God on Trial: Power Through the Cross

Oct 18, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The courtroom of our complaints

We craft one-star reviews for God when life disappoints, listing grievances like unanswered prayers or unexplained pain as evidence against His goodness. Like diners judging restaurants before the meal arrives, we declare verdicts on God’s character while still mid-story. Our accusations often reveal more about our hunger for control than His failure to perform. Yet the God we put on trial remains present, listening to every charge without walking out. [00:18]

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
(Psalm 46:10, ESV)

Reflection: What “Exhibit A” have you secretly entered into evidence against God’s character? How might His silence in Matthew’s courtroom challenge your need for immediate answers?

Day 2: Silent sovereignty in the mockers’ chaos

Jesus stands blindfolded as fists fly, His power hidden beneath spit and slaps. The God who calms storms with a word lets drunkards dictate the script. His restraint isn’t weakness but strength inverted – like a firefighter choosing to burn rather than unleash the hose. True authority wears handcuffs to break chains. [11:54]

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.
(Isaiah 53:7, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you demanding visible power from God like the mockers did? How might His choice to absorb violence rather than inflict it redefine your view of His involvement?

Day 3: Power redefined by an empty tomb

The council sought false testimony about temple destruction, never imagining true power would resurrect what they tried to bury. Jesus’ prediction of coming clouds and authority sounded delusional to ears that couldn’t hear graves cracking open. Real strength isn’t measured by courtroom wins but by stone-rolled emptiness. [25:36]

And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
(Matthew 28:2, ESV)

Reflection: What “impossible situation” in your life needs resurrection eyes? How does the angel sitting on the rolled-away stone challenge your definitions of unstoppable power?

Day 4: Faith with an exit ramp

Peter lingers in the courtyard, close enough to claim loyalty but distant enough to flee. His measured discipleship mirrors our conditional commitments – serving God while keeping Uber apps open for quick escapes. True following requires burning the boats on the shore, not just parking them. [13:56]

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
(Matthew 16:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: What courtyard are you sitting in today – close enough to Jesus for comfort but far enough to run? What lifeboat have you kept anchored “just in case” He disappoints?

Day 5: The cross as God’s final testimony

Every accusation we hurl at heaven finds its answer in the trial’s wood and nails. God doesn’t defend Himself with arguments but with scars. The ultimate review of His character wasn’t written in online comments but in bloodstains on a criminal’s cross. [39:10]

When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
(1 Peter 2:23, ESV)

Reflection: What verdict against God still feels unresolved in your heart? How does His choice to wear your guilt rather than argue it away soften your accusations?

Sermon Summary

Matthew brings the human desire to judge God into a real courtroom, where Jesus stands accused by people who have already decided what they want the verdict to be. The council seeks false testimony because it is not looking for truth but for evidence to support a decision already made. The council exposes the way people build exhibits against God through diagnoses, layoffs, unanswered prayers, and wounds caused by other Christians. The Psalms make room for real questions asked with tears, but the trial in Caiaphas’s house reveals something different: a heart that refuses to hear any answer it does not like.

The mockers demand, “Prove it to us,” and their cruelty exposes the impulse to make God meet human terms before faith is offered. Peter follows at a distance, and his cautious posture reveals faith with an exit ramp. Peter does not openly accuse or mock Jesus, but he keeps his options open, waiting to see how things turn out before giving himself fully.

Jesus remains silent before false witnesses, though he has every answer, every defense, and more than twelve legions of angels available to him. Jesus’ silence is not weakness, absence, or lack of care. Jesus chooses to remain bound, present, and obedient to the Father’s will. The cross later shows that the silent one in the courtroom also knows the terrible silence of being forsaken, so God is not distant from those who feel unheard in long suffering.

Jesus finally tells Caiaphas that the Son of Man will be seen seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Jesus redefines power through a cross, a tomb, and an empty grave. The crown comes through the cross, not around it. Death becomes power because his death conquers death, and the tomb becomes power because it will not stay full.

Jesus also changes how his people use whatever power they hold. Christ-like power does not fight for the last word, protect every advantage, or use people for selfish gain. Jesus uses power to serve, save, bless, and make others flourish. The courtroom finally confronts every accusation against God with the sight of God standing where guilty humanity deserves to stand, taking the blows and turning judgment into salvation.

