Easter Holy Week – Wednesday – Jesus endures False Trials, Carrying the Cross, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial

This is an important day for all who believe on Jesus Christ. This day continues until 6pm. Maybe set a timer and bring out new sets and places throughout the day.

After Jesus is arrested, then begins the illegal trials:

Jesus is first taken to Annas (the former high priest and father-in-law to Caiaphas the current high priest of that time.  Why? Because Annas maintained significant influence among the Jewish people).

But Annas sent Jesus, still bound, to Joseph Caiaphas.

There all the religious leaders were already assembled. The Sanhedrin was made up of Chief priests, Elders and Scribes.

There was no legal reason for arresting Jesus, but the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Priests and the Elders, put Jesus in an illegal trial and sentenced Him with blasphemy.

Blasphemy means showing a great disrespect to God or to something holy. For example, claiming to be God, insulting God’s name or character, or attributing the works of God to evil forces.  Jesus said He was the Son of Heavenly Father and the Messiah who was prophesied to come and rescue them. They did not believe that and so they accused Jesus of blasphemy.

Caiaphas is the High Priest over the temple offerings. Caiaphas’ job is to approve, whether or not, the animals to be sacrificed at the temple are pure, without blemish, and worthy to be sacrificed.  How ironic that Caiaphas, the one tasked with judging the purity of sacrificial lambs, would be the one to sentence the Lamb of God to die. 

Yet the Jewish leaders could not carry out executions. They knew that only the Romans can condemn someone to death and have them crucify. 

• Meanwhile, Peter and John find their way to where Jesus is being questioned. If you want, you can add this story to your narrative: Peter denies Jesus 3x.
• 1^st Peter went into the palace of Caiaphas and a maid of the high priest who opened and closed the door said, you were also with Jesus. Peter said he was not and then went out to a porch and was beneath the palace by a fire. There, those around him said, thou art one of His disciples; for your accent is just like them. But Peter again, for the
• 2^nd time, said he was not!  Then a servant of the high priest who’s ear Peter smote off, Malchus said, did I not see you in the garden with Jesus?
• And for the 3^rd time, Peter denied it and immediately the cock crowed. And Peter remember what Jesus had said. And then Peter left and wept bitterly (Mark 14:66- 72, Matthew 26:69-75, Luke 22:55-62, John 18:15-18, 25-27).
• For personal information or older kids, you can also add this story: Judas wants to repent. He tries to give the 30 pieces of silver back to the chief priests and elders. Saying, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.” But the chief priests say, “What is that to us?” Judas throws down the money and leaves. Be very careful how you say this, for kids are impressionable and repentance is real, then he hangs himself.

So they take Jesus to the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, who was appointed by the Roman emperor Tiberius.

Pontius had the highest Roman legal authority and the only one who could order a crucifixion. Pontius doesn’t want anything to do with this, and so he passes Jesus off to Herod Antipas.

Herod is a Tetrarch of Galilee where Jesus grew up. He was under Roman rule and could only handle local matters, not issues in Jerusalem. Still, Herod was excited to meet Jesus. He’d heard a lot about Him. Herod was hoping to see a miracle performed. But Jesus refused to say anything. So, Herod mocks Jesus and his soldiers place an expensive robe or cape on him, but even so, Herod finds no guilt, and sends Jesus back to Pilate.

Pilate said unto Jesus, “Art thou the King of the Jews?” And Jesus asked Pilate if these were sincere questions, or was Pilate actually seeking truth? Pilate then went out again unto the Jews and saith unto them, “I find in him no fault at all!” Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, that the Sanhedrin had delivered Jesus for envy. Pilate’s wife had also told him to have nothing to do with ‘that just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him’. (Mattew 27:19-23)

For it was tradition that the governor would release a prisoner at the time of the Passover feast.  So Pilate brings out the worst criminal, hoping the people would choose Jesus over Barabbas a murderer, to be released. But the chief priests and elders had persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. “Which do you want me to release for you?” asked Pilate. Barabbas they yelled. Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” And they cried out, Crucify Him! But Pilate said, “I find no fault in him. Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” But Pilate from that time forward sought to have Jesus released but could prevail nothing.

