Why Didn’t Jesus Defend Himself?

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES The Answer Is Easter

Why Didn't Jesus Defend Himself? By Rick Warren — Mar 18, 2016 “But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’” (Mark 14:61 NIV) What’s so important about Easter? It’s important because it proved that Jesus was who he claimed to be. He was God in the flesh, and he came to Earth to save us. Three events occurred in dramatic succession on that Easter weekend: the trial of Jesus, then the death of Jesus, and finally the Resurrection of Jesus. Jesus actually went through six trials. In that one night, he was brought before Annas (the father-in-law of Caiaphas), Caiaphas (the high priest), the Sanhedrin (the religious Supreme Court), Pilate (the governor of Jerusalem), Herod (the governor of Galilee), and then Pilate again. At the end of those six trials, what did they find to accuse him of? Nothing. He had done nothing wrong. They brought in people to make up phony charges, but those didn’t stick. Finally they convicted him on one count: claiming to be the Son of God. That’s the sole reason Jesus went to the cross. Everyone who has ever been introduced to Jesus has already made some kind of decision about who he is. You either believe he’s a liar or you believe he’s a lunatic or you believe he’s the Lord. It can’t just be, “I believe he was a good teacher.” He couldn’t be just a good teacher, because a good teacher would not say, “I’m God, and I’m the only way to Heaven.” A good person would not say that unless it was the truth. Jesus claimed to be the Savior of the world. In John 12:47, he is recorded as saying: “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (NIV). He allowed himself to be put on trial so there would be no doubt about who he was. He could have stopped the trial at any moment; he knew he would be proven guilty and put on the cross. But he allowed it to happen. It was all part of the plan. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over Why do you think God allowed Jesus to be put to death, even though he was innocent? What does it say about God’s character? What was your reaction when you were first introduced to Jesus? What do you believe about Jesus now? Our Gift: Choose Joy Devotional Book The secret to being happy no matter what is looking at every experience and circumstance you face from God’s viewpoint. When you go through difficult times joy becomes a choice you make minute by minute. Written by Pastor Rick’s wife, Kay Warren, this Devotional book is the perfect tool to help you stay focused on God’s word and see things from His perspective. LEARN MORE Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes all complete sermons from the Rick Warren The Answer Is Easter teaching series. LEARN MORE Series Summary Message 1: The Answer Is Easter Message 2: ​​​​​​​Easter in 3D PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at rickwarren.org. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe