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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about a passage of Scripture where many people fall into the trap of the enemy. 

Jesus Is Mocked

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,^[a] and they gathered the whole battalion^[b] before him. ²⁸ And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, ²⁹ and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”³⁰ And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.³¹ And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

³² As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. ³³ And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), ³⁴ they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. ³⁵ And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. ³⁶ Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. ³⁷ And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” ³⁸ Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” ⁴¹ So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ⁴² “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

 

In this part of God’s Word, we see Jesus being mocked, and led to His crucifixion. It seems as though almost everyone in this story falls into the tricks of the enemy. By taking a look at what leads to people falling into this trap, we can learn about the tricks of the enemy, and how to avoid them. 

The enemy’s playbook includes:

 

1. Surrounding us with sin

Matt. 27:27, 1 Cor. 15:33, Prov. 13:20, 22:24-25, Heb. 12:1, James 4:7

2. Going through the motions

Matt. 27:28-30, 9:10-13, Is. 1:11-20, Micah 6:6-8, Hos. 6:6, 1 Sam. 15:22-23

3. A spiteful and bitter attitude

Matt. 27:30, Eph. 4:31-32, Col. 3:8, 13, 1 Pet. 3:9, Rom. 12:20, Phil. 4:8

4. Stripping Jesus of who He is

Matt. 27:31, 12:23-24, Rom. 1:21, John 3:30, Is. 59:1

5. Targeting the vulnerable

Matt. 27:32, Ex. 22:21, James 1:27, 2 Cor. 12:9, Mark 15:21, Rom. 16:13

6. Thwarting God’s plan

Matt. 27.33-34, Is. 14:27, Job 42:2, Prov. 19:21, Ps. 33:10

7. Manipulating the serious into games

Matt. 27:35-36, Eph. 4:27, Ps. 5:4, Lev. 20:27

8. Openly mocking God

Matt. 27:37, Gal. 6:7-8, Prov. 19:29, Is. 28:22

9. Testing God

Matt. 27:38-40, Deut. 6:16, Luke 4:12, Rom. 12:2

10. Always needing more to believe God

Matt. 27:41-42, 21:22, Heb. 11:1, 6, 2 Cor. 5:7, Rom. 10:17

11. Twisting God’s Word

Matt. 27:43, 2 Tim. 4:3-4, 2 Pet. 3:16, Rom. 16:17-20

12. Following the sins of the crowd

Getting Started

• Take some time to read over Matthew 27:27-40 and pray. 
• Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
• What surprised you as we talked about it?
• As you reflect on the different people in this story, what led to each person falling into the traps of the enemy? 

 

 

Diving In 

1. Of the tactics that we discussed, which ones have you fallen for?

 

 

2.What other tactics have you noticed the enemy using in Scripture, your life, or the life of others? 

 

3. Read Ephesians 6:10-20, and spend some time reflecting over this passage. How would implementing this into your life help you to avoid the tactics of the enemy?

 

4. Knowing God’s Word is crucial to avoiding the schemes of the enemy. How can you spend more time in God’s Word, and learn it better? 

 

5. Read James 4:7. How can you flee the enemy and cling onto the Lord better? What practical step(s) can you take? 

 

 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

• What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
• How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
• Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

 

 

Small Group Guide: