• Lesson 4 in the Connect360 unit “Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount” focuses on Matthew 5:33-48.

Many of Jesus’ hearers were poor. If they gave an adversary their shirt, it literally would have been the shirt off their back. They also were subject to the governing Romans ,who were their oppressors. By law, the Romans could force a Jew to carry their enemies’ load up to a mile. Why did Jesus ask a poor person to give his last shirt away, or go two miles carrying his oppressors’ bags, or even to give to those who ask him for help? This action would have been degrading and humiliating.

If a person’s goal is the accumulation of wealth, this lifestyle creates suspicions and greed causing an impulse to hold onto everything a person owns. Generosity is the opposite of greed. A symbol of our society might be a closed hand. How do we grasp all we can and hold on to it, keeping our wealth away from others who seek to seize it?

Jesus’ example is the opposite. In Philippians 2:5–11, the picture of Christ is one who gave himself away rather than grasping what was rightfully his. Instead of the symbol of grasping of the closed hand, a Christ follower must be one with an open hand, giving himself away because of a love for others.

The ultimate challenge for a peacemaker is to love his enemies. Just as our heavenly Father sends rain and causes the sun to rise on the just and the unjust, we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Two of the countries where the church is growing most quickly are Iran and China, two nations totally opposed to religious freedom. The most powerful evangelistic tool for the church in these nations is love.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 3 in the Connect360 unit “Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount” focuses on Matthew 5:17-32.

The great theologian Barney Fife, a character played by Don Knotts on The Andy Griffith Show back in the 1960s, made famous the expression, “Nip it in the bud.” The statement means taking care of a problem in its early stages before it gets too big to manage.

The Law of Moses said, “Don’t murder.” Jesus told his followers, “Don’t even be angry with your brother.” The ancients were told, “Don’t commit adultery.” Jesus said, “Don’t even lust.”

One of the most important questions in life is, “How can we enter the kingdom of heaven?” The answer to this question has implications for our lives now and for all eternity. Jesus addressed this issue in Matthew 5:20, that is one of the key verses in the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus said only those who are more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees will enter the kingdom of heaven. How can this be true? No one was more righteous than these religious leaders, scrupulous in their attempt to keep the Law. They actually went beyond what the Law required. In the Old Testament, we hear about one day of fasting, yet the Pharisees fasted two days a week. They tithed every leaf in their garden. How can anyone be more righteous than they were?

Jesus spoke of a kingdom grace that transforms the heart. When Moses repeated the commandments in Deuteronomy 5, the people said, “We hear what you are saying, and we will do it.” God responded, “Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always” (Deuteronomy 5:29).

Jesus came to give them a new heart.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 2 in the Connect360 unit “Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount” focuses on Matthew 5:13-16.

Too often, there is little distinction between the church and the world. Greed, prejudice, anger and immorality are also found in the church. Congregations are tempted to turn to marketing schemes and downplaying biblical teachings and values in order to make the unchurched feel comfortable in our midst. The church cannot reach the world by becoming assimilated into the world.

If we are not to be assimilated, does this mean the church should be isolated from the world? Christian alternatives for education, recreation and social ministries may be essential to the development of strong families and for the preparation of well-grounded disciples for Christ. Yet, does this also run the risk of isolating us from the world when we are supposed to be light? Jesus demonstrates the balance of withdrawing from the world to be energized by the Holy Spirit, in order to reengage the world bringing light to places of darkness.

Christ is not calling the church to assimilation or isolation. He is calling us for transformation. If we were saved just to be protected from the evil one, Jesus would have taken us to heaven the moment we were saved. Jesus prayed, “I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15).

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.    

• Lesson 1 in the Connect360 unit “Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount” focuses on Matthew 5:1-12.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

Jesus began with the promise of the kingdom of heaven to those who are poor in spirit. In Luke’s account of the Beatitudes (Luke 6:20), he wrote, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” Most of us have difficulty comprehending true poverty. However, many of those in the crowd listening to Jesus speak understood the challenge of finding daily food. Millions around the world and many in our own country suffer hunger and homelessness and cry out in desperation for the basic necessities of life.

