This document summarizes a passage from the Gospel of John recounting Jesus' trial before Pontius Pilate and his crucifixion. It describes how Pilate had Jesus flogged and the soldiers mocked him by dressing him in a purple robe and crown of thorns. Pilate declared he found no guilt in Jesus, but the Jewish leaders demanded his crucifixion. Pilate reluctantly handed Jesus over to be crucified to appease the crowd.

1. THE DAY THE EARTH
STOOD STILL
(and all of Heaven held its breath!)
John 19:1-16

2. John 19:1-16 Message Bible
So Pilate took Jesus and had him whipped. [2] The
soldiers, having braided a crown from thorns, set it on his
head, threw a purple robe over him, [3] and approached
him with, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they greeted him
with slaps in the face.
[4] Pilate went back out again and said to them, "I
present him to you, but I want you to know that I do not
find him guilty of any crime." [5] Just then Jesus came
out wearing the thorn crown and purple robe.
Pilate announced, "Here he is: the Man."
[6] When the high priests and police saw him, they
shouted in a frenzy, "Crucify! Crucify!"
Pilate told them, "You take him. You crucify him. I find
nothing wrong with him."

3. John 19:1-16 Message Bible
[7] The Jews answered, "We have a law, and by that law
he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God."
[8] When Pilate heard this, he became even more
scared. [9] He went back into the palace and said to
Jesus, "Where did you come from?"
Jesus gave no answer.
[10] Pilate said, "You won't talk? Don't you know that I
have the authority to pardon you, and the authority to—
crucify you?"
[11] Jesus said, "You haven't a shred of authority over
me except what has been given you from heaven. That's
why the one who betrayed me to you has committed a far
greater fault."

4. John 19:1-16 Message Bible
[12] At this, Pilate tried his best to pardon him, but the
Jews shouted him down: "If you pardon this man, you're
no friend of Caesar's. Anyone setting himself up as 'king'
defies Caesar."
[13] When Pilate heard those words, he led Jesus
outside. He sat down at the judgment seat in the area
designated Stone Court (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). [14] It was
the preparation day for Passover. The hour was noon.
Pilate said to the Jews, "Here is your king."

5. John 19:1-16 Message Bible
[15] They shouted back, "Kill him! Kill him! Crucify
him!“
Pilate said, "I am to crucify your king?"
The high priests answered, "We have no king except
Caesar."
[16] Pilate caved in to their demand. He turned him over
to be crucified.
They took Jesus away.

6. TAKE HOME
• With tiny silver crosses and little rectangles of
communion bread we could easily miss the horror of
Good Friday.
• My soul has a price tag, and it is smattered with blood.
• Easter will be glorious and celebratory with trumpets
blasting, but let's not skip over the gory part. R rated or
not, I have to look at Him there.
• When I face my own horrible, no-good Fridays, it will be
good to know that there really is somebody who knows
how I feel.

7. Commitment:
Jesus, I can never
fathom the depth of
your pain and
Grief, but I thank you
for dying for me. I
love you and will live
for you!

8. Worship in Song

9. ANNOUNCEMENTS

10. JESUS HAD LEFT HIS
ROYAL ROBE AND CROWN
IN HEAVEN TO VISIT US
For awhile it looked liked
we appreciated his
coming to us.

11. PALM SUNDAY.
Matthew 21:1-11
Crowds crying out a
welcome
Palm branches and
cloaks paved the way
Oh, how sweet it was!

12. BUT THE GLORY OF SUNDAY WAS
MATCHED BY THE RULERS‟ HATRED
As the crowds praised him.the rulers were incensed!
"Teacher, rebuke your disciples".
The chief priests, the teachers of the Law and the
leaders, were trying to kill him.
Story of the wicked tenants didn’t make him popular.
Luke 20

13. OH, THAT OMINOUS, CLOUDY
THURSDAY NIGHT DINNER
• Passover Meal in an Upper Room
• Take this broken bread, my body will
be broken for you
• An inkling of bloodshed, this cup is
my blood, shed for many
• Jesus foretells the weakness and flight
of all of the 12 Apostles
• Yes, even you, Peter, tonight, before
the rooster crows!

14. THURSDAY NIGHT. A GARDEN OF
TEARS AND SORROW
Oh, Mercy! Dear Father.is there another
way? Yet not my will.
What's this? Soldiers and the
Temple Guard?
Judas? You'd betray me with a
kiss?
Let these man go, they are
innocent!

