Matthew 27
by Philip Layton
The death of Jesus
Discussion Questions
- Do you think the regret of Judas indicated his guilt, or that ultimately he was saved?
- Why did Pilate have Jesus flogged if he was handing him over to be crucified?
Share your thoughts below, or tweet about it with the #boundlessbible hashtag.
Going Deeper – from 'Words of Life'
Calvary. Golgotha. The Place of the Skull. The place of crucifixion. This is where our pilgrimage took us today. We saw a stone – how it was carved in order that a cross would be secured. Perhaps it was the stone. No one knows for certain. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been built over the place where many believe Jesus died. We touched the spot. Although it may not have been the exact spot, it was a holy moment.
He died for us. The supreme sacrifice. The Son of God hung right near or even where we stood. It’s all beyond comprehension. People shouting, satisfied that this ‘King of the Jews’ was getting what they thought he deserved. Death! We stood for some time. Then, from that ‘spot’ we moved outside. Before us, right beyond ‘Calvary’, was the rock formation in the side of the mountain.
Try to picture it, if you can. For on that rock we saw two black formations, almost like circles – side by side. Two eyes. Underneath, a longer horizontal formation, also black. A mouth. Yes, The Place of the Skull. The impact was profound.
I stood today where Jesus suffered, bled and died – so that I would be forgiven of my sins. The effect upon me was overwhelming. Can you sense it? It was here that Jesus cried out – just before he died. Can you hear him? Abandoned by his Father, because of our sin, he called: ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ – which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (v 46).
He went willingly to The Place of the Skull, because he loves us that much. How can we do less, than give our all to him?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for the cross; for dying such a cruel death, for me.
My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine!
Beverly Ivany
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