have Him punished and then release Him. The crowd shouts back: away with this man! Release Barabbas to us instead. Barabbas is in prison for insurrection and murder. Pilate wants to release Jesus and appeals to them again. They keep shouting: crucify Him! Crucify Him! Their voices win. Pilate hands Jesus over to their will.
A Curious Question
When the rooster crowed, Jesus was across the courtyard, but He turned and looked straight at Peter. Not with anger. Not with surprise. Just looked at him. Peter remembered what Jesus had said and went out and wept. What do you think it means that Jesus turned to look at Peter at that exact moment? And what do you think was in that look, knowing what Jesus had done at the Last Supper and knowing what He was about to do on the cross?
Old Testament Connection
The trial of Jesus fulfills one of the most striking passages in all of the Old Testament. In Isaiah 53, the prophet describes a servant of God who is despised and rejected, who does not open His mouth, who is led like a lamb to the slaughter, who is assigned a grave with the wicked though He has done no violence, and who bears the sin of many. Every detail of Jesus' silence before Herod, His treatment as a criminal despite Pilate's repeated declarations of innocence, and His placement between criminals on the cross is Isaiah 53 coming true in sequence.
The release of Barabbas in place of Jesus is one of the clearest pictures of substitutionary atonement in all of Scripture. Barabbas was guilty of insurrection and murder. He deserved execution. Jesus was declared innocent three times by the Roman governor. And yet the innocent one died and the guilty one went free. That is not just history. That is the Gospel in one scene. Every person who trusts in Jesus is Barabbas: guilty, deserving judgment, released because an innocent man took the sentence. Help children see themselves in Barabbas before they see themselves in Peter or the disciples.
Discussion Questions
- Peter followed Jesus into the courtyard, which took courage. But then he denied Him three times when people asked. Have you ever started something brave and then backed down when it got harder? What made it hard to keep going?
- Pilate said three times that Jesus was innocent and he could find no basis for a charge against Him. But he still handed Jesus over because the crowd was louder than his conscience. What do you think it looks like to let what people around you say be louder than what you know is right?
- Barabbas was guilty and went free. Jesus was innocent and was condemned. What does that swap tell you about what Jesus was doing for us? What would it feel like to be Barabbas, watching the innocent man be taken in your place?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
Peter denied Jesus when people were watching and he was afraid of what they would think. This week, there will be at least one moment where you can either stay quiet about your faith or say something true. It does not have to be a big speech. It might be as simple as saying "I go to church" or "I believe in God" when the subject comes up. Notice the moment. Make a choice. And if you do stay quiet, remember: Peter wept and came back. Failure is not the end of the story.
Memorize God's Word
Luke 23:4: "I find no basis for a charge against this man."
Hand Motions:
- I find: Shade your eyes with one hand and look left and right as if searching carefully.
- no basis: Hold both hands out to the sides, palms up and empty, as if showing there is nothing there.
- for a charge: Hold up one finger as if making an accusation, then slowly lower it.
- against this man: Point one hand forward and slightly down, as if indicating someone standing in front of you.
Praying with Kids
Lord Jesus, You went through the trial knowing You were innocent. You stood silent while people lied about You. Pilate said You were innocent and handed You over anyway. You took Barabbas's place, and You took ours. We are the ones who were guilty. You are the one who was condemned. Thank You. Help us to remember when we feel alone or afraid or accused that You know what that feels like. You have been there. And help us when we are tempted to deny You the way Peter did. Give us courage to tell the truth about who You are. Amen.
Craft: The Barabbas Exchange Card
Children will create a two-sided card that captures the moment of Barabbas's release and Jesus' condemnation as a personal picture of the Gospel: the guilty one goes free because the innocent one took the penalty.
Materials Checklist
Instructions
- On the front of the card, write in large letters at the top: BARABBAS: Guilty. Set Free.
- Below that, draw a simple set of broken chains or an open prison door to represent his release.
- On the back of the card, write: JESUS: Innocent. Condemned.
- Below that, draw a simple cross in red.
- At the very bottom of the back of the card, write the child's own name in small letters and this phrase beside it: my name belongs here too.
- If time allows, let children explain the card to a partner in their own words, practicing telling the Gospel before they leave class.
Effective Teaching Techniques
This lesson contains two stories that are equally important and must not be rushed past each other. Peter's denial and the trial of Jesus are not separate events. They happen at the same time. While Jesus is being questioned inside the high priest's house, Peter is failing outside by the fire. Hold those two images together: the King enduring false accusation in silence while His closest friend collapses under a servant girl's question. The contrast is the point. Jesus is not surprised. He told Peter this would happen. He even prayed for Peter: "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail." That prayer in Luke 22:32 is worth reading aloud before you tell the denial story.
The Barabbas exchange is the theological center of this lesson and one of the clearest pictures of the Gospel in all four Gospels. Do not reduce it to a historical detail. Slow down here and ask children to put themselves in the story. What would it feel like to be chained in a prison cell, awaiting execution for something you actually did, and then hear your name called and be told you are free? What would you think when you found out who died in your place? That is the Gospel. That is what Jesus did for anyone who trusts in Him.
For a dramatic sensory element, write the name "BARABBAS" on a piece of paper and tape it to a chair. Then write "INNOCENT" on another piece of paper. When you get to the exchange, swap the papers: take the INNOCENT sign off and tape it to the BARABBAS chair. Then hold up the blank chair and say: this is where your name goes. This is what Jesus' death means for us. The visual of the empty chair with the exchanged label is something children will remember long after the details of the trial have faded.
The most likely question: "Was Pilate bad?" Answer honestly: Pilate was not a villain in the simple sense. He tried to release Jesus. He said three times that Jesus was innocent. But in the end he chose the easier path. He let the crowd decide because he was more afraid of a riot than of injustice. That is a more uncomfortable kind of failure than outright cruelty, because it is a failure most people can relate to. Ask children: have you ever known the right thing to do but done the easier thing instead? That is the Pilate moment. And it is why Jesus had to die: not because of one unusually evil person, but because of the ordinary human failure that is in all of us.