The Morning He Was Tried: The Six Illegal Trials of Jesus on His Journey from the Garden to the Cross

By Brad Goad

From the Easter Devotional Series named one of Gary Thomas' top ten "Favorite Reads of 2022"

There's a gap in our lives. The world may prepare well for Christmas, but Eas

• Language: English
• Publisher: R8 Ministries
• Release date: Feb 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985653533

Brad Goad

Brad Goad is the author of the Easter Devotional Series named as one of Gary Thomas' top ten "Favorite Reads of 2022." Brad was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He graduated from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, before venturing into ministry. After receiving a degree in Bible and Speech Communication, Brad served as a campus minister in New London, Connecticut, at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Connecticut College. He then moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to lead the Winter Games Ministry for Creative Arts for the 1988 Winter Olympics. The ministries in both Connecticut and Canada were with the North American Mission Board. In 1989, Brad moved to Louisville, Kentucky, to attend seminary and then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to work at LifeWay Christian Resources. While in Nashville, Brad received a master of business degree from Trevecca Nazarene University. Brad worked with speakers and authors such as Beth Moore, Henry Blackaby, Calvin Miller, John Trent, and Anne Graham Lotz. In 2004, Brad was called to serve at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. He is pastor of the ministry for adults ages sixty and up on the Woodway Campus. Brad is married to Rainy, and they have a beautiful daughter, Kamryn, who lives and works in Houston.

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More Praise for

The Morning He Was Tried

An accessible and succinct meditation on the events surrounding the final days of Jesus' time on this Earth; from arrest to verdict. Goad paints a beautiful picture of the steadfastness of Christ amidst the inevitable and unthinkable, ultimately pointing our hearts to a place of deep consideration, especially in the season of resurrection.

—Jayme McGhan, Executive Artistic Director, A.D. Players at the George Theater

Remarkably eye-opening and yet gently convicting. I see myself in so many of the people who played a part in the darkest day in history. Judgment of others is falling away and I am looking at myself in the mirror, heartbroken, yet hopeful. The love of Christ is piercing and personal.

—Cecie Turlington, Executive Director, Serenity Retreat

A powerful and deliberate walk through the six illegal trials of Jesus and the mistreatment of the King of the Jews as He faces the brutality of scourging and crucifixion. The tragedy that unfolds brings the reader through several emotions: anger, grief, disgust, and conviction. But Goad concludes this worthy devotional with the teaching that Jesus was born for this. He is our hope, the perfect Lamb of God.

—Jason Ritchie, Author of Oh God, Why Can’t I Stop?

The Morning He Was Tried title page

Easter Devotional Series

The Morning He Was Tried

The Six Illegal Trials of Jesus on His Journey from the Garden to the Cross

© 2023 Brad Goad

Published by R8 Ministries

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

The ideas and views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of organizations with which he is affiliated. All content by the author is not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, company, or individual. The author’s intent is to present ideas and views as stated in the Bible.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

For information, contact:

Brad Goad

R8 Ministries

[e-mail]

Paperback ISBN: 979-8-9856535-2-6

E-book ISBN: 979-8-9856535-3-3

Front cover art reprinted with permission © Jon McNaughton.

Read all three books

in the Easter devotional series:

---

— Book 1 —

The Night He Was Betrayed

— Book 2 —

The Morning He Was Tried

— Book 3 —

The Afternoon He Died

To my beautiful bride, Rainy.

She continues to show me the joy of laughter and love. Her encouragement and support made this book possible. So if you like it, thank her! If not, you can blame me.

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

The Prisoner

Introduction

1. The Darkness of Morning

2. Questions in the Darkness

3. Answers from the Light

4. A Hand Raised, a Prisoner Struck

5. The Crowd Grew

6. The Courtyard and the Council

7. Sounds of Silence

8. Broken Silence

9. The Blindfold

10.The Fire and the Rooster

11. The Lesson

The Charges

Introduction

12. The Lamb

13. Morning Reflections

14. Pilate, the Governor

15. A Step Too Far

16. Pilate Steps Outside

17. The Full Picture

18. The Loophole

19. Showtime

20. One More Stop

21. The Lesson

The Verdict

Introduction

22. Still Standing

23. Straight to the Source

24. What Have You Done?

25. For This I Have Been Born

26. What Is Truth?

27. The Guilty

28. A Righteous Man

29. Crucify Him

30. Innocent and Guilty

31. Scourged

32. Crowned

33. The Lesson

Letter to the Reader

About the Author

Preface

During the Easter season, we tend to focus on the bookends of the familiar story leading to the death of Jesus.

We consider the setting of Jesus and His twelve disciples in the large, furnished room upstairs as the first bookend. It was the place where lessons were taught around the table. It was the place where the thirteen of them would be together for the last time, the place where bread was broken and wine was passed. It was the place where feet were washed and promises were made.

We are familiar with the hymn that was sung and the departure from the upper room to the garden of Gethsemane, where the teaching continued. It was in the garden Jesus talked about the vine and branches. It was in the garden Jesus prayed to His Father, His Abba, pleading that this cup pass. And it was in the garden that Jesus submitted to His Father’s will, not His own.

Then the betrayal and arrest happened in the garden, and we tend to jump to the other bookend of the story: the crucifixion. It was on the cross where Jesus hung between two thieves. It was on the cross where Jesus uttered His final words before He took His last breath. Words of forgiveness, comfort, and instruction.

But an often overlooked part of the story is what happened in the middle. It was what happened in between the familiar bookends in the Easter season that we sometimes forget.

The trials.

Jesus faced six trials in a matter of hours. Each of the trials was illegal in a distinctive way. There was an increasing urgency from the religious leaders to put an end to Jesus — not only the ministry of Jesus, but Jesus Himself.

The Morning He Was Tried shines the light on this middle part of the story. Jesus — who had performed miracles, preached sermons, and gained followers — was at the center. Not at the center of justice, but at the center of injustice. One trial after another showed the lengths those threatened by Jesus and His ministry would go to silence the One whom John the Baptist called the Lamb of God.

In the middle of the Easter story, behold, the Lamb was about to be slain.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Rainy, my beautiful bride, for being my biggest cheerleader. She has encouraged me to dream and have faith. She has inspired me to put feet to my dreams and my faith one step at a time — or in this case, one page at a