Jesus: The True King On Trial // Lent 2026: The Way of the Cross // Luke 22:63 - 23:26 // 03.08.26 // Doug Glynn

In this Lent Week 3 message, we walk with Jesus through the rapid-fire sequence of His trials, moving from the religious leaders to Pilate, to Herod, and back again. The pace matters because it shows how quickly the machinery of power can turn when it decides someone is a threat. Luke’s account invites us to slow down and watch what’s being revealed about Jesus in the middle of humiliation, accusation, and injustice.

As the story unfolds, a clash of kingdoms comes into focus. The kingdoms of this world run on power over and sword power: control, coercion, image management, scapegoating, and the instinct to win. Jesus, the true King, refuses to play by those rules. He embodies power under and cross power, marked by restraint, trust, and a love that will not retaliate or dehumanize. Even when mocked, pressured, and put on display, Jesus stays anchored to the way of the Kingdom of God.

The sermon turns on one question Jesus does answer: “Are you a king?” Because Jesus answers yes, Luke forces the question onto us as well: Who is my king? We name the rival “kings” that compete for our allegiance, from comfort and control to being right, admired, or safe, and we consider how those loyalties shape our reflexes when we feel threatened. The invitation of Lent is to return to King Jesus and His way, the cross-shaped path that leads to true life, and to pray with honesty: “Jesus, be King not only of what I believe, but of how I live.”