Matthew 27:24–66; Mark 15:15–38
While the Savior was experiencing the brutal pain of hanging from a cross, enemies taunted Him and told Him to deliver Himself from the torture. But He righteously endured, continuing His suffering for us. This lesson can help you better understand and appreciate the Savior’s suffering and death on the cross as an essential part of His Atonement.
Teaching by the Spirit. Teaching by the Spirit begins with thoughtful lesson preparation. Prayerfully study the scriptures and the curriculum, and follow the guidance of the Holy Ghost to adapt the curriculum to students’ needs. In addition, strive to be open to receive and follow impressions from the Spirit while teaching, even if it means diverting from the lesson outline.
Student preparation: Invite students to read Matthew 27:35–50 or the statement by Bishop Gérald Caussé from this lesson. Ask them to come prepared to share what it means to them that the Savior died for them personally.
Possible Learning Activities
Jesus Christ gave His life for us
In this lesson you will study about the death of Jesus Christ. Take a moment to ponder what you know about the Savior’s death and how you feel about it. Do you believe that He died to save you? If so, how can you show your appreciation for His sacrifice? As you study, seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost to help you answer these questions.
The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
After the Savior was tried by the Jews and then by Herod and Pilate, He was brutally scourged and brought to Golgotha (also known as Calvary) to be crucified.
Consider marking the phrase “And they crucified him” in Matthew 27:35. Read the Guide to the Scriptures or Bible Dictionary entry under “Crucifixion” to see what this practice entailed.
Consider reading the following scriptures aloud with students following along. Students who are able could also be invited to help read aloud.
Read the following verses about the Savior’s Crucifixion. Mark details that you feel are important.
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Matthew 27:27–31. Roman soldiers mocked the Savior.
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Matthew 27:35–44. The Savior was mocked on the cross.
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Matthew 27:45–46, 50. The Savior suffered and died on the cross. Note: Jesus was crucified in “the third hour” (9:00 a.m.; see Mark 15:25). “The sixth hour” refers to 12:00 noon; “the ninth hour” refers to 3:00 p.m.
To help you visualize these events, you may want to watch “Jesus Is Scourged and Crucified,” available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 1:04 to 4:48.
Other video options for this event are “Finding Faith in Christ” (30:11; watch from time code 20:44 to 22:45) or “To This End Was I Born” (27:11; watch from 17:03 to 20:09), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained why the Savior asked, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Watch “None Were with Him,” available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, from time code 9:00 to 12:46, or read the following statement.
With all the conviction of my soul I testify that … a perfect Father did not forsake His Son in that hour. Indeed, it is my personal belief that in all of Christ’s mortal ministry the Father may never have been closer to His Son than in these agonizing final moments of suffering. Nevertheless, … the Father briefly withdrew from Jesus the comfort of His Spirit, the support of His personal presence. It was required, indeed it was central to the significance of the Atonement, that this perfect Son who had never spoken ill nor done wrong nor touched an unclean thing had to know how the rest of humankind—us, all of us—would feel when we did commit such sins. For His Atonement to be infinite and eternal, He had to feel what it was like to die not only physically but spiritually, to sense what it was like to have the divine Spirit withdraw, leaving one feeling totally, abjectly, hopelessly alone.
(Jeffrey R. Holland, “None Were With Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2009, 87–88)
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What did Elder Holland help you better understand about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?
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What impresses you most about Jesus Christ from these events? Why?
Cross-references
The Savior had the power to deliver Himself from the humiliating and brutally painful experience on the cross (see Matthew 26:52–54), but He did not.
Read at least three of the following scriptures to discover why. Consider creating a chart like the following to organize your thoughts and feelings. You could also link or cross-reference these passages to Matthew 27:26 or create a tag with these references with a title of your choosing.
Consider drawing the following chart on the board. Invite students to work in pairs and small groups to fill it out.
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Why the Savior submitted to crucifixion |
Blessings available to us because He did |
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Which passage was most meaningful to you? Why?
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What did you learn about why the Savior was willing to be crucified for us?
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Which of the blessings listed in these scriptures are you most grateful for? Why?
It is important to understand that as part of His Atonement, Jesus Christ was crucified for the sins of the world. The suffering the Savior began in the Garden of Gethsemane was completed on the cross at Golgotha. If the Savior had not died for our sins, we would not be able to return to our Father in Heaven.
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How would you explain to someone how the Savior’s Crucifixion is a part of His Atonement? How would you explain why it is meaningful to you?