Key Takeaways

1. Stop building a case against God The council comes to Jesus with a verdict already decided, then searches for witnesses to support it. Pain can become an exhibit in a case against God when suffering is treated as final proof that he does not care. Honest lament remains open before God, but accusation closes the case before hearing him. [10:22]
2. Faith can have an exit ramp Peter stays near Jesus, but he follows from a distance and waits to see how things end. Cautious faith can look faithful on the outside while quietly withholding surrender in the heart. Jesus does not call people to keep their options open, but to trust him with the resources, relationships, fears, and decisions held back. [14:41]
3. Jesus’ silence is not absence Jesus says nothing because he lacks nothing. His silence holds all the power of heaven, yet he chooses to stay bound and receive false accusations. God’s silence may remain painful and unexplained, but the cross shows that silence never means Christ is indifferent or gone. [19:12]
4. The crown comes through the cross Jesus overturns every worldly definition of strength by calling the coming cross a display of power. The cross looks like defeat until the resurrection reveals that death itself has been conquered. God’s kingdom does not reach glory by taking shortcuts around suffering. [27:32]
5. Use power to make others flourish Jesus possesses limitless power and refuses to use it for self-protection. Every kind of influence, from workplaces to marriages to friendships, becomes an opportunity either to gain selfishly or to serve sacrificially. Christ-like power asks what can be given so that another person may be helped, protected, and brought nearer to life. [33:59]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:18] - A Culture of Reviews and Judgment
[04:44] - Jesus Put on Trial
[05:55] - The Council’s Predetermined Verdict
[10:48] - Lament or Accusation
[11:32] - The Mockers Demand Proof
[13:23] - Peter’s Faith from a Distance
[17:03] - Jesus Remains Silent
[21:31] - Christ Knows Divine Silence
[23:15] - Power Redefined Through the Cross
[27:32] - The Crown Through the Cross
[29:11] - Using Power to Serve Others
[37:04] - Is Jesus Enough for the Accusation
[41:33] - Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 26:57-68
“Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.'" And the high priest stood up and said, "Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?" But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." Jesus said to him, "You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest tore his robes and said, "He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?" They answered, "He deserves death." Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” [04:44]

Matthew 27:46
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [21:31]

Matthew 28:18
“And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” [26:30]

Observation questions

What details show that the council was seeking a verdict against Jesus before hearing the evidence? [06:09]
How do the mockers treat Jesus, and what do their words reveal about the kind of proof they demand from him? [11:39]
Where is Peter positioned during Jesus’ trial, and what does he appear to be waiting for? [13:13]
What does Jesus do in response to the false testimony, and what does he eventually say about the Son of Man’s future authority? [17:10]

Interpretation questions

Caiaphas asks whether Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God, but he is not seeking an answer he will receive. What makes a question about God an honest question, and what turns it into an accusation with a predetermined verdict? [10:48]
Why is Jesus’ silence during the trial a display of strength rather than weakness? What does his choice not to defend himself reveal about his purpose? [18:57]
Jesus later cries out in abandonment on the cross. How does that moment help someone understand that God’s apparent silence does not mean that Christ is distant from suffering? [21:31]
Jesus speaks of power while he is bound, mocked, and headed toward the cross. How do the cross, resurrection, and Christ’s authority reshape common ideas of what real power looks like? [25:27]

Application questions

Is there a painful circumstance—a diagnosis, financial pressure, unanswered prayer, or wound from another Christian—that has become evidence in a case against God? How can that pain be honestly brought to God without closing the case against him? [08:58]
When asking God “Why?” or “How long?”, is there openness to hear an answer that may not be wanted or understood? What would it look like to practice lament with tears and trust rather than accusation? [11:03]
Where might faith have an “exit ramp” right now? Is there a resource, relationship, decision, area of obedience, or need for accountability that is being held back until life feels safer or more predictable? [14:41]
In a season where God seems silent, what would it mean to remember that Jesus is not absent, uncaring, or powerless? What practices or people could help keep that truth in view this week? [20:19]
Think about a current conflict at home, work, school, or church. Is there a strong desire to get the last word, prove innocence, or make another person look wrong? What might a Christ-shaped response look like without ignoring truth or enabling harm? [31:07]
What kind of power or influence has God given—time, money, professional authority, social influence, knowledge, or a place in a relationship? What is one concrete way it could be used this week to help someone else flourish rather than to protect personal advantage? [33:59]

Sermon Clips

60s

#GodStandsWithUs

“Now, this doesn't answer every why. It won't tell you why you got this terrible diagnosis in your life. It won't answer why your prayer went unanswered, but it does change we see God. It shows us we're not putting a distant God on trial. If you're willing to accept this picture of Jesus, of God, standing trial for you, for humanity, it shows us we have God who stood trial against all of our accusations, who stood where we deserve to stand, who took spitting, slapping, monking, didn't answer back. The god we accuse of being powerless, used all of his power to save us.”

60s

#JesusOnTrial

“That God's answer to every one of our accusations and charges is here, because he stood there. And maybe it's not the exact answer you're looking for. You ask for an explanation, an intervention, proof, but God shows us, here is me standing silent before us, false accusations. And the question we need to ask ourselves is, is it enough? Is that proof enough that God cares, that God shows up, that God can deal with everything that is going on in our lives? That's the question we have to leave wrestling with. Is this picture of Jesus on trial enough for your accusations?”

