Jesus Chose The Cross

Jesus Chose The Cross 

~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~        ~       ~       ~

PLOT

The chief priests and the elders of the people plotted to arrest Jesus and kill Him.

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people

assembled in the palace of the high priest,

whose name was Caiaphas,

and they plotted to arrest Jesus

in some sly way and kill him. 

Matt 26:3-4 NIV

BETRAYED

Judas, one of Jesus’ Disciples, agreed to betray Him.

Then one of the Twelve — the one called Judas Iscariot —

went to the chief priests and asked,

"What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?"

So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. 

From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Matt 26:14-16 NIV

ABANDONED

Jesus was deserted by all 12 of His disciples.

Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. 

Matt 26:56b NIV

DENIED

Peter, one of Jesus’ Disciples, denied knowing Jesus three times.

Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard,

and a servant girl came to him.

"You also were with Jesus of Galilee," she said. 

But he denied it before them all.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said. 

Then he went out to the gateway,

where another girl saw him and said to the people there,

"This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth."  

He denied it again, with an oath: "I don't know the man!" 

After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said,

"Surely you are one of them,

for your accent gives you away." 

Then he began to call down curses on himself

and he swore to them, "I don't know the man!"

Matthew 26:69-74 NIV

CAPTURED

While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived.

With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs,

sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 

Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them:

"The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." 

Going at once to Jesus, Judas said,

"Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him. 

Matt 26:47-49 NIV

TRIED & CONDEMNED TO DEATH

Jesus was tried and found innocent, yet the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for mercy for the notorious prisoner, called Barabbas, and to crucify Jesus who was innocent. 

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor,

and the governor asked him,

"Are you the king of the Jews?"

"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. 

When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders,

he gave no answer.   Then Pilate asked him,

"Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?"

But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge

— to the great amazement of the governor.

Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast

to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.

At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.

So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them,

"Which one do you want me to release to you:

Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"

For he knew it was out of envy

that they had handed Jesus over to him.

While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat,

his wife sent him this message:

"Don't have anything to do with that innocent man,

for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." 

But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd

to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?"

asked the governor.  "Barabbas," they answered.

"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?"

Pilate asked.   They all answered, "Crucify him!"

"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere,

but that instead an uproar was starting,

he took water and washed his hands

in front of the crowd.

"I am innocent of this man's blood,"

 he said. "It is your responsibility!"

All the people answered,

"Let his blood be on us and on our children!" 

Matt 27:11-25 NIV

MOCKED, FLOGGED, AND CRUCIFIED

Jesus was flogged, mocked and insulted by the governor’s soldiers, those who passed by, the chief priests, the elders, and even the robbers who were crucified with him. Then He was crucified.

Then he released Barabbas to them.

But he had Jesus flogged,

and handed him over to be crucified. 

Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium

and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him.

They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,

and then twisted together a crown

of thorns and set it on his head.

They put a staff in his right hand

and knelt in front of him and mocked him.

"Hail, king of the Jews!" they said.

They spit on him, and took the staff

and struck him on the head again and again.

After they had mocked him, they took off the robe

and put his own clothes on him.

Then they led him away to crucify him. 

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene,

named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.

They came to a place called Golgotha

(which means The Place of the Skull).

There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall;

but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.

When they had crucified him,

they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 

And sitting down, they kept watch over him there.

 Above his head they placed the written charge against him:

THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Two robbers were crucified with him,

one on his right and one on his left.

Those who passed by hurled insults at him,

shaking their heads and saying,

"You who are going to destroy the temple

and build it in three days, save yourself!

Come down from the cross,

if you are the Son of God!"

In the same way the chief priests,

the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.

"He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself!

He's the King of Israel!

Let him come down now from the cross,

and we will believe in him.

He trusts in God.

Let God rescue him now if he wants him,

for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

In the same way the robbers who were crucified

with him also heaped insults on him.

From the sixth hour until the ninth hour

darkness came over all the land.

About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice,

"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"-which means,

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

When some of those standing there heard this,

they said, "He's calling Elijah."

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge.

He filled it with wine vinegar,

put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink.

The rest said, "Now leave him alone.

Let's see if Elijah comes to save him."