Following Jesus is more than desiring an occasional moment of inspiration or a Sunday morning trip to church. Not even the legalistic Pharisees who kept the whole law were righteous enough to enter the kingdom of heaven on their own. Followers of Christ must recognize the poverty of their own righteousness and turn desperately to God’s amazing grace. To these Jesus promises the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

Almost nothing in life compares to the grief of the death of a loved one. Physical death is irreversible. Yet, Jesus reversed death by raising Lazarus, Jairus’ daughter, and by his own resurrection. Our faith is challenged in those moments when we long to know our faith is true.

“Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

 In our culture the typical picture of the one who inherits the earth is the powerful, the warrior, or the shrewd. Yet Jesus said it is the gentle who shall inherit the earth.

This Beatitude is a restatement of Psalm 37:11, “The humble will inherit the land.” In Numbers 12:3, Moses is described as the most humble man on earth. Gentleness, meekness or humility can be confused with weakness, yet, with God’s help, Moses was powerful enough to stand up to the Pharaoh, and wise enough to lead a nation of undisciplined, complaining and ungrateful people to the brink of the promised land. The gentle are those who submit themselves to the will of God.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• The Christmas lesson included in the Connect360 unit “Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount” focuses on John 1:1-14..

The baby Jesus may have been born at night. The gospel of Luke doesn’t mention the time of day, and we are only told that Mary gave birth “when the days were completed for her to give birth” (Luke 2:6). However, we do know that the announcement was given to the shepherds at night while they were tending the sheep.

Nighttime was certainly the appropriate time because the world was living in darkness. Neither Herod the king nor even the chief priests and the scribes rushed to Bethlehem to worship the newborn king. Herod was anxious to know where this king was born, not to worship him, but because of his paranoia of perceived rivals he wanted to get rid of him. Herod’s fear and rage led him to the merciless killing of the boy babies in Bethlehem.

The physical darkness where a young Jewish girl gave birth in a dark, noisy, smelly stable reflects the moral darkness of the world then and throughout history. Babies still are being killed. Children are being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Wars are waged by crazed egomaniacs, while innocent people are caught in the crossfire. The poor are exploited by the rich. Selfishness, greed, anger, lust, envy, dishonesty, jealousy and addictions continue to plague humanity. Not even schools, hospitals, workplaces, churches, mosques, synagogues, nor even homes are immune to violence. “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).

John testified that light has come into this world. Darkness attempts to overpower the light but is unable. Light extinguishes darkness. Just before Jesus announced he was the light of the world, he forgave a woman caught in adultery (John 8:11). Any person may claim supernatural powers and perhaps be arrogant enough to claim moral authority to forgive sins, yet Jesus proved he was the light of the world by healing a man blind from his birth (John 9:7). The One who brought light into this man’s dark world is the One who brings light to all who believe.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 13 in the Connect360 unit “A Cry for Freedom: Grace That Is Still Amazing” focuses on Galatians 6:11-18.

One of the things I frequently tell my students is, “Good leaders won’t ask you to do anything they aren’t willing to do themselves.”

We can observe this principle, first of all, with Jesus. Jesus asks us to bear a cross (Luke 9:23), and Christ literally bore a cross. Jesus asks us to pray for our enemies, and Christ prayed over the men who crucified him (Luke 23:34). We could do this with every command; Jesus never asks us to do something he did not model in his own life.

Paul, too, led by example. He didn’t invite the Galatians to do anything he hadn’t done himself. Paul asked us not to make church a beauty pageant, and in verse 11 he made fun of his own sloppy handwriting because he didn’t care what people thought of him. He asked us not to make decisions simply to avoid persecution or criticism, and in verse 17 he reminded us he had scars and wounds on his body from the literal beatings he took at the hands of those who persecuted him for his faith.

Yet, despite the pain he had endured, Paul concluded his letter to the churches in Galatia with a kind and gentle benediction of grace for the individual Christians in the congregation (6:18). He knows the grace of God isn’t only what saves us from sin, but what sustains us through the ups and downs of life.

I’ve studied the Bible with people who perceive Paul as mean, prideful or painfully obtuse. I understand why people read Paul that way, but this passage reminds me Paul loved people deeply. He cared well for this congregation.

 In a world where it is easy to be fake, Paul was real. He said what he thought, and he lived the Christian life to back it up. His faithfulness to Jesus cost him his former life as a Pharisee, and then led to physical pain and hardship. But he continued in good works until the day he finally died for his faith.

Paul would be the first to tell you that he wasn’t perfect (1 Timothy 1:15), that he was a sinner in the same boat as all of us. But he gave his entire life to the advancement of the gospel and the service of the church. That’s a powerful legacy, and it’s one that should inspire us to do the same.

