Matthew 27:20-23
by Randy Atkins
“Shut up!” “Stop it!” “Get out!”
When kids in a family shout these words to each other, the harsh words convey a chilling purpose and are delivered with a heated tone. Injured feelings can quickly elevate and sour, especially in a group setting.
Let’s take those elements to the crowd scene around Jesus during His trial. Imagine the static in the air and the tension in the crowd when people started yelling, “Crucify Him!” First just one or two probably raised the cry, followed by those immediately surrounding them. In a few moments, an impassioned crowd was screaming an order of hate and annihilation. They wanted Jesus dead, and they were not to be reasoned with. A yelling crowd is not usually a thinking crowd.
Crowd sentiments take on a life of their own. But the deafening sound of voices from the crowd had to be followed by a haunting silence when the crowd dispersed. The people suddenly became individuals who had made a decision as a mass. Now they had to deal with their own thoughts and worries alone.
Families with children: Discuss: Has a group ever pressured you to do something wrong? How did you respond to their pressure? How do you think that group was like the crowd who became angry at Jesus?
Families with teenagers and adults: Discuss: As a Christian, what responsibility do you have to help right social injustices? What will you do the next time you see a person or group wrongly accused?
Luke 23:27-28
by Elizabeth Rogers
“A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children’” (Luke 23:27-28).
Perhaps the women following Jesus with this emotional display were just part of the public spectacle that formed around Jesus’ crucifixion. Did they understand the meaning of Jesus walking to His death, or were they so consumed by their own sorrow that they couldn't see the bigger picture?
Here is Jesus, carrying His own cross toward His death on Golgotha, and He pauses to address these women who are overwhelmed with the horror of His crucifixion. But instead of thanking them for their concern, He tells them that their weeping is misplaced. “I’m just doing what I was sent here to do,” He seems to be saying, “but you need to cry tears for your own failings and sins so you can understand why my death is necessary.”
Here we are in Holy Week. Have we wept, literally or figuratively, over Jesus’ suffering and death? And did we first, as Jesus instructed here, weep over our own condition, so we can fully embrace our need for Christ? If we do so, God’s joy and comfort will meet us. “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5).
Families with children: Discuss: Have you ever done something that was so wrong that you cried about it afterward? Let's talk about it.
Families with teenagers and adults: Discuss: Have you seen a movie that depicted Jesus' crucifixion? Did you cry while watching it? Why or why not?
Luke 22:60-62
by Melody Hart-Schrecker
Peter, one of Jesus’ chosen disciples and dearest friends, told Jesus, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.”
The time came for Jesus to be arrested. When someone associated Peter with Jesus, he first panicked and said, “I don’t know him.” Later, twice when he was accused of being a follower of Jesus, he denied the truth: “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Immediately afterward, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered Jesus’ words to him. He went outside and cried bitterly. Can you imagine Peter’s shame when he heard the rooster’s crowing? He had just denied God’s Son, his dear friend and leader, after telling Him he would lay down his life for him (John 13:37).
How could Peter ever hear the sound of a rooster again without thinking of the pain he saw in Jesus’ eyes?
Of course Jesus knows we are not perfect, and that is exactly why He was living out God’s plan. His dear friend Peter could not be saved without Christ’s sacrifice. As Christians we must believe the Truth, the Bible, and never deny our Lord and Savior, Jesus, who suffered severely for us-even when we hear others reject Him.
Families with children: Discuss: Have you ever heard a rooster crow? When do you hear it, and what does it mean? When you do something that hurts Jesus, what should you do?
Families with teenagers and adults: Discuss: What did the sound of the rooster crowing mean to Peter? to Jesus? How can a sound of despair be turned into a sound of joy?
Matthew 27:3-5
by David and Becky Clay
The sound of money seldom is heard anymore. Salary is paid by direct deposit. Bills are paid electronically. Debit cards, credit cards, and written checks don't leave a ringing in your ears. Pay phones have been replaced by mobile phones, and even some vending machines take plastic now.
Oh, but you know the sound money can make. Maybe you, your children, or your grandchildren still have a piggy bank. It makes a happy cling, clang, and sometimes a thump (if you’re lucky enough to drop a coin on paper money).
Judas knew the happy sound too. He held the purse for Jesus and the disciples. Can you see him collecting donations, and can you hear the coins as they fall into the bag? Can you picture the joy on his face?
How different was the last sound of money that Judas heard-the “sad” sound-the clatter of coins tossed and scattered into the temple. Judas set in motion the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. Regret was his reward. He learned that money was nothing. His actions were everything.
Whether money issues from the politician who accepts a bribe or the church member who faithfully tithes, the sound you always hear is choice rather than money. You can hear the happy and the sad. Yes, money seldom is heard anymore, but decisions to gain it or spend it still speak volumes about your character.
Families with children: Discuss the noise money makes when it is dropped in a piggy bank. Discuss the feeling you have when you put money in the collection plate at church. Why do we give God money?
Families with teenagers and adults: Discuss the difference between money earned (from babysitting, jobs, etc.) and money given to you (for birthday, Christmas, etc.) With which type of money are you more careful? Why?
Matthew 27:24
by Brenda Harris
Water usually has a calming effect: picturesque beaches at sunset, waterfalls trickling down a mountainside, crystal-clear lakes that glisten like diamonds. But the sound of water doesn’t always denote happy, tranquil times.
