Sacrifice. This is a word we use in so many situations - "I sacrificed my family time to complete this work project. I sacrificed my lunch money for a week to give to the needy. I sacrificed my vacation so I could be a part of this meeting. I sacrificed four years of my life for this degree." The list could go on and on. While we may view these as worthy sacrifices, they seem trivial when compared to those who give their lives for a cause, and when compared to the sacrifice of our Savior for our sins, they pale in comparison. LifeWay's Explore the Bible Study: Crucified, takes us back to the foot of the cross as we watch Jesus sacrifice His life as the final payment for our sins.
As you take your group through Scripture to the place called Golgotha and observe the excruciating, gut-wrenching, final hours of Christ's life, lead them to consider how they honor Christ's sacrificial atonement for our sins.
Adjusted Outline & Resources
I have adjusted the outline in order to focus on the context and the supernatural events taking place at Jesus' death. I have also added quite a few cross reference passages. Consider writing these passage references on a white board or assigning them in advance.
LOOK UP Illustration - National Peace Officers Memorial Day
- Does anyone know what type of Memorial Day is honored on May 15? (National Peace Officers Memorial Day).
- In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.
- There is a National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. It was dedicated on October 15, 1991 and honors federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people. There are more than 20,000 officers' names carved on the blue-gray marble walls featured at the Memorial, some dating back to 1791.
- Have any of you known a police officer who gave his life in service to others?
- We should never forget what these officers did to protect us, but today we will be remembering a very different kind of sacrifice: the sacrifice of a life to pay a debt incurred by our sin. It could not be paid by any of us but could only be reconciled, once and for all, through the sacrifice of a sinless human being – Jesus, God’s Son.
LOOK IN Outline and Additional Scripture References
Matthew 27:38-44
- Matthew intended us to see the irony that this dying man was not only the king of the Jews but the king of all creation. Never was there a greater contrast than that between the treatment Jesus deserved and the treatment he received. He deserved the worship of all heaven and earth, but he hung naked and beaten, laboring for each breath on an instrument of torture and shame. – Holman NT Commentary - Matthew
- Overview of the four supernatural events described in these passages based upon LifeWay's Explore the Bible blog post
- Three Hours of Darkness: Additional Discussion Passages - Amos 5:18; Amos 8:9-10; Exodus 10:21-23; Galatians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Psalm 22:1; Isaiah 53:6; 59:2; Romans 6:23
- The Tearing of the Sanctuary Curtain: Additional Discussion Passages - Luke 23:46; John 19:30; Ephesians 2:18
- The Earthquake: Additional Discussion Passages - Exodus 19:18
- The Dead Raised: Additional Discussion Passages - 1 Thessalonians 4:16
LOOK OUT Video Option