We have a mandate to love and bless all people, regardless how it might hurt our reputation. But take heart—God created you to do good works and will equip you to overcome any obstacles that may come along the way. Stay true to the path. Our good works and love of others are how we see Christ’s kingdom “on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) come to fruition.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 12 in the Connect360 unit “A Cry for Freedom: Grace That Is Still Amazing” focuses on Galatians 6:1-10.

Paul reminded the Galatians that God prefers restoration over cancellation. He encouraged Christians to “restore … gently” our friends who are “caught in” sin (6:1).

Sin “catches” all of us at some point, doesn’t it? Many of us walk with God faithfully, only to find ourselves stumbling into sin and becoming trapped in its snare. We know how easy it is to make one wrong decision that leads to a horrific public consequence or a secret addiction. No one is immune from sin’s trap. It can capture any of us easily.

That is why Paul says we should be “gentle” in our restoration (6:1). We should lead with empathy rather than judgment as we help our Christian friends out of sin. Even Jesus empathizes with us in our weakness (Hebrews 4:15). Surely, we, too, can empathize with those who’ve been “caught” in sin, since we ourselves are also sinners.

Paul invites us to “restore” (6:1) the brother or sister caught in sin. Sin isolates us from both God and Christian community. Thus, we should restore them both to God and Christian community.

But the second sentence in verse one is an apt warning. We cannot properly restore a Christian brother or sister by affirming, making light of, or participating in their sin. The way to gently restore a Christian back to God and community is to “carry each other’s burdens” (6:2). That is the big command in these verses. This has tremendous implications for how we “do church” every week.

First of all, in order to carry each other’s burdens, we have to be honest about our burdens. If you’re not willing to share your sins, struggles, needs, doubts and fears, how will someone carry them for you? This takes tremendous humility and honesty.

Unfortunately, American churches often promote dishonesty. There is an expectation of decorum that requires smiles and lighthearted discussion, and resists “real” or “deep” conversations about how we are doing. What would it look like for us to find a small group of friends in which we can be fully transparent and honest about our battles? If we aren’t willing to tell others where we need help, we won’t get help.

Second, in order to carry each other’s burdens, we have to foster judgment-free communities of faith. We cannot balk in shock or anger when someone confesses sin. We can’t exclude people based on their struggles. Rather than ostracize those caught in sin, we are called to help them out of their sin.

Churches should be the safest place to seek recovery from porn or substance addiction. Christians should be the most restorative group of people in the world. We cannot judge people for being fallible; it isn’t our place to condemn sinners. But we can offer the hope of new life in Christ and create healthy avenues for believers to leave sin behind and embrace the freedom of Jesus.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 11 in the Connect360 unit “A Cry for Freedom: Grace That Is Still Amazing” focuses on Galatians 5:16-26.

It is important to walk with the Spirit. Many sins are obvious, but sometimes we have to wrestle to figure out our convictions. We seek God, read the Bible, pray and have conversations with other Christians in order to come to appropriate conclusions about what is or isn’t permissible in the Christian life.

This process is good for us. It can be taxing, and we might come to different conclusions than Christians we respect. But if we are communing in relationship with the Spirit, we can trust we will not be led astray from God’s purposes. Left alone to our devices, we judge sin poorly. But with the Spirit’s help, we discern well. The more we walk with God, the more obvious sin becomes.

Paul highlights things like sexual sin and drunkenness as works against the Spirit. But in the same sentence, he mentions jealousy, selfish ambition and multiple words that connote divisiveness in the church.

N.T. Wright says, “We may well wonder whether the Galatians (and indeed many churches today) would have realized that strife, jealousy, and the rest belonged in the same category as immorality and drunkenness.”

Paul might say to us today our gossip and prejudices are just as much “acts of the flesh” as sexual immorality or substance addiction. Our tendency to create division in church based on politics or worship style is as poisonous as debauchery. Our American ideals of building wealth and acquiring prestige lead us away from God like witchcraft.

Our flesh wants to pick out the sins we don’t struggle with and identify “those people” as anti-God. But we should fall on our knees in repentance as we see ourselves in the text. What do we struggle with? Where are we working against God’s Spirit?

