The Crucifixion Part 2

About the Series

This week continued the group's walk through the Gospel of John, landing on the final hours of Jesus' crucifixion.

Passages: John 19:16-37

What Was Taught

The Walk to Golgotha

Jesus had already been beaten before He was ever nailed to the cross. His body was cut up and swollen, and He was made to carry the crossbeam itself, a piece of wood that likely weighed around a hundred pounds, for a long walk to the hill called Golgotha, the place of the skull, known to us in Latin as Calvary.

He was crucified between two criminals, treated like the worst of society even though He had done nothing wrong.

Pilate had a sign posted above Him that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The religious leaders wanted it changed to say Jesus only claimed the title, but Pilate refused. The irony is that the "crime" they pinned on Jesus was true. He really was the King.

His Mother, Cared For

While Jesus hung on the cross, soldiers gambled for His clothing, unknowingly fulfilling a prophecy written hundreds of years earlier that His garments would be divided by lot.

Mary stood at the foot of the cross, watching her son die. In that moment, Jesus looked to her and to His disciple John and entrusted them to care for each other: "Woman, behold your son." "Behold your mother."

Even in His suffering, Jesus was thinking about someone else. His love for His people was bigger than the pain He was in.

It Is Finished

Jesus said, "I thirst," and was given sour wine on a branch, fulfilling words written in the Psalms generations before. Then He said, "It is finished," and gave up His spirit.

That phrase was not the cry of a man giving up. Think of finally reaching the end of a long story, like watching an entire movie saga and seeing every loose thread finally come together. "It is finished" was the moment everything God had promised, all the way back to the garden of Eden, reached its fulfillment.

Not One Bone Broken

To hasten death before the Sabbath, soldiers usually broke the legs of the men they crucified. When they reached Jesus, He was already dead, so His legs were left unbroken, exactly as an Old Testament prophecy said they would be. As the perfect Passover Lamb, Jesus had to be without blemish, and this detail confirmed it.

A soldier pierced His side anyway, and blood and water came out, fulfilling yet another prophecy written centuries before.

Jesus was not pretending, and He was not rescued at the last second. He gave every last drop He had. He gave Himself completely.

Talk About It at Home

Questions from group tonight:

1. The disciples probably didn't think Good Friday was "good" while it was happening. Why do you think it's sometimes hard to see what God is doing when we're going through something difficult?
2. Jesus was suffering on the cross, but He still made sure His mother was cared for. What does that tell us about Jesus' character? How can we reflect this in our own lives?
3. Why do you think John keeps pointing out that things happening during Jesus' death fulfilled Old Testament Scripture? What does that teach us about God's plan?
4. If you could remember only one thing from tonight's lesson the next time you're having a really difficult week, what would you want it to be?

A few easier openers if you want to start smaller:

• What's one part of the crucifixion story that stood out to you tonight?
• Why do you think it mattered that Jesus made sure His mom was taken care of, even while He was dying?
• Can you think of a time you kept caring about someone else even though you were having a hard day?
• What does "it is finished" mean to you?

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