1.  Review of Class Topic: Before getting into the Bible study questions, discuss today’s class presentation by summarizing or reviewing what you learned, commenting or asking any questions.

Answers will vary…

Read Matthew chapters 25 through 28, then answer the following questions:

2.  (Matthew 25:1-46) In this chapter Jesus teaches about the Kingdom of Heaven and the final judgment…

Parable of Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. ⁵ Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. ¹¹ Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ ¹² But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. ¹⁶ Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. ¹⁷ In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. ¹⁸ But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

²² “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

²⁴ “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ²⁵ And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. ²⁷ Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. ²⁸ Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

²⁹ “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. ³⁰ Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Judgment

³¹ “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; ³³ and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; ³⁶ naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ³⁸ And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ³⁹ When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:1-46 (NASB)

• Choose either the parable of the ten virgins (25:1-13), or the parable of the loaned money (25:14-30) and do a “going deeper” by summarizing the parable and explaining how it relates to Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.
  • From the Life Application Study Bible, culture and background on the parable of the ten virgins:
    • “This parable is about a wedding, and on the day of the wedding the bridegroom went to the bride’s house from the ceremony, then the bride and groom, along with the wedding procession, returned to the groom’s house where a feast took place, often lasting a full week.
    • These ten virgins were waiting to join the procession, and they hoped to take part in the wedding banquet. But, when the groom didn’t come at the expected time, five of them were out of lamp oil. By the time they had purchased extra oil, it was too late to join the feast.
    • The application: When Jesus returns to take his people to heaven, we must be ready. Spiritual preparation cannot be bought or borrowed at the last minute. Our relationship with God must be our own.
  • In addition, we can prepare by knowing the Bible and its teachings, and by having a prayerful relationship with our LORD and other believers.
• Jesus teaches about the final judgment (25:31-42). Who are the sheep and what does he say about them and their final destination? Who are the goats and what does he say about them and their final destination?
  • The sheep will be separated to the right of the “Son of Man” and these are the ones Jesus speaks to saying, “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” These are the believers.
    • Jesus also points out that these are the ones who, not knowing, feed Him, gave Him drink, clothed Him when naked, visited Him when sick, came to Him in prison, and by doing so to the least of the brothers they did it to Him.
  • The goats will be separated to the left of the “Son of Man” and these are the ones Jesus speaks to saying, “Depart from Me, accursed ones into eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” These are the non-believers.
    • Jesus also points out that they did none of which the sheep did, apparently even though they had the opportunity to do so; He concludes by saying, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
• Discuss: Jesus is not saying that we can work our way to the Kingdom by doing certain things, but He is saying that there are things that will identify true believers versus non-believers. What are some things that might be evidence of a true believer today?
  • Discussions may vary, but might include… Examples of “fruit” that a true believer might display could be: Life examples such as clean language, care for others above themselves, Biblical morality, sharing their faith with others and inviting them to Church or Bible studies.
  • It could also include having ministries such as helping the poor and outcast; comforting others in times of loss; supporting ministries and missions in various places; outreaches to the downtrodden.
  • Note: True believers may not display any of these fruits as works are not salvational, but true believers should consider themselves representatives of Jesus, and as such, consider at minimum how their lives reflect Him in their daily walk.

3.  (Matthew 26:1-56) In this section we find that the time has come, and Jesus will be betrayed and led away to be crucified…

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26 When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, ² “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; ⁴ and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. ⁵ But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.”

The Precious Ointment

⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. ⁸ But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this perfume might have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.” ¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. ¹¹ For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me. ¹² For when she poured this perfume on My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. ¹³ Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.”

Judas’s Bargain

¹⁴ Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, “What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?” And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. ¹⁶ From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus.

¹⁷ Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” ¹⁸ And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.”’” ¹⁹ The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.

The Last Passover

²⁰ Now when evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples. ²¹ As they were eating, He said, “Truly I say to you that one of you will betray Me.” ²² Being deeply grieved, they each one began to say to Him, “Surely not I, Lord?” ²³ And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me. ²⁴ The Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” ²⁵ And Judas, who was betraying Him, said, “Surely it is not I, Rabbi?” Jesu said to him, “You have said it yourself.”

The Lord’s Supper Instituted

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” ²⁷ And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; ²⁸ for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”

³⁰ After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of Me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.’ ³² But after I have been raised, I will go ahead of you to Galilee.” ³³ But Peter said to Him, “Even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away.” ³⁴ Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” ³⁵ Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You.” All the disciples said the same thing too.

The Garden of Gethsemane

³⁶ Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. ³⁸ Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

³⁹ And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” ⁴⁰ And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? ⁴¹ Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

⁴² He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” ⁴³ Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. ⁴⁵ Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”

Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest

⁴⁷ While He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a large crowd with swords and clubs, who came from the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” ⁴⁹ Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. ⁵⁰ And Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized Him.