And when Jesus had cried out again

 in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

NIV27:26-50

PLOT

Jesus KNEW!  Jesus predicted the plot to capture, and crucify Him.

When Jesus had finished saying all these things,

he said to his disciples,

"As you know, the Passover is two days away —

and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified."

Matt 26:1-2 NIV

BETRAYED

Jesus KNEW!  Jesus predicted Judas would betray Him.

When evening came, Jesus was reclining

at the table with the Twelve.

And while they were eating, he said,

"I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me."

They were very sad and began

to say to him one after the other,

"Surely not I, Lord?"  Jesus replied,

"The one who has dipped his hand into

the bowl with me will betray me. 

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.

But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!

It would be better for him if he had not been born."

Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said,

"Surely not I, Rabbi?"

Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you." 

Matt 26:20-25

ABANDONED

Jesus KNEW!  He would be abandoned by all of His disciples.

Then Jesus told them,

"This very night you will all fall away

on account of me, for it is written: 

"'I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' 

Matt 26:31 NIV

DENIED

Jesus KNEW!  He predicted Peter would deny Him three times.

Peter replied, "Even if all fall away

on account of you, I never will.

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered

CAPTURED

Jesus KNEW!  He predicted His arrest. 

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them,

"Are you still sleeping and resting?

Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man

is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 

Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" 

Matt 26:45-46 NIV

TRIED & CONDEMNED TO DEATH

Jesus KNEW!  He was innocent and yet would still be sentenced to death.

I will not speak with you much longer,

for the prince of this world is coming.

He has no hold on me,

John 14:30 NIV

"We are going up to Jerusalem,

and the Son of Man will be betrayed

to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.

They will condemn him to death 

Matt 20:18 NIV

MOCKED, FLOGGED, and CRUCIFIED

Jesus KNEW! He predicted He would be mocked, and flogged and Crucified.

From that time on

Jesus began to explain to his disciples

that he must go to Jerusalem

and suffer many things at the hands

of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law,

and that he must be killed

and on the third day be raised to life. 

Matt 16:21 NIV

Jesus replied, "To be sure,

Elijah comes and will restore all things.

But I tell you, Elijah has already come,

and they did not recognize him,

but have done to him everything they wished.

In the same way the Son of Man

is going to suffer at their hands." 

Matt 17:11-12 NIV

When they came together in

Galilee, he said to them,

"The Son of Man is going to be

betrayed into the hands of men.

They will kill him, and on the

third day he will be raised to life."

And the disciples were filled with grief. 

Matt 17:22-23 NIV

Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem,

he took the twelve disciples aside and said to them,

"We are going up to Jerusalem,

and the Son of Man will be betrayed

 to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.

They will condemn him to death

and will turn him over to the Gentiles

to be mocked and flogged and crucified.

On the third day he will be raised to life!" 

Matt 20:17-19 NIV

~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~       ~        ~       ~       ~

Do you think I cannot call on my Father,

and he will at once put at my disposal

more than twelve legions of angels?

But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled

that say it must happen in this way?"  

Matt 26:53-54 NIV

He had a choice to make.  He could live and we would die, separated forever from a Holy God  ~ or He could die so that we could live, and be reconciled to God.  He chose to die for the sins the whole world. 

All throughout the account of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, He knew what was going to happen. He was one step ahead of them all the way.  He could have avoided it.  Jesus did not have to die.   Jesus chose to die for the ungodly.

The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him.  

Matt 26:24 NIV

But this has all taken place that the writings

of the prophets might be fulfilled."  

Matt 26:56a NIV

"I am the good shepherd;

I know my sheep and my sheep know me—

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father —

and I lay down my life for the sheep.

The reason my Father loves me is that

I lay down my life — only to take it up again.

No one takes it from me,

but I lay it down of my own accord.

I have authority to lay it down

and authority to take it up again.

This command I received from my Father."  

John 10:14-15; 17-18 NIV

he fell to the ground and prayed that

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,

the author and perfecter of our faith,

who for the joy set before him

endured the cross, scorning its shame,

and sat down at the right hand

of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured

such opposition from sinful men,

so that you will not

grow weary and lose heart.

Heb 12:2-3 NIV

Jump to Top 

Back to Visions & More Page