66s

#SilenceIsNotAbsence

“Now think about what we say in our prayers. God, why are you silent? When we say that, what we usually mean is that he seems absent, gone. Nobody's home. But look at this room in the text. Jesus is completely silent, and he's the most present. He isn't gone. He's right there choosing to stay bound, choosing to accept these false accusations. Jesus is there even though he says nothing. And so it teaches me, I think it teaches us, that silence and absence are not exactly the same thing.”

38s

#PowerThroughSurrender

“I say we because I often put God on trial, and what I see in this text is God stood trial for me, for us. He showed us power that we never expected. He submits, and yet he still reigns. He gets a crown not because he circumvented the cross, but he went through this trial, through the suffering, through divine silence from the father for me and for you.”

47s

#ConditionalFaith

“What does it look like? Peter's kind of verdict. I'll start serving when I have more time. I'll get more serious when life calms down. I'll commit more if this prayer gets answered. I'll I'll be at church, but I don't really wanna get to know anyone. It's really just faith with an exit ramp. I'll commit once I see how it ends because you're the judge, and you're trying to see if God is worth it. That's Peter at this moment, sitting from a distance, waiting to see how things turn out.”

40s

#WrestlingWithGod

“God is not saying that we can never ask why. God gives us the Psalms, which is full of people who ask. But there's a difference between asking with tears and waiting for God patiently, even through pain and suffering, and trying to charge God with false witnesses. The difference is your willingness to actually listen to God, your vulnerability to accept from God an answer that you don't like. Caiaphas and the religious leadership, many of us don't look for an answer. We're looking to convict God.”

51s

#GodCaresInSuffering

“Maybe you're still asking God questions like, why are you silent? Why is this happening to me? And underneath this is this trial that you have going on in your heart with God that says, you don't care, you're not here, or you don't... You're not strong enough to do anything about this. Look at Jesus in this trial. That is God's answer to all of our efforts to put him on trial. Does he not care in this picture? taking the blows. Is he absent? He's standing in this courtroom bound. Is he not powerful enough? He has all the angels accessible to him. He doesn't use it for himself.”

59s

#PowerToServe

“When we're put on trial, we wanna pull the footage, win the argument, make sure we get the last word. Jesus shows us the way we should use our power is to use it to lay ourselves down for others, to serve others. Think about what it would look like if Christians... I don't wanna think about Christians around the world because that just seems impossible to think about. Just think about for a moment if all the Christians in this room, and we have varying levels of power. Actually, there's significant power in this room of various kinds. If every single one of us used all of our power to serve others, What would that look like for the city of San Francisco?”

45s

#TruePower

“You know why that was temptation? Because it was power in the way that Satan offers it, an easy way. With no salvation for humanity rather than the way of God, which includes pain, suffering, and ultimately a way for repentant sinners to be saved. They, everyone there, expect a messiah to crush his enemies. They expect a king whose power will overthrow Rome, but Jesus shows us what real power and authority look like.”

38s

#CrossShapedPower

“He takes all of our judgment against him, and he can turn it around and use it to save us from ourselves. He shows us what real power looks like. It's through the cross, through accusations. A couple practical points for this. I I really do think this changes how we ought to think about how we utilize power in our lives. And all of us, in some way, have power. All of us have varying degrees of power depending on our life circumstance.”

53s

#RadicalServanthood

“And Dirk, having made it to other side, turned around, looked at the guard, and went back for him, pulled him out. The guard, having his life just be saved, wanted to let him go, but he was taken back to prison and burned at the stake for his faith. Think about what he had. He had an advantage. He made it to the other side. He was imprisoned for his faith. He was across open road, can get free. And he uses his power to save the man who is imprisoning him. That's the power Jesus shows us.”

35s

#ProveYourselfGod

“Sometimes we say it nicer, more politely. God, if you're actually real, you would heal her. Fix this, and I'll trust you. Fix this marriage of mine, and I'll I'll I'll believe in you. Give me a sign, God. It sounds like faith sometimes, but really, it's just you have to prove yourself on my terms. That's sometimes how we put God on trial. Prove yourself to me, like the mockers.”

34s

#FaithOnMyTerms

“And notice what we do. And I say those examples because those exist in our church, they exist in my heart. We lay out the evidence, and then we say the case is closed. Not one of us says, when we're trying to charge God, maybe there's something I don't see because we are the jury, and we've already decided that we're right and God is wrong.”

34s

#JudgingGod

“We often do this with God. We decide what God should be like, and then we bring exhibits against him to charge him, to prove our point. We decide that God must be fair according to our standards, fast according to our timeline, provide comfort according to what our desires want. And when he doesn't fit our expectations, we start to build a case against him.”

48s

#ExpectationsOfGod

“And I think that's how many of us put God on trial with caution. We come, we serve, we pray, But we stand at a distance waiting to see, keeping our options open to see how it turns out in the end. If it works out, then I'm in. But if it turns bad, I'm out of here. Actually, that's the quietest verdict because it looks like faithfulness from the outside, but really it's just the heart that's really judging God. You may not turn out to who... Be who you say you are, And so I'm gonna keep my options open of getting out of here.”

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