“If Jesus healed people and fed thousands with just a few fish, why would anyone want to kill him?” asks Liam, 9. “That’s like trying to get rid of your birthday cake!”

Liam’s question is both funny and insightful. Why would anyone want to crucify someone who went around helping others? In John 19:1-16, we see that Jesus wasn’t crucified because he did something wrong, but because powerful people were afraid of him.

“The Jewish leaders were jealous and didn’t want to lose their power,” says Ella, 11.

The Jewish leaders were the religious teachers of the day. But Jesus kept challenging them. He healed people on the Sabbath, called out their hypocrisy, and taught that love and mercy were more important than their religious traditions.

By the time Jesus stood before Pilate, the Jewish leaders had already decided they wanted him dead. But under Roman rule, they didn’t have the power to execute anyone. So they pressured Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, to do it.

Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. He even tried to set him free. But the crowd, stirred up by the leaders, shouted, “Crucify him!”

“Pilate didn’t want to make the crowd mad, but he also knew Jesus hadn’t done anything wrong,” says Mia, 12.

Pilate tried to compromise by having Jesus beaten and mocked. The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on Jesus’ head. They dressed him in a purple robe and said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they slapped him in the face. Pilate hoped that showing Jesus beaten and humiliated would satisfy the crowd. But it didn’t.

“They thought he was a troublemaker, but he was actually their Savior,” says Jack, 11.

When Pilate brought Jesus out again, he said, “Behold the Man!” But the leaders only shouted louder: “Crucify him!” They even claimed, “We have no king but Caesar.”

That was a shocking thing for Jewish leaders to say. Their whole faith was built around the idea that God was their true king. But in their hatred of Jesus, they were willing to side with Rome, just to get rid of Jesus.

Sometimes people cling so tightly to their power or pride that they’ll do anything to keep it, even reject the very one God sent to save them.

We can learn a lot from this sad moment in history: Pride and jealousy can make people blind to the truth. Jesus willingly suffered, not because he was weak, but because he was strong in love.

Even though the leaders demanded Jesus’ death, and Pilate gave in to the crowd, God was still in control. Jesus laid down his life as part of God’s perfect plan to save us from our sins.

As you think about the Jewish leaders who yelled “Crucify him,” remember that the early church was entirely Jewish as were Jesus’ apostles. Paul and John Feinburg were my professors at a Christian seminary. Their father, Charles Feinburg, was an orthodox Jew who left Judaism when he trusted Jesus as his Messiah. Every Jew and every Gentile is responsible to God for accepting or rejecting the claims of Jesus.

Think About This: The Jewish leaders wanted to stay in control so badly that they rejected their own Messiah. Jesus let himself be crucified to carry out God’s rescue plan for them and for us.

Memorize This Truth: “But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

Ask This Question: Are you letting pride, fear, or the desire to fit in keep you from fully trusting Jesus as your savior?

— Kids Talk About God is designed for families to study the Bible together. Research shows that parents who study the Bible with their children give their character, faith and spiritual life a powerful boost. To receive Kids Talk About God three times a week in a free, email subscription, visit www. KidsTalkAboutGod.org/email. Bible quotations are from the New King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

© 2026 Carey Kinsolving