⁵¹ And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew out his sword, and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. ⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”

⁵⁵ At that time Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me as you would against a robber? Every day I used to sit in the temple teaching and you did not seize Me. ⁵⁶ But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets.” Then all the disciples left Him and fled.

Matthew 26:1-56 (NASB)

• What are some things that happened, and why, before the last supper (26:1-19)? Make a list.
  • A woman anoints Jesus with very costly perfume, and the disciples were indignant because they said the money could have gone to the poor. In the Gospel of John, Mary, the sister of Martha, is identified as the woman, and Judas is identified as the one most upset, because as we know, he was all about the money. Mary did this, known or unknown to her, to prepare Jesus for burial, and Jesus praised her and said it would be spoken of in memory of her – as it is still today!
  • Judas agrees to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. This was prophecized in Zechariah 11:12, and Judas fulfills this prophecy and others about the betrayal of a friend.
  • The Disciples prepared to celebrate Passover with Jesus by doing just as He said, and they went and found the man whose house they used, and prepared the Passover (also see Mark 14:12-16 and Luke 22:7-13).
• What was the purpose of the “Last Supper” and what happened during this event (26:20-30)?
  • The purpose of the Last Supper was for Jesus to celebrate Passover, specifically the “Feast of the Unleavened Bread,” one last time with His Disciples (See Exodus 12:14-20) because ultimately Jesus was to be the final “Passover Lamb”
  • From the Life Application Study Bible: For Christians, this is a new event that we practice as the “Lord’s Supper” because it commemorates the Passover meal Jesus ate with his disciples; it is the “Eucharist” because in it we thank God for Christ’s work for us; it is “Communion” because through it we commune with God and with other believers.
    • As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be quietly reflective as we recall Jesus’ death and His promise to come again, grateful for Gods wonderful gift to us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believers.
  • At the Last Supper Jesus ate with His Disciples; told them that one of them would betray Him; asked the them to do this breaking of bread (the sign of His body being broken for our sins) and drinking of the wine (the sign of the giving of His blood of the Covenant) in remembrance of Him; and said that He would not drink of the vine until the day He does so with them in His Father’s Kingdom. Then they went out to the Mount of Olives.
• There are three major things that happened at the Mount of Olives:
  • Citing Old Testament prophecy, what did Jesus say the disciples would do, and specifically Peter (26:31-35)? Go to verses 26:69-75 – What then happened with Peter?
    • Jesus told His disciples, from Zechariah 13:7, that “It is written, I will strike down the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.”
    • Peter said, “even though all may fall away because of You, I will never fall away,” but Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And, in verses 69-75 we learn that Peter does deny Jesus three times before a rooster crowed, and he “went out and wept bitterly.”
  • What did Jesus experience in the Garden of Gethsemane (26:36-46)?
    • In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked His disciples to keep watch and pray while He went a little beyond them to pray:
      • Jesus agonized and asked His Father if it was possible for this cup to pass, saying not my will, but Yours be done.
      • Jesus found His disciples sleeping and encouraged them to keep watching and praying as He went back to continue praying.
      • Luke 22:43-44 tells us that Jesus agonized so badly that “His sweat became like drops of blood” and that an angel from heaven appeared to strengthen Him.
      • He again went back and found His disciples sleeping; and the same again a third time; but now the hour of His arrest had come.
  • How was Jesus betrayed and arrested (26:47-56)?
    • • For a more complete narrative, this event can also be found in Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:1-11.
      • While Jesus was still speaking to His disciples, Judas came up with a large crowd that had swords and clubs, and Judas kissed Him (as this was the sign to the officials as whom to arrest).
      • Jesus had His disciples put their weapons away and He rebuked the crowd and officials for coming to get Him with weapons because they had seen Him every day in the temple teaching.
      • John’s Gospel also tells us that the soldiers fell backward when Jesus asked whom they were looking for, and when He said “I AM HE.”
      • Jesus also healed Malchus, whom Peter had cut off his ear.
      • Jesus then went willingly with them, saying to His disciples that He could appeal to His Father who would at once send twelve legions of angels; yet He said, “How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?”
      • Then the disciples left Him and fled as Jesus was taken away.

4.  (Matthew 26:57-27:66) In this section Jesus is handed over to be crucified…

Jesus before Caiaphas

⁵⁷ Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. ⁵⁸ But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome.

⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. ⁶⁰ They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, ⁶¹ and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” ⁶² The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” ⁶³ But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” ⁶⁴ Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

⁶⁵ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; ⁶⁶ what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

⁶⁷ Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, ⁶⁸ and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?”

