Bible Reading
Matthew 27:26-54 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium and gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
[20:48]As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
[30:08]And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”
[33:50]And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
[39:56] [43:11] [47:19]Psalm 22:1-18 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
[33:50]But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
[35:23]2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
[41:11]1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
[19:41]Observation questions
- What details in Matthew 27 show the different forms of humiliation Jesus endured before and during the crucifixion?
- What does Matthew record that Jesus did when he was offered wine mixed with gall, and what does that show about his willingness to endure the cross? [27:13]
- What specific similarities can the group find between Psalm 22:1-18 and the events Matthew describes at the cross? [35:23]
- What three major signs take place when Jesus gives up his spirit, and how does the centurion respond to what he sees? [38:48]
Interpretation questions
- Why might Jesus’ refusal of the narcotic matter for understanding the completeness of his suffering for sin, shame, and death? [27:23]
- Jesus’ cry from Psalm 22 comes in the middle of deep suffering. How does this quotation identify Jesus as the promised Messiah rather than simply as a suffering victim? [36:37]
- The temple curtain tears “from top to bottom.” What does this sign communicate about who has made the way into God’s presence and how that way has been opened? [40:04]
- Matthew connects Jesus’ death with opened tombs, while noting that the saints appear after his resurrection. How does this help Christians hold Jesus’ death and resurrection together as one saving work? [43:47]
Application questions
- The cross can become so familiar that it no longer stirs the heart. Where does familiarity with Christian words, symbols, or church practices tend to make faith feel routine for you? What could help you look again and remember that the cross is God’s power to save? [19:46]
- Jesus bore suffering fully rather than stepping away from it. Is there a burden of shame, guilt, or past failure that you tend to carry as though Jesus’ sacrifice was not enough? What would it look like to bring that specific burden honestly to Christ? [41:34]
- Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry Jesus’ cross, and his unexpected encounter became a picture of following Christ. Is there a hard or inconvenient responsibility in your life that may be an opportunity to serve Jesus faithfully rather than merely something to resent? [26:06]
- The torn curtain declares that sin has been dealt with and access to God has been opened through Christ. When shame tells you to hide from God, how could you practice coming to him with honesty and confidence this week? [42:16]
- Death remains painful, especially when someone we love is gone, but it does not have the final word in Christ. Is there a grief, fear about the future, or concern about death that you need to name before God? How does the promise of resurrection speak into that place? [45:23]
- The cross reveals that God knows, loves, and has not forgotten his people. Which false message is most tempting for you to believe right now—that you are insignificant, unloved, unknown, or alone? What truth from the cross directly answers that message? [49:51]
