John 18:33–40; Luke 23:8–11

Jesus Is Tried and Scourged

After Jesus was arrested and falsely tried before Jewish leaders, He was sent to be tried before Pilate, who had Roman jurisdiction. The Savior meekly submitted to the Romans and was painfully scourged and sentenced to death. This lesson is intended to help you learn more about the Savior’s love for all and His perfect character and how you can better follow His example.

Feeling mistreated

• What are some common situations in which a teenager may be mocked, falsely accused, or mistreated?

• What are some ways a typical teenager might respond to such treatment?

The Lord can be with us and help us grow from difficult experiences. He can help us respond to hardship and opposition in Christlike ways. Think about your own personal experiences of being mocked, falsely accused, or mistreated, including how you responded and why.

As Jesus Christ approached the final events of His life, He was mocked, falsely accused, and mistreated. As you study these final events of the Savior’s life, look for character traits that helped Him faithfully endure and complete His mission. Also prayerfully consider how you can follow His example.

Jesus is unjustly tried and condemned to death

After Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was arrested, and Jewish leaders (the Sanhedrin) unjustly tried Him and condemned Him to death. However, because Israel was under Roman rule, execution could only be authorized by the Romans. For this reason, the Jews sent Jesus to Pilate, the Roman leader over Judea, accusing Him of rebellion against the Roman government for claiming to be “the King of the Jews” (see Mark 15:2). Pilate sent Jesus to Herod Antipas, who was in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, hoping Herod would try Him in Galilee, but Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate.

Read two or more of the following accounts, which recount how Jesus was unjustly accused and ultimately condemned. As you read, look for how Jesus responded in each of these situations. Remember that He had the power to free Himself from these circumstances (see Matthew 26:52–54).

1. Jesus is questioned by the Sanhedrin. Read Matthew 26:57–68, or watch the video “Jesus Is Tried by Caiaphas, Peter Denies Knowing Him” from time code 0:00 to 1:39. This video is available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

   Jesus Is Tried by Caiaphas, Peter Denies Knowing Him

   Jesus is tried before Caiaphas and the chief priests. Peter denies knowing Him and weeps bitterly.

2. Jesus is questioned by Pilate. Read John 18:33–40, or watch “Jesus Is Condemned Before Pilate” (3:19), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, for one portrayal of the trial before Pilate.

   Jesus Is Condemned before Pilate

   Jesus is arraigned and questioned before Pilate, who finds no fault in Him. Yielding to the multitude, Pilate allows Barabbas to be released and Jesus to be crucified. Matthew 27:1–2, 11–25

3. Jesus appears before Herod. Read Luke 23:8–11.

4. Jesus is scourged by Roman soldiers and later questioned by Pilate a second time. Read John 19:1–16, or watch “Jesus Is Scourged and Crucified” from time code 0:00 to 2:03, available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. It may be helpful to know that a scourge was a whip that often included sharp objects (such as pieces of rock, metal, or bone) woven into several of the strands. Many people did not survive being scourged because of the severe physical trauma it caused.

   Jesus Is Scourged and Crucified

   A band of soldiers strips Jesus of His clothes, scourges Him, and mocks Him. He then carries His cross to Golgotha and is crucified by Roman soldiers. Matthew 27:26–50

1. Answer the following question in your study journal:

• How did the Savior respond in these situations?

• Why do you think the Savior may have responded that way?

Jesus Christ’s character

Read 1 Nephi 19:9 and the following statements, looking for insights into the Savior’s character.

Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shared the following:

To respond in a Christlike way cannot be scripted or based on a formula. The Savior responded differently in every situation. When He was confronted by wicked King Herod, He remained silent. When He stood before Pilate, He bore a simple and powerful testimony of His divinity and purpose. …

Some people mistakenly think responses such as silence, meekness, forgiveness, and bearing humble testimony are passive or weak. But to “love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]” (Matthew 5:44) takes faith, strength, and, most of all, Christian courage.

(Robert D. Hales, “Christian Courage: The Price of Discipleship,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 72)

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Consider also how the Master was accused and condemned before Pilate to be crucified [see Matthew 27:2,11–26]. … The Savior’s meekness is evidenced in His disciplined response, strong restraint, and unwillingness to exert His infinite power for personal benefit.

(David A. Bednar, “Meek and Lowly of Heart,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 33)

2. Answer the following question in your study journal:

• What did you learn about the Savior from the way He responded during these difficult circumstances?

• How did the Savior’s actions show His “loving kindness … towards the children of men”? (1 Nephi 19:9).

• How might knowing that Jesus Christ has these attributes help you love and trust Him more?

It is important to note that on many occasions the Savior has boldly held others accountable for their actions (see Mark 11:15–17, John 2:13–16, Doctrine and Covenants 133:48–51). As followers of Jesus Christ, we want to respond to mockery, false accusations, or mistreatment with love, courage, and meekness. However, this does not mean we should allow others to abuse or harm us. “The Lord condemns abusive behavior in any form—including neglect and physical, sexual, or verbal abuse” (First Presidency letter, “Preventing and Responding to Abuse,” Mar. 26, 2018). If we have been abused, it is important that we seek help from a trusted adult immediately.

3. Complete one of the following activities in your study journal:

1. Think back to when you felt mocked, falsely accused, or mistreated. Seek Heavenly Father’s help through the Holy Ghost to know appropriate Christlike ways you could respond to this situation. Write down what you did well and how you may want to improve.

2. Write down two examples of times or circumstances in which remembering Christ’s character has helped or could help you. How might your life be different if you consistently try to develop Christlike characteristics?

3. Select one Christlike characteristic you would like to develop more fully. Think about times in your day when you could practice using this characteristic.

Optional: Want to Learn More?

John 18:36. What is the kingdom Jesus was speaking about?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught:

When Daniel interpreted the dream of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, making known to the king “what shall be in the latter days” [Daniel 2:28], he declared that “the God of heaven [shall] set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all [other] kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” [Daniel 2:44]. The Church is that prophesied latter-day kingdom, not created by man but set up by the God of heaven and rolling forth as a stone “cut out of the mountain without hands” to fill the earth [Daniel 2:45; see also verse 35].

Its destiny is to establish Zion in preparation for the return and millennial rule of Jesus Christ. Before that day, it will not be a kingdom in any political sense—as the Savior said, “My kingdom is not of this world” [John 18:36; emphasis added]. Rather, it is the repository of His authority in the earth, the administrator of His holy covenants, the custodian of His temples, the protector and proclaimer of His truth, the gathering place for scattered Israel, and “a defense, and … a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” [Doctrine and Covenants 115:6].

(D. Todd Christofferson, “Why the Church,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 111)