The Greek grammar in his letter implies continued action over time, meaning there is a difference between struggling against sin and living continuously in sin. The Spirit will not allow us to live in constant sin without conviction. It’s our role to receive that conviction, recognize the sin we still have, and lean into the Spirit’s power to repent and walk in a different direction.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 10 in the Connect360 unit “A Cry for Freedom: Grace That Is Still Amazing” focuses on Galatians 5:1-15.

Growing up, one of the first rites of passage that gave personal freedom was turning 16 years old and receiving a driver’s license. The ability to drive yourself to see friends, to attend school, or obtain a job and go to work was the great mark of young adulthood.

For adolescents today, it seems like receiving your own cell phone marks the beginning of newfound freedom. The phone represents what the car keys once did. It is how friends connect, schoolwork can be completed, and even work can be done in the digital economy.

Did you ever abuse the freedom you received once you started driving? Do you know of a young person today that has abused their freedom in the online world?

Paul has spent lots of time, breath and ink showing that those who believe in Jesus are free—free from pagan pasts and also free from the claims made by the Jewish Law. It is a New Exodus—they are free because of what God has accomplished in the Messiah. But we are made free for a purpose—love. This emphasis on love—the love of God and love of neighbor—was first made by Jesus himself.

If the focus isn’t on love but on combative views, there will be “biting” and “eating”—like that of a wild animal that spends its days fighting and devouring until it ultimately is devoured.

Obviously, there was more going on in Galatia than just a minor theological disagreement. Paul was worried that if the church turned on itself, there would not be any church left, but a bloody trail where the church once stood.

So, Paul took the Galatians back to the beginning—love. He went back to the great command of the Torah, which the Jewish Christians would remember well. But it was also given by Jesus in his teaching on the greatest commands in the Bible: “Love God. Love People,” Christ said (Matthew 22:37–39, paraphrase). Freedom and love are the marks of the church.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

• Lesson 9 in the Connect360 unit “A Cry for Freedom: Grace That Is Still Amazing” focuses on Galatians 4:21-31.

Paul was teaching the Galatians if they live by the Law, even if they have trusted in Christ, they are bound in slavery. In verse 28, Paul made the remarkable statement that the Gentiles who trust in Jesus, not the Jews, following the Law, are now the people of God. Paul also identified with the Galatians as “we”—if they feel the waters had been muddied, it was not from Paul. He was the one that first preached the gospel to them.

Paul was not persecuting them through needless, law-keeping commands. He had not told them to put their faith in acts of the flesh. God through the saving work of Christ is the only One that saves, the only One that gives freedom and life. The future is secure not through their check-list legalism, but through the mercy of God. Nothing needed to be added to the gospel in order for the Galatians to grow in grace.

I remember as a teenager, I decided to do something special for my family at Christmas. Every year of my childhood, my grandmother would make homemade candy, like fudge and divinity—carefully cut into squares and placed on wax paper in a tin container for all to enjoy. The only time we were able to enjoy these small, handmade goodies was at Christmas. Once my grandmother was unable to cook due to her age, I tried my hand at this process. I had the recipe; I had watched my grandmother complete the process. How hard could it be?

I followed the recipe carefully, referring back to each step. Candy-making is time consuming, but finally my creation was ready for the big taste test. I bit into that pillowy square of goodness, only to be met with a mouthful of salt. I had made a slight misstep. I read “1 tsp of salt.” Not knowing the difference, I added “1 tbsp” of salt. The whole batch was ruined.

Paul would say that just like putting too much salt in a recipe, so adding adherence to the Law—taking on a legalistic view of salvation—ruins the result. Salvation comes from grace alone. It is not grace and the Law. Or even grace and good behavior or works.

Paul eventually instructed the church in Ephesus, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). This is a good verse to memorize, which will allow God’s Spirit to recall this verse and remind us anytime we start to compare ourselves to others. We all humbly must remember we are all sinners who find salvation only in God’s amazing grace.

To learn more about GC2 Press and the Connect360 Bible study series, or to order materials, click here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: We began soliciting support July 3, 2023, to continue publishing Explore the Bible lesson supplements. Each lesson has a cost of at least $50 to produce. In that time, we received only one gift of $50 designated for Bible studies. Due to lack of support, publication of Explore the Bible lesson supplements will conclude with this lesson.

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Nov. 26 focuses on Mark 16:9-14.

Not Seen (Silence after Mark 15; Mark 16:1)

Every Sabbath of Jesus’ ministry (except for the 40 days of temptation), he spent at least part of his day with his disciples. On the Sabbath day after Jesus’ death, his followers are in agony. Shocked, consumed by guilt and fear, and exhausted, the disciples hide, knowing they are targets.