Peter’s Denials

⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant-girl came to him and said, “You too were with Jesus the Galilean.” ⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are talking about.” ⁷¹ When he had gone out to the gateway, another servant-girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” ⁷² And again he denied it with an oath, “I do not know the man.” ⁷³ A little later the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you talk gives you away.” ⁷⁴ Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know the man!” And immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, “Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Judas’s Remorse

27 Now when morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death; ² and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.

³ Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, ⁴ saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to that yourself!” ⁵ And he threw the pieces of silver into the temple sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself. ⁶ The chief priests took the pieces of silver and said, “It is not lawful to put them into the temple treasury, since it is the price of blood.” ⁷ And they conferred together andwi th the money bought the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers. ⁸ For this reason that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. ⁹ Then that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel; ¹⁰ and they gave them for the Potter’s Field, as the Lord directed me.”

Jesus before Pilate

¹¹ Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” ¹² And while He was being accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not answer. ¹³ Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” ¹⁴ And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.

¹⁵ Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the people any one prisoner whom they wanted. ¹⁶ At that time they were holding a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. ¹⁷ So when the people gathered together, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” ¹⁸ For he knew that because of envy they had handed Him over.

¹⁹ While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.” ²⁰ But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to put Jesus to death. ²¹ But the governor said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” ²² Pilate *said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all *said, “Crucify Him!” ²³ And he said, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Crucify Him!”

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.” ²⁵ And all the people said, “His blood shall be on us and on our children!” ²⁶ Then he released Barabbas for them; but after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

²⁷ Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole Roman cohort around Him. ²⁸ They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. ²⁹ And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” ³⁰ They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. ³¹ After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

³² As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross.

The Crucifixion

³³ And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, ³⁴ they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink.

³⁵ And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. ³⁷ And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

³⁸ At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. ³⁹ And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, ⁴² “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. ⁴³ He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” ⁴⁴ The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. ⁴⁶ About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” ⁴⁷ And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. ⁴⁹ But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” ⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. ⁵¹ And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. ⁵² The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³ and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. ⁵⁴ Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵ Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. ⁵⁶ Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Is Buried

⁵⁷ When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. ⁵⁹ And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹ And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave.

⁶² Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, ⁶³ and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ ⁶⁴ Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” ⁶⁵ Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” ⁶⁶ And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.

Matthew 26:57-27:66 (NASB)

• What happened during the questioning of Jesus by the High Priest Caiaphas, what did Jesus specifically say that caused the High Priest to tear his robe, and why did Caiaphas do that (26:57-68)?
  • The ones who had seized Jesus took Him to the High Priest, illegally at night under false pretenses, and even though they had false witnesses they could not find fault in Him, until Jesus said: “hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of Heaven.” At that the High Priest tore his robe and proclaimed that Jesus had blasphemed.
  • This proclamation by Jesus was a confession of His being the Messiah, and they knew it. According to Charles Swindoll: “Jesus quoted snippets of Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13 – both regarded as Messianic prophecies by Jewish rabbis. In response, the high priest instantly convicted Him of blasphemy.”
  • According to gotquestions.org: “Tearing of one’s clothes is an ancient tradition among the Jews, and it is associated with mourning, grief, and loss.” However, it is also interesting that the High Priest himself broke the law because, according to Leviticus 21:10: “The high priest, the one among his brothers who has had the anointing oil poured on his head and who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments, must not . . . tear his clothes.”
• Read all the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion, then discuss any notes you took on things that stood out to you (or you could make a timeline): Matthew 27:1-61; Mark 15:1-47; Luke 23:1-56; John 18:28-19:42.
  • From gotquestions.org:
    • The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, is a narration of the final hours in the life of Jesus Christ on earth that continues to provide spiritual conviction for every Christian and application to our lives.
    • The Stations of the Cross serve as a stark reminder of the humble manner in which Jesus was willing to set aside any privilege of deity in order to provide a path to salvation through His sacrifice.
    • There are several widely accepted versions describing those final hours, one being biblical and the others being more traditional accounts of events in Jesus’ final hours. The traditional form of the Stations of the Cross is as follows:

1. Jesus is condemned to death.
2. Jesus is given His cross.
3. Jesus falls down for the first time.
4. Jesus meets His mother Mary.
5. Simon of Cyrene is forced to carry the cross.
6. Veronica wipes blood off of Jesus’ face.
7. Jesus falls down for the second time.
8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.
9. Jesus falls down for the third time.
10. Jesus is stripped of His clothing.
11. Jesus is nailed to the cross – the Crucifixion.
12. Jesus dies on the cross.
13. Jesus’ body is removed from the cross – the Deposition or Lamentation.
14. Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb.

• • • In the traditional form of the Stations of the Cross, however, stations 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9 are not explicitly biblical. As a result, a “Scriptural Way of the Cross” has been developed.
    • Below are the biblical descriptions of the 14 Stations of the Cross and the life application of each:

1st Station of the Cross: Jesus on the Mount of Olives (Luke 22:39-46).