Pilate, the Roman governor, reluctantly presided over Jesus’ trial. At first he declared, “I find nothing wrong with this man!” (Luke 23:4 NLT) and sent Jesus to Herod Antipas. But when Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate, the governor succumbed to the pressure of the angry mob.
Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!” (Matt. 27:24 NLT.)
The sound of splashing water that day was Pilate’s feeble attempt to rid himself of responsibility and guilt. His cowardly decision sent Jesus straight into the hands of vicious soldiers, who flogged Him and beat Him mercilessly. Today, centuries later, we remember Pilate for this one, spineless act.
Consider the sound of splashing water today-such as the water fountain at school or the washing machine in your home. Let these simple sounds remind you of the potential impact of even the smallest deeds. Determine to make wise choices that honor God.
Families with children: Think about favorite water experiences (swimming, taking a bath, splashing in a puddle.) Discuss how water can also be harmful (splashing water in someone’s face, etc.) Thank God for water and ask Him to help you use it in positive ways.
Families with teenagers and adults: Discuss the benefits of hand washing. Remind family members that Pilate’s hand washing was an attempt to erase his guilt for giving in to the mob. Every time you wash your hands today, think about your responsibility to stand firm in your commitment to Christ, regardless of what the crowd thinks.
Matthew 27:35-36
by Tony Rankin
If you listened carefully, you could hear it. Rattle, rattle, rattle. Then one person celebrated and others sighed in disappointment. Amidst the fury of the crowds yelling and Jesus dying in pain, some of the executioners huddled near the cross and rolled the dice to see who would win Jesus’ prized robe.
The wrongful excitement of cheap gambling at the foot of the cross stood in stark contrast to the Savior’s agonizing sacrifice for the world. Making bets and gaming were just other ways to make fun of Jesus and indications that these guys had no idea what they were really saying. What a waste!
In our crazy world we sound no different. Maybe we don’t stand in our church or at home and bet to win Jesus’ clothes, but we do make other bad choices. In the boredom and mundaneness of our little worlds, we take all kinds of risky, high-stakes chances to find happiness. In a hectic world of busy schedules, high expectations and demands, imagined boredom, and disappointments, we look for entertainment. We seek the rush of anything that would make us feel better.
Can’t you just hear Jesus say to the gamblers at the foot of the cross and to us as we search for fun outside of Christ: “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing?”
Families with children: Discuss: What is one thing our family could do that would make Jesus happy? Discuss: What is something we could do differently this Easter that would help us understand what Jesus did for us when He died on the cross?
Families with teenagers and adults: Discuss: What makes us take chances in life? Are we bored, or do we just enjoy the risks? How does Jesus feel about our choices?
John 19:28-30
by Melody McCoy
Mercifully, reality TV hasn’t yet given us a show called “The World’s Most Painful Death.” But Christians know there could never be a more excruciating death than the one Jesus experienced on the cross. Not only does a crucifixion involve humiliation, torture, and blood; Jesus Christ was voluntarily taking on Himself the sins of every person in the world—past, present, and future—who would bow to Him as the Son of God and live for Him.
Imagine you were in the position of dying because of your own sins. You would pay in pain for every word you’ve spoken in anger, jealousy, and a false sense of superiority; every wrong thought you’ve ever had; and every gesture of abuse, large or small, you’ve committed against any of God’s creatures. How agonizing would your death be?
But in an act of supreme love and grace, Jesus spared you from that torment. From the cross where He hung for hours and paid the price of your sins and those of multiplied other Christians, He bowed His head and cried, It is finished! (v. 30). He died with the cry of victory and fulfillment on his lips.
And what is our response? If we are at last honest with God, we will echo the words of the hardened Roman centurion who watched Jesus’ slow, painful death: When the centurion, who was standing opposite Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “This man really was God’s Son!” (Mark 15:39.)
Families with children: Discuss the commitments involved in building a winning team—practices, long hours, teamwork, etc.—and what winning really means.
Families with teenagers and adults: Discuss the ways people may abandon their commitments easily versus what living for Christ involves, including the rewards.
Matthew 28:1-6
by Melody McCoy
A joyful Easter to you!
There’s plenty of drama and excitement in Matthew’s account of the Resurrection: sorrowful mourners visiting Jesus’ tomb, a violent earthquake, the descent from heaven of an angel whose appearance was like lightning, and steely guards who cowered in fear at the sight of the Lord’s messenger.
The angel’s first act on approaching Christ’s tomb was to roll back the massive stone that had sealed the burial place. The thud of the boulder’s movement gave way to the proclamation of the truth: No power on earth could hold Jesus in death. He is alive! He has been resurrected, just as He said (v. 6). And thus Christ paved the way for believers’ eternal life as well.
And what does the removal of the stone doorway mean to you? What painful memory or event have you buried deeply, sealing the entrance against a sense of loss or grief? Trust Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, who once and for all flung open the door to new life. Let’s celebrate Christ’s resurrection together!
Families with children: Pick up or roll stones in varying sizes, beginning with a pebble and ending with a boulder too heavy to move. Point out that the huge stone sealing Christ’s tomb could only be dislodged by the angel.
Families with teenagers and adults: Recall the death of a friend or family member. If the person was a Christian, discuss the fact that you will see him or her again, thanks to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