Pilate hoping the people would have compassion on Jesus, had Jesus scourged or whipped 39 times, used as a severe punishment intended to satisfy the crowd’s bloodlust. (John 19:1-6)

• For personal information or older kids: In Matthew 27:26, Mark 15:15 and John 19:1 is says Jesus was flogged, or scourged. It was so horrific a punishment that Roman law would not allow Roman citizens to undergo it. (Acts 22:24-29) The victim was first stripped of all clothing, then tied to a post with his hands above his head (to stretch the skin making the wounds worse).  He was then flogged by one or two people with a whip. This whip consisted of a handle with 9 leather straps about 6-7 feet long, and at the end of each strap was small lead balls mixed with pieces of animal bone or metal. These would tear into the body more and more with each successive lashing, with the lead balls ripping into the skin and the jagged pieces of bone or metal tearing it out. As the flogging progressed, muscles, vital organs, and even the spine could often be seen openly. Huge strips of skin would be hanging from the body. According to Jewish law, this beating had to be stopped after 40 lashes (Deut. 25:1-3), however, the Jews made a tradition of 39 lashes just in case a mistake in counting was made. 2 Cor 11:24. The Romans had no such law though, and may or may not have exceeded this limit. After the victim was untied and fell to the ground, often unconscious, sometimes dead never even making it to the crucifixion.  Jesus survived it without losing consciousness and then came the torture. (Steve Shirley jesusalive.cc)

• For personal information or older kids: Jesus was then clothed and led to the Praetorium (the where the soldiers stripped Him again, likely tearing the flesh off His back as the drying blood adhered to the cloth. They put a scarlet robe on Him, and made a crown of thorns, placing it upon His head. They then mocked Him some more, spit upon Him, and struck him on the head with a reed, driving the crown of thorns into His head (Matthew 27:29-30, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:2-3). These thorns were about 2 inches long and extremely sharp. Since head wounds tend to bleed easily and profusely, Jesus had blood pouring down His face from these thorns.  (Steve Shirley jesusalive.cc)

After the soldiers had whipped Jesus, they had stripped him of his clothing and placed a scarlet robe on him. They had placed a crown of thorns on his head and a reed in his right hand and they mocked Him. Saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Pilate went out again and said to them, “I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” but when the Chief Priests and the officers saw him, they cried out “Crucify him, crucify him!”

So Pilate took water and washed his hands before the multitude saying I am innocent of this blood and delivered Jesus to be crucified. The soldiers then placed a sign on the cross that said ‘King of the Jews’. They spit on him and hit him on the head. Then they took off the robe and led him away. (Matthew 27:24-26, John 19:16-17)

• For personal information or older kids: The soldiers then took the robe off of Him and put His own clothes back on Him (Matthew 27:31). After the flogging, the victim was made to carry his cross to the crucifixion site. Most scholars and historians believe it likely that Jesus did not carry a full cross as is often depicted, but rather, he carried a ‘crossbeam’ or patibulum. In those times, the cross usually consisted of a vertical beam which had been permanently secured in the ground, and a crossbeam which was placed atop this vertical beam. This crossbeam usually weighed around 100-150 pounds, and was about 8.5 feet long. The condemned would carry this crossbeam on his shoulders to the vertical beam at the crucifixion site. (Steve Shirley jesusalive.cc)

The same people who shouted “Hosannah, Hosannah” and believed Jesus was the Messiah on Saturday, are now stirred by fear, and the words of the Jewish leaders, and anger that Jesus did not come to conquer the Romans, are crying, “Crucify Him!” 

Jesus bares the cross:

Jesus in his weakened state is forced to drag His cross through the streets of Jerusalem. By now, He has not slept for over 30 hours and has walked many miles between the trials. He’s been flogged and beaten. He’s suffered and sweat great drops of blood in gethsemane. He moved but slowly under the burden of the cross.

At some point the burden becomes too much, and the soldiers impatient at the delay, pull a man from the crowd who they meet coming into Jerusalem from another country. Forcing him into service to carry the cross of Jesus. His name was Simon of Cyrene. Alexander and Rufus, the sons of Simon, watch as their father carries Jesus’s cross the rest of the way to Golgotha. (Mark 15:21-22, Matthew 27:32-33, Luke 23:26). (Cyrene was an ancient Greek Jewish city locating in modern-day Libya in North Africa).

