Alive-O5Term 2: Lesson 10, part 3

Holy Week

The CrucifixionAfter they had shared the Passover Meal, Jesusand a few of His close friends went to theGarden of Gethsemane. He prayed to God HisFather to help Him and give Him the strength and courage to accept God’s will and thesuffering that was before Him.

As Jesus knelt praying, Roman soldiers burst into the garden.

They grabbed Jesus and tookHim away. They brought Him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

Pilate asked Jesus what He had done wrong,why the people wanted to get rid of Him. Jesusresponded that He had done nothing wrong. Pilate didn’t think that Jesus had done anythingwrong, but he did not want to upset the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees who had ordered the capture of Jesus.

Pilate offered a choice to the people – to release Jesus or another prisoner, Barabbas,who was a criminal. Stirred up by the leadersof the Temple, the people chose Barabbas.

Jesus was brought away and tortured. A crownof thorns was put on His head. People mocked Him and called Him the King of the Jews.

Jesus was then scourged until He was bruised and covered in blood. Pilate had Him brought back to the people expecting that they might be happy to release Him now. However, they shouted loudly: Crucify Him! Crucifiy Him!

Pilate gave in to the crowd. Jesus was given a very heavy cross to carry up the hill of Calvary. He grew weaker as He moved slowly up the hilland fell three times. The soldiers asked Simon of Cyrene to help Jesus carry the cross after Hehad fallen the third time.

When Jesus reached the top of the hill He wasnailed to the cross. Two criminals were crucified at the same time, one on Jesus’ right and the other on His left.

One criminal jeered Jesus and the one on the right told him to be quiet as Jesus had done no wrong, unlike them. Jesus prayer to God for

thetwo men. The man on Jesus right thanked Jesus. Jesus told him: Today you will be with me in paradise.

Jesus hung on the cross for three hours.His close friends and His mother stood at thefoot of the cross, comforting Him. His spirit began to fail and He whispered a final prayer tothe Father: Father, into your hands I give my spirit. Then Jesus bowed His head and died.

Jesus’ friends took His body down from thecross and wrapped it in clean linen. Then theycarried the body away and brought it to a newtomb which had been cut into some rock. They rolled a big stone across the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Early on Sunday morning, some women went to the tomb. When they got to the tomb and looked, they got a shock. The big stone, whichhad covered the entrance to the tomb had been rolled away.

Bible SearchMark chapters 14 & 15 and chapter 16:1-8