Friday Afternoon: The Death of Jesus

Many women had come with Jesus from Galilee to care for him. They stood at a distance and watched in deep sorrow. While Jesus was crucified, many strange and extraordinary things happened. The whole world grew dark from noon to three o’clock that afternoon. The light from the sun was gone. At the moment Jesus gave up his spirit, the earth shook, rocks split open, and the curtain in the temple that had divided the people from their holy God was torn in two from top to bottom! Many godly men and women who had already died were raised from the dead and went into the city appearing to many people!

 

After witnessing these things, the Roman officer and the other soldiers who had been at the crucifixion were terrified and said, “Truly, this is the Son of God!” The Jewish leaders wanted the crucified bodies to be taken down because that evening started the Sabbath and Passover. So the soldiers broke the legs of the criminals to hasten their death. But they pierced Jesus’ side instead and blood and water flowed out. This fulfilled the scriptures that said, “Not one of his bones will be broken.”

 

Activity:

Put your hands over your eyes and close them tightly. Listen to the sounds around you while you cannot see. Think about what it would be like to experience complete darkness in the middle of the day. Next, try to tear the fabric in two as God tore the temple curtain. Remember how powerful God is and rejoice that we are no longer separated from him because of Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s choice to reconcile with us.  

 

Lesson:

Jesus was no ordinary man. And his death was no ordinary death. The strange and extraordinary things that happened surrounding Jesus’ death not only prove that he is the Son of God, but also fulfill the prophesies told thousands of years before Jesus came to earth. All of this shows that sending Jesus to take the punishment for our sins was God’s rescue plan from the very beginning of creation.

 

Read the Scriptures:

Matthew 27:45-56; Mark 15:33-41; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-37 NIV


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