2nd Station of the Cross: Jesus is betrayed by Judas and arrested (Luke 22:47-48).

3rd Station of the Cross: Jesus is condemned by the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71).

4th Station of the Cross: Peter denies Jesus (Luke 22:54-62).

5th Station of the Cross: Jesus is judged by Pontius Pilate (Luke 23:13-25).

6th Station of the Cross: Jesus is scourged and crowned with thorns (Luke 22:63-65).

7th Station of the Cross: Jesus takes up His cross (John 19:17).

8th Station of the Cross: Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry His cross (Luke 23:26).

9th Station of the Cross: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (Luke 23:27-31).

10th Station of the Cross: Jesus is crucified (Luke 23:33-47).

11th Station of the Cross: Jesus promises His kingdom to the believing thief (Luke 23:43).

12th Station of the Cross: Jesus on the cross speaks with His mother and disciples (John 19:26-27).

13th Station of the Cross: Jesus dies on the cross (Luke 23:44-46).

14th Station of the Cross: Jesus is laid in the tomb (Luke 23:50-54).

• What did the religious leaders ask Pilate to do concerning the tomb, and why (27:62-66)?
  • The religious leaders asked for the tomb to be secured and guards posted because they had recalled Jesus saying “after three days I am to rise again” and they did not want the disciples to come and steal the body to confirm this.
  • Verse 66 tells us, “And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone.”
  • This provides even more evidence for the truth of the resurrection, as it would have been impossible for anyone to have stolen the body; or for any of the false theories to be true, such as the swoon theory or wrong grave theory.

5.  (Matthew 28:1-20) In this last section Jesus resurrects and appears to His Disciples…

Jesus Is Risen!

28 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. ² And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. ³ And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. ⁴ The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. ⁵ The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. ⁷ Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

⁸ And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. ⁹ And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. ¹⁰ Then Jesus *said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

¹¹ Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. ¹² And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, ¹³ and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴ And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵ And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.

The Great Commission

¹⁶ But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. ¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:1-20 (NASB)

• Read all the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection, then discuss any notes you took on things that stood out to you: Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-53; John 20:1-21:25.
  • Evidence that Jesus actually died and arose – all of which defeats the other explanations:
    • A Roman soldier told Pilate that Jesus was dead: Mark 15:44-45
    • The Roman soldiers did not break Jesus’ legs, because He had already died, and one of them pierced Jesus’ side with a spear: John 19:32-34
    • Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus’ body and place it in the tomb: John 19:38-40
    • Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses saw Jesus placed in the tomb: Matthew 27:59-61; Mark 15:47; Luke 23:55
    • On Sunday. Morning Peter and John also went to the same tomb and it was empty: John 20:3-9
    • The tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers: Matthew 27:65-66
    • The disciples were ready to die for their faith. Stealing Jesus body would have been admitting that their faith was meaningless: Acts 12:2
  • If the religious leaders had taken Jesus’ body, they would have produced it to stop the rumors of His Resurrection.
  • Jesus’ appearances after His Resurrection, confirms the truth of the Resurrection:
    • Mary Magdalene: Mark 16:9-11; John 20:10-18
    • The other women at the tomb: Matthew 28:8-10
    • Peter in Jerusalem: Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:5
    • The two travelers on the road to Emmaus: Mark 16:12-13
    • Ten disciples behind closed doors: Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-25
    • All the disciples, with Thomas (excluding Judas Iscariot): John 10:26-31; 1 Corinthians 15:5
    • Seven disciples while fishing: John 21:1-14
    • Eleven disciples on the mountain: Matthew 28:16-20
    • A crowd of 500: 1 Corinthians 15:6
    • Jesus’ brother James: 1 Corinthians 15:7
    • Those who watched Jesus ascend into Heaven: Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:3-8
• What is the last, and most important thing Jesus said to His Disciples, known as the “Great Commission” (28:18-20)?
  • Jesus told His disciples, and therefore all Christians today, to “Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and. The Holy Spirit.”
  • Jesus wants us not to just have a conversation, but to go beyond by teaching and making disciples – discipleship is about relationship.
• Discuss: How can we, individually today, follow this “Great Commission” given by Jesus?
  • Discussion answers may vary, but could include…
    • We can pray for boldness and opportunity to share the Gospel message with others
    • We can develop relationships with those we might mentor, or those with whom we have received a response that shows a desire to learn more
    • We can share with family, neighbors, friends and/or acquaintances using any means possible whether in person, through phone calls or by internet sources – no one is without excuse, means or methods
    • We must know the Scriptures, and continue to study ourselves, in order to give answers to those who ask about the hope that we have in Christ Jesus (1 Peter 3:15)

Join us next week as we continue our “Case-Making” and Bible studies!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15