15. (They had watched healings,
resurrections from the dead…yet had
some doubts. Do you have doubts?)
WHAT IS JESUS‟ RESPONSE TO
SUCH DOUBTS?
Simply: “GO INTO ALL THE WORLD
AND MAKE DISCIPLES.” Matt. 28:19
“GO” = Take the leap, in spite of
doubts. It is a “Leap of Faith.” To not
act on Faith, makes doubt your god.

16. IF QUESTIONS OR DOUBTS ARE
KEEPING YOU FROM LEAPING INTO
GOD‟S WAITING ARMS…
THEY HAVE BECOME YOUR „GODS‟.
• Abraham “How can I know for sure…”
• Moses struggled with his big questions.
• David admitted to times of feeling abandoned
by God.
• Paul said „we know in part…and see through a
mirror dimly‟ (questions galore!)

17. COMMUNION!
Bring everything to the table.
Jesus invites you, even with
your “Lord is it I?” doubts and
questions.

18. Confession:
I believe that
Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of
the Living God.
Jesus is my Lord
and Savoir.

19. Worship in Song

20. IF YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU CAN SIFT AND SORT
THROUGH ALL OF THE CLAIMS OF JESUS…
AND THE OUTLANDISH PROMISES…
YOU‟LL NEVER TAKE THE LEAP
• Faith trusts the character and love of God,
pushing all excuses aside, and steps out of
the boat…
Questions and doubts in tow.

21. SOMETIMES OUR PAST
GETS IN THE WAY…
AND EVEN PRESENT WEAKNESSES

22. PAUL CONFESSED TO BEING THE
„CHIEF OF SINNERS‟
WHAT DOES GOD DO WITH SUCH A
„WRETCH?”
• God loves and uses us… we hold this
treasure in Earthen Vessels.
• We are justified by Jesus, not our own
goodness.
• He sends us into the vineyard (the world) to
serve him.
• God continues to cleanse, empower and fill
us.
• After all… He loves us immensely.

23. • BRAD: AMAZING GRACE CLIP HERE

24. OUR „GODS‟ ARE SPOILERS…
if we bow to them!
•The God of Image and Public Opinion
(What if my friends reject me?)
• The God of Intellect
(I‟ve got to figure it all out.)
• The God of Fear of Failure
(What if I have a relapse?)
• The God of Guilt
(I don‟t deserve to be forgiven and go to
Heaven.)
• The God of Ignorance
(I have too many questions about God.)

25. • “YOU SHALL HAVE OTHER GODS
BEFORE ME”… MEANS MORE THAN
GRAVEN IMAGES OF WOOD AND STONE.
• Reminder: Whatever keeps you from
taking the Leap of Faith is a god.
• SO, TODAY IS THE RIGHT DAY FOR
ASKING… WHAT KEEPS ME FROM
TAKING THE LEAP OF FAITH?

26. KEEP IN MIND
1. Your standing before God is based on the
blood of Jesus, not your great performance.
No Condemnation! --Romans 8:1
2. You will fail. God expects you to. You are
just a human. But he has made provision for
our failure: Forgiveness! I John 1:9,10
3. You will have your great successes and
miserable failures. Every hero of the Bible
did. Do not let condemnation or self-loathing
be your god.

27. CONCLUSION: LEAP!
GOD IS READY TO CATCH YOU AND
PATIENTLY DEAL WITH YOUR
WEAKNESSES.
Put those other gods behind you.
Take the leap, enter the journey and you
will discover how trivial those gods really
are. And how powerful your All-Mighty
God is!

28. PRAYER &
PRAISE

29. Worship in Song

30. Your Offering:
“Seek the Kingdom of God
above all else, and live
righteously, and he will give
you everything you need.”
--Jesus

31. Worship in Song

32. TAKE HOME
• Jesus is the one. I will have no other Gods
before me.
• I take the leap placing putting my flaws and
haunting doubts behind me, not in front where
they can block me!
• I thank God for his loving arms that receive me
just as I am.
• The reality check is in… I will not surrender to
other gods. So, here I come Jesus, I take that
leap of faith, fully trusting you.

33. Commitment:
Lord Jesus, here I
come… just as I am
with problems,
doubts and
questions. Thank
you for your loving
arms of grace and
your promise to
journey with me,
always!

34. Go and Take the Leap.