Information: Many believe the distance to the place of crucifixion was about 650 yards away and reached by a path called the Via dolorosa (“way of suffering”) ending at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. I have been to Jerusalem and believe Golgotha to be Calvary, meaning ‘the place of the skull’ or Skull Hill. It is above the Garden Tomb. This distance would be about 1,100 yards (This is like 11 football fields end to end. It would take around 30 minutes to walk normally).

Sometime just before noon, Jesus is nailed to the cross and it is lifted up where He continues to suffer. His Atonement is not yet complete.

At noontide, the light of the sun was obscured, and black darkness spread over the whole land. The terrifying gloom continued for a period of three hours.  It cannot be explained by science. There was no solar eclipse. It was a miraculous occurrence of natural laws directed by divine power. (Jesus the Christ – Talmage)

• For personal information or older kids: At this point, Jesus’ hands were nailed to the patibulum or possibly the full cross. But the hands alone could not support the weight of a man’s body hanging on the cross. The nail would rip right out of the hand. So Jesus’ wrists were also nailed to the cross. Wrists when nailed properly could hold a man’s weight. The nail was 5-7 inches long. It was driven between the radius and ulna bones in the wrist and directly into the median nerve. This gave maximum strength and caused maximum pain, as well as minimal blood loss. (Steve Shirley jesusalive.cc)

• The patibulum or crossbeam was then foisted up to the top of the vertical bean with the victim attached. All of the man’s weight was on the wrists and hands nailed to the mean. This often caused the shoulders to be dislocated, and could have happened to Jesus (Psalms 22:14). Once the beam was attached, the victim’s feet were placed one on top of the other and nailed to the vertical beam (knees at an angle). Sometimes, a small platform was placed just below the feet so the victim could push up on it. (Steve Shirley jesusalive.cc)

• At this point, slow death usually occurred. Cruelly, crucifixion was not meant to kill victims quickly, but slowly over a period of days. During this time, they would endure excruciating pain. In fact, we got the word “excruciating” from the cross. Latin “excruciatus” meaning “to crucify”. (Steve Shirley jesusalive.cc)

• While nailed to the cross, the victim could easily breathe in, but he could not exhale. The only way to exhale was to push up with his feet, causing searing pain in his nailed feet. It also caused his open back wounds to rub up against the rough vertical beam. In addition, the victim would suffer from severe cramps, dehydration, and lungs slowly filling with fluid. (Steve Shirley jesusalive.cc)

• When the man could no longer push up, he would lapse into unconsciousness and suffocate. If the Romans wanted to end this process early, they would break the legs of the victim by smacking the shin bone with a spear until it broke in half, thereby not allowing the victim to raise himself. Death would occur in a few minutes. This was done to the two thieves that were crucified on each side of Jesus (John 19:31-37). But Jesus’ legs were not broken, because He was already dead, having dismissed His spirit (Matthew 27:50). This fulfilled prophecy which stated no bones would be broken on Jesus (Psalms 34:20 and Ex 12:46 which points to this). Just like the Passover lambs were not allowed to have a broken bone. (Steve Shirley at jesusalive.cc)

While on the Cross many walked by mocking Him and called out, ‘If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross’. Or ‘He saved others; yet he cannot save himself’. ‘If he is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross and we will believe him’.

However, even as Jesus was finishing His sacrifice for us, He was thinking of others:

• “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Jesus was referring to the Roman soldiers who hurt Him.

• “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Jesus was talking to the thief who acknowledged Jesus as the Savior of the World.

• “Woman, behold thy Son!” Jesus was concerned about His mom and wanted to make sure she was taken care of.

As the end drew near and He suffered pain beyond our ability to know, Jesus called out;

• “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” For the Savior’s Atonement to be infinite and eternal, the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence… Jesus had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually. To sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.” (Jeffery R. Holland)

• “I thirst.” It is the first time Jesus mentions His own needs. The hyssop branch used to raise a sponge soaked with vinegar to the lips of the Savior fulfilled prophecy and once again reminds us of the Passover. The hyssop branch was used as a brush to paint the blood of the lamb over the door frames in Egypt and symbolically represents purification.

By 3 pm, around 3-4 hours of being on the cross, of darkness filling the land, Jesus uttered His finally words,

“It is finished.” “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”

And the temple veil is rent from top to bottom and Jesus voluntarily gives up His Spirit. (John 19:30). As the darkness leaves, a centurion or soldier who saw what had taken place, praised God, saying “Certainly this man was innocent!” and the crowds dispersed beating their chests.