Chief priests remember Jesus’ promise to rise on the third day. Fearful his followers could steal his body and claim he rose again, they speak to Pilate. He agrees soldiers should be assigned to guard the tomb.

Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James and Salome believe Jesus’ body was not properly anointed for burial on Friday. After Sabbath ends late Saturday, they buy spices.

Early Sunday morning (Mark 16:2-3)

Very early on the first day of the work week, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James and Salome gather their spices and walk to the tomb site. They are thinking: “Who will be in the garden? Might there be trouble? Who will roll the stone away?  Will we have the courage to enter and do what must be done to honor our Lord?  Who will roll the stone back in place?”

The women are shocked to discover the stone already is rolled away. They brace themselves and enter. They see a stranger, a young man in a white robe, sitting in the tomb.

Women at Jesus’ tomb see angel (Mark 16:2-8)

Who is this young man sitting in the tomb? Where is Jesus?

As they listen to the man, who is an angel, the grief process starts to reverse itself very slowly.

The angel knows to say “He has risen.” The women discount his words.

The angel continues, “See the place where they laid him.”  Yes, the women can see it. They were here on Friday. Where is his body?  What has happened?

The angel keeps talking. “Go,” he says. Their heads are spinning, processing, confused.  Who is this?  What is he saying?  “Go, tell his disciples and Peter.”  They comprehend the word “go” and begin to acknowledge the word “risen”.

The angel contiunues talking: “He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

The angel pushes them out of the tomb by re-direction in the tone of his voice. “Go.”

They are being sent away.  The spices, which were treasures, now pass from their mind. Where are they going? Away from the tomb. Something has changed!

They are confused, but they find themselves running toward the hiding place of the disciples. The angel’s words energize them. Without consulting each other, they run on—afraid.

Note: Many Bible translations contain this disclaimer, but others do not: “The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.”

How could Mark conclude his gospel with no mention of Jesus’ post-resurrection words and acts? It seems unlikely that he would do that. The uncertainly about these verses extends back 1,800 years. The verses are not in Mark’s writing style. They also introduce elements—snake-handling, drinking poison— not accepted by most Christians.

Logically speaking, one of these possibilities must be true:

• The wording in verses 9-20 is part of Mark’s original Gospel. The verses can be seen on some very old source documents. Scholars are bothered by the verses not occurring in many other very old source documents and because they do not seem to be Mark’s writing style.
• Mark’s Gospel originally extended past 16:8 to inform about Jesus’ post-resurrection words and acts but those passages are lost forever. Copying scribes initially were unaware of the loss but guessed that it had happened. Perhaps those long-ago scribes decided Mark readers without access to the Gospels of Matthew, Luke or John need to have insight about the risen Savior. They created verses 9-20 to share critical knowledge of the resurrected Jesus appearing to people, proclaiming the Great Commission, ascending into heaven and his disciples sharing the gospel as they start the Church.
• Mark ends his Gospel with 16:8. Scribes decide to add verses 9-20 to create a more complete gospel for those believers with no access to other gospels.

Jesus seen by many (Acts 16:9-20) 

The mystery verses tell the story of the risen Savior’s activities as believers move from grief to faith after the resurrection.

Mary Magdalene, alone, informs the disciples that Jesus is risen. Disciples are still grief-stricken and do not believe her.

A disguised Jesus on the road to nearby Emmaus explains to two companion believers how the Old Testament stories, Law and Prophets all point toward him. The men are not believed by the disciples when they tell them.

Jesus attends dinner with the disciples. He rebukes them for their lack of faith in his promise to rise from death. They believe now that they can see and touch him.

Jesus gives the Great Commission to the disciples: “Go preach the gospel everywhere. I am with you.”

Jesus ascends into heaven, promising the imminent arrival of the Holy Spirit.

Glen Funderburk has taught children’s Sunday school for many years. These lessons on the Gospel of Mark are written from the perspective of children.

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Nov. 19 focuses on Mark 15:24–39.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Bible lessons like this one have been an important part of the Baptist Standard for many years. Each has a cost of at least $50 to produce. To ensure these lessons continue to be provided the rest of 2023 and into 2024, you can make a donation in any amount by visiting our donation page. In the comments field, note your donation is toward the cost of Bible studies.

