Christ before Pilate

Ecce Homo, by Antonio Ciseri

June 19–25

Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19

“It Is Finished”

Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; and John 19 include descriptions of the final hours of the Savior’s mortal life. Seek to feel His love for you as you study about His sacrifice and death.

Record Your Impressions

In every word and deed, Jesus Christ exemplified pure love—what the Apostle Paul called charity (see 1 Corinthians 13). At no time was this more evident than during the final hours of the Savior’s mortal life. His dignified silence in the face of false accusations demonstrated that He “is not easily provoked” (1 Corinthians 13:5). His willingness to submit to scourging, mocking, and crucifixion—while restraining His power to end His torments—showed that He “suffereth long” and “beareth all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7). His compassion toward His mother and His mercy toward His crucifiers—even during His own incomparable suffering—revealed that He “seeketh not [His] own” (1 Corinthians 13:5). In His final moments on earth, Jesus was doing what He had done throughout His mortal ministry—teaching us by showing us. Indeed, charity is “the pure love of Christ” (Moroni 7:47).

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Ideas for Personal Scripture Study

Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19

Jesus Christ’s willingness to suffer shows His love for the Father and for all of us.

Although the Savior had power to call down “legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53), He voluntarily chose to endure unjust trials, cruel mocking, and unimaginable physical pain. Why did He do it? “Because of his loving kindness,” Nephi testified, “and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9).

Christ carrying cross

“And he bearing his cross went forth into … Golgotha” (John 19:17).

You might begin your study of the Savior’s final hours by reading 1 Nephi 19:9. Where in Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; and John 19 do you find examples of each thing that Nephi said Jesus would suffer?

• “[They] judge him to be a thing of naught”

• “They scourge him”

• “They smite him”

• “They spit upon him”

Which passages help you feel the Savior’s “loving kindness” toward you? What other thoughts and feelings do you have as you read these accounts? Consider writing them down or sharing them with someone.

See also “Jesus Is Condemned before Pilate” and “Jesus Is Scourged and Crucified” (videos), ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Matthew 27:27–49, 54; Mark 15:16–32; Luke 23:11, 35–39; John 19:1–5

Mocking cannot change the truth.

While Jesus had endured mocking throughout His ministry, it grew more intense during His scourging and Crucifixion. But this mocking could not change the truth: Jesus is the Son of God. As you read about the humiliation Jesus endured, think about the opposition and mocking His work faces today. What insights do you gain about enduring opposition? What impresses you about the centurion’s words in Matthew 27:54?

Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34

Jesus Christ suffered alone so I don’t have to.

During one of His most poignant moments on the cross, Jesus, who had always relied on His Heavenly Father, suddenly felt forsaken. Reading about this might lead you to think about times when you’ve felt distant from God. You might ponder how the Savior’s sacrifice on the cross makes it possible for you to overcome that distance. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland testified, “Because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. … Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are” (“None Were with Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 88). Consider how the Savior can help you overcome loneliness as you read the rest of Elder Holland’s message.

Luke 23:34

The Savior is our example of forgiveness.

How do you feel when you read the Savior’s words in Luke 23:34? (see the insight provided by the Joseph Smith Translation in footnote c). Referring to the Savior’s words, President Henry B. Eyring taught: “We must forgive and bear no malice toward those who offend us. The Savior set the example from the cross. … We do not know the hearts of those who offend us” (“That We May Be One,” Ensign, May 1998, 68). How can this verse help you if you have trouble forgiving someone?

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Ideas for Family Scripture Study and Home Evening

Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19.To help your family learn about the events described in these chapters, you could share with them “Chapter 52: The Trials of Jesus” and “Chapter 53: Jesus Is Crucified” (in New Testament Stories, 133–38, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Or you could watch together videos depicting these events: “Jesus Is Condemned before Pilate” and “Jesus Is Scourged and Crucified” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). You might invite children to retell the stories in their own words. Family members could share how they feel toward the Savior because of what He suffered for us.

Matthew 27:11–26; Mark 15:1–15; Luke 23:12–25; John 19:1–16.Why did Pilate deliver Jesus to be crucified, even though he knew Jesus was innocent? What lessons do we learn from Pilate’s experience about standing up for what we know is right? It might be helpful for your family to role-play scenarios that allow them to practice standing up for what is right.

Matthew 27:46; Luke 23:34, 43, 46; John 19:26–28, 30.Perhaps you could assign each family member to read one or more of the statements the Savior made on the cross, found in these verses. Ask them to share what they learn from these statements about the Savior and His mission.

Mark 15:39.How has reading about the Crucifixion strengthened your testimony that Jesus is the “Son of God”?

John 19:25–27.What do we learn from these verses about how we can love and support family members?

For more ideas for teaching children, see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Primary.

Suggested hymn: “Upon the Cross of Calvary,” Hymns, no. 184.

Improving Our Teaching

Emulate the Savior’s life. “It is helpful to study the ways the Savior taught—the methods He used and the things He said. But the Savior’s power to teach and lift others came from the way He lived and the kind of person He was. The more diligently you strive to live like Jesus Christ, the more you will be able to teach like Him” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 13).

Christ on the cross

Christ on the Cross, by Carl Heinrich Bloch