Bishop Gérald Caussé explained how the Savior’s Atonement is personal for each one of us.
Although infinite and universal in its reach, the Lord’s Atonement is a remarkably personal and intimate gift, suited to each of us individually. Just as Jesus invited each one of the Nephite disciples to feel His wounds, He died for each one of us, personally, as if you or I were the only person on earth. He extends to us a personal invitation to come unto Him and draw upon the marvelous blessings of His Atonement.
(Gérald Caussé, “A Living Witness of the Living Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 40)
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Why do you feel it is important to recognize the personal nature of the Savior’s Atonement?
Consider playing hymns about the Savior’s suffering and Crucifixion such as “How Great Thou Art” (Hymns, no. 86) or “Upon the Cross of Calvary” (Hymns, no. 184) while students complete the following activity. As an alternative to writing the journal entry, students could write a letter to their future self addressing the concepts in this activity.
To help you feel and remember the personal nature of the Savior’s Atonement for you, write a journal entry. Consider including the following:
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Blessings you can receive because of the Savior’s suffering and death on the cross for you
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What it means to you that He died for you personally
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Thoughts and impressions you receive from the Holy Ghost
After sufficient time, give students an opportunity to share their journal entries. Consider bearing testimony of Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion and its importance as part of His Atonement.
Commentary and Background Information
What is important about the place and time of the Savior’s Crucifixion?
President Russell M. Nelson explained:
The second phase of His atonement was effected on the cross. …
Pilate delivered the Lamb of God to be crucified at the same time Paschal lambs nearby were being prepared for sacrifice. (See John 19:13–14.)
The Crucifixion took place at a hill called Golgotha (Greek) or Calvary (Latin) meaning “the skull.” The skull symbolized death. At a place such as this, the atoning sacrifice was completed. On the cross, the Savior of the world was lifted up over death in the greatest of all possible significance—the realization and reality of the Lord’s power over death.
(Russell M. Nelson, “Why This Holy Land?,” Ensign,Dec. 1989, 18–19)
Why didn’t Jesus Christ save Himself?
Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
“Come down from the cross,” the crowd of nonbelievers jeered at Him on Calvary [Matthew 27:40]. He could have performed such a miracle. But He knew the end from the beginning, and He intended to be faithful to His Father’s plan. That example should not be lost on us.
(Ronald A. Rasband, “Behold! I Am a God of Miracles,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2021, 111)
How many people are impacted by the Savior’s suffering and Crucifixion?
Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
The Savior … suffer[ed] indescribable pain in Gethsemane and on the cross in order to perfect His Atonement. … He did this for every man and woman God has created or will create.
(Quentin L. Cook, “The Eternal Everyday,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 52)
What might the Savior have experienced on the cross?
Elder James E. Talmage (1862–1933) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:
It seems, that in addition to the fearful suffering incident to crucifixion, the agony of Gethsemane had recurred, intensified beyond human power to endure. In that bitterest hour the dying Christ was alone, alone in most terrible reality. That the supreme sacrifice of the Son might be consummated in all its fulness, the Father seems to have withdrawn the support of His immediate Presence, leaving to the Savior of men the glory of complete victory over the forces of sin and death.
(Jesus the Christ [1916], 661)
Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles similarly taught:
Then the heavens grew black. Darkness covered the land for the space of three hours, as it did among the Nephites. There was a mighty storm, as though the very God of Nature was in agony.
And truly he was, for while he was hanging on the cross for another three hours, from noon to 3:00 P.M., all the infinite agonies and merciless pains of Gethsemane recurred.
(Bruce R. McConkie, “The Purifying Power of Gethsemane,” Ensign, May 1985, 10)
Supplemental Learning Activities
Silent lesson
It may be helpful to adjust how this lesson is presented. One example could be to have a “silent lesson,” in which statements, scriptures, videos, and questions are displayed and students can silently write their responses, thoughts, and feelings in their study journals. Leave time at the end of class for students to discuss what they learned and felt.
Jesus’s death fulfilled prophecy
Students could compare the events of the Savior’s death with prophecies given by earlier prophets. Verses include Psalm 22:1, 7–8, 16, 18; Psalm 34:20; Psalm 69:21; Isaiah 50:6; 53:3–7; 53:12; Zechariah 12:10; 13:6; 1 Nephi 11:33; 19:9–14; and 2 Nephi 6:9. They could then share how the prophecies were fulfilled. This could strengthen students’ understanding of God’s word as well as their faith that God knows the end from the beginning.