Sing

Sunday’s Coming
Phil Wickham

He’s Alive, He’s Alive
Yancy, Little Praise Party

Read

Here are some verses for your family to read about Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion from the Gospels of John and Mark. 

John 18:3-5, 12; Mark 15:22-26, 33-34, 37-39, 43, 46-47

John 18:3So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”  5They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”…. 12So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 

Mark 15:22And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews….

33And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.  34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”….37And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

Discuss

Ask younger kids specific questions about the verses or to retell the passage. Ask older kids critical thinking questions. Here are a few suggestions:

In John 18:4 it says Jesus knew all that would happen to him and chose to come forward anyway. What does this show us about Jesus?

How do you think Judas felt about what he did?

What happened to the curtain of the temple after Jesus breathed his last breath?
Ask kids to think about what they learned back in the Old Testament about the temple and the Most Holy Place (Holy of Holies) where the presence of God was. Point out that the curtain or veil that is mentioned here was in place to keep people out of the Most Holy Place inside the temple. Only the priest could enter into the presence of God after he had been cleansed of his sins and it only happened once a year. This curtain being torn in two after Jesus died is very important! It symbolizes that the dividing wall that separated us from God because of our sin had been torn and that through Jesus, we have access to God’s presence!

How does reading this historical account of Jesus’ death make you feel? Is there anything you want to say to God about what you just read? 

Pray

Lead your family in a time of prayer over what you read.
Consider the ACTS model (Adoration- Adore or praise God, Confession- Confess sin, Thanksgiving- Thank God, and Supplication- Ask God to supply our needs)