The Burial:

It was now late in the afternoon. At sunset, would begin their next day or Thursday. That day would be a ‘High’ Holy day, the day of The Passover meal. The rules for Passover was that no one could touch something unclean, with blood, that was dead, or even walk through a cemetery. The Jewish officials, who had not hesitated to slay their Lord, were horrified at the thought of men left hanging on crosses on such a day, for thereby the land would be defiled. So they asked Pilate to dispatch the three men on crosses by the brutal Roman method of breaking their legs. The shock of this violent treatment would cause immediate death. The two thieves did have their legs broken. Jesus however, was found to be already dead, so they broke not His bones.  Christ the great Passover sacrifice, died like all required paschal lambs. Not one bone was broken.

One of the soldiers, however, to make sure that Jesus was actually dead, or to surely kill Him if he wasn’t, drove a spear into His side.  Making a wound large enough that when the spear was withdrawn, there was an outflow of blood and water.

• Russel M. Nelson, in ‘The Atonement’ (Jan 1993 Ensign or June 23, 1982). Talks about the ‘blood and water’ as described in John 19:34 was likely the result of a ruptured heart. When a heart ruptures, blood leaks into the pericardial sac surrounding the heart which is filled with water from the lungs and fluids from intense pain.  When this sac was pierced out comes both, blood and water, showing that Jesus literally died of a “broken heart”. Not just figuratively from grief, but physically from the intense pressure of the suffering he endured.

This day, Jesus died like all Passover lambs. After the lambs have lived in the homes of their families for 4 days, on Wednesday between 3-5 pm, before sunset, all are now sacrificed, without breaking any bones, and prepared for the upcoming Passover dinner.  The Lord is so symbolic and purposeful in all He does.

Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. And there also came Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, brought myrrh and aloes (about 75 pounds in weight). They took Jesus’ body, wrapped it in linen clothes and spices, and buried Him in the new, unused tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, which was close at hand. (John 19:38-42)

Soldiers were then placed as a watch and the tomb sealed, before 6pm. (Matthew 27:62-66)

• INFORMATION: At this point you might want to look ahead and decide if you’d like to create a Passover dinner tonight, or continue to make it a day of preparation and eat a Passover meal on Thursday. Link to Passover Meal. Printable Information Cards about the symbolic food

Video Link re-telling the Story of Easter Week Day 5 HERE.

Scriptural References: John 18:3, Matt 26:43-45, John 18:4-10, Luke 22:51, Matt 26:52-54, Luke 22:52-53, Matt. 26:56, Mark 14:51-52, John 18:12-15, Matt 26:57, John 18:14, Mark 14:54-59, Matt 26:62-63, Mark 14:62, Matt 26:65-68, John 18:15-18, Mark 14:66-72, Matt 27:1, Luke 22:66-71, Matt 27:2, Matt 27:3-9, John 18:28-32, Luke 23:2-7, Luke 23:8-12, John 18:33-38, Luke 23:13-16, Matt 27:15-16, Luke 23:19, John 18:39-40, John 19:4-16, Matt 27:17-23, Luke 23:22, Matt 27:24-30, Luke 23:26, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:26-28, John 19:17, Matt 27:34-36, John 19:19-22, Matt 27:39-43, Matt 27:45-51, Matt 27:54, Luke 23:50-52, Mark 15:44-45, John 19:39-42, Matt 27:60, Mark 15:47, Matt 27:62-66. John 19:3-36ech. 12:10

To Create this Wednesday scene of Jesus being Arrested, False Trials, Carrying the Cross, Crucified, Death, and Burial:

Most links to the patterns are in the Introductory post (Link Here). Any extra links needed see below.  

• Palace of Caiaphas and Pontius Pilate: Create 2-3 columns to represent the palaces of these two imposing figures. You’ll need 4-6 pillars – 2.75 x ¾ inch diameter. Found these at Hobby Lobby. Glue 2 together, end to end = 5.5 inches tall total. 
• The Cross: I purchased the cross on Amazon. I used a drill and placed 2 magnets on the crucified Jesus first. Then because the cross is flat, lined up the crucified Jesus on the cross, marked and matched exactly the magnet locations. Also, beware…check magnet polarization when glueing magnets into place. You want Jesus to magnetize to the cross, not be repelled by the polarization of the magnets.
• The Garden Tomb backdrop.