Darkest Night (Mark 14:43-52)

Interrupting Jesus’ agony in the dark Garden of Gethsemane, Judas appears with a torch-lit, armed mob sent by the Jewish religious establishment. In the dark with a few torches, the arresting party knows it is critical that they quickly identify Jesus and take him into custody.

Surprisingly, Judas acts like he is in charge: “I’ll kiss him, you arrest him and put him under guard.”  Judas approaches Jesus awkwardly, calls him “Rabbi” and kisses him. Judas sells Jesus’ freedom for money?

Peter has a sword and cuts off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the high priest.  Peter and Mark include this detail in their Gospel but do not name the swordsman. Other gospel writers do.

Jesus points out that it takes an armed group to capture him in the dark when he is in the temple every day teaching.

All the believers desert Jesus and run away.

Interrogation and trial (Mark 14:53-65)

Jesus has been arrested. The guards take him into Jerusalem to the home of the high priest. The first order of business is to find some evidence to justify a death sentence. The first witnesses tell made up stories—which reveal flaws when they are compared.  Jesus finally is asked to justify the arrest himself.

“Are you the Messiah?” came the question.

“I am. You will see me sitting at the right hand of God and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Jesus appears to be quoting from Daniel 7:13-14. The religious authorities would have been familiar with the passage.

That is enough for the high priest. Jesus presumptuously has claimed to be divine. He clearly is not, they believe.

“Blasphemy,” says the high priest. The religious leaders quickly condemn Jesus to death. They begin to attack him physically. The religious leaders trade their own Messiah for the status quo.

Peter denies Jesus (Mark 14:66-72)

 In the high priest’s courtyard, a servant girl points out Peter as an associate of Jesus. Peter “can’t understand” her reference and leaves. The rooster crows.

When she accuses him again, he begins to curse and denies knowing Jesus. Again, someone associates him with Jesus because he is a Galilean. Peter denies that. The rooster crows again, reminding Peter of Jesus’ earlier words.  Peter abandons his Savior for temporary personal safety.

Roman Governor Pilate questions Jesus (Mark 15:1-15)

Very early Friday morning, the religious establishment gives custody of Jesus to Roman governor Pilate. A Roman trial starts. His accusers are the chief priests.  Jesus says little.

A Jerusalem crowd comes to Pilate and asks for the release of the usual Passover festival prisoner. Pilate suggests Jesus. The priests encourage the crowd to ask for Barabbas, a murdering insurrectionist.

“What shall I do with Jesus?”

The crowd shouts “Crucify him.”

 Pilate releases Barabbas. He has Jesus flogged and hands him over to be crucified.  Jerusalem’s street crowd sacrifices its own Messiah in the heat of the moment. Pilate sacrifices Jesus for his career.

Roman soldiers abuse Jesus (Mark 15:16-21)

A company of Roman soldiers dress Jesus as a king with a purple robe and a crown of thorns, and they start calling him “king of the Jews.”  They hit him on his head with a staff, spit on him and bow down to him. Then they put his clothes back on him and force him to carry his cross out of town. Jesus is too weak, and he falls. Simon from Cyrene, a bystander, is forced to carry the cross. The Roman soldiers brutalize Jesus, because they can.

Golgotha Hill (Mark 15:22-41)

The procession comes to Golgotha Hill— the “place of the skull.”  At 9 a.m., soldiers nail Jesus’ body to a wooden cross and leave him there to die, as long as it takes.

Soldiers gamble for his clothing. He will not need them.  He is taunted by his earlier words that “he was going to destroy the temple and build it back in three days” and that he saved others but cannot save himself. Insults continue.

At noon, darkness comes over the whole land.  At 3 p.m., Jesus cries out in a loud voice “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” With a loud cry, he dies.  “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith” (Romans 3:25).

 The temple curtain that separates the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple is split from top to bottom.

A centurion standing in front of Jesus says only, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Many women followers are present, watching from a distance.

The Sabbath will begin at 6 p.m. In three hours, Jesus’ lifeless body must be taken down from the cross and buried properly. Joseph of Arimathea goes to Pilate and asks for Jesus’ body. Joseph and Nicodemus wrap it in linen cloth with spices. They lay Jesus in a cave cut from the rock in a garden.

The bleak Sabbath begins.

Glen Funderburk has taught children’s Sunday school for many years. These lessons on the Gospel of Mark are written from the perspective of children.