Matthew 26:57-27:60, Mark 14:53-15:47, Luke 23:1-49, John 18:12-19:37
To put this story in context, see this visualization of the chronology of Holy Week.
This story occurs in all 4 gospel accounts, with only minor variations of which details each gospel writer included. We chose to use the Mark telling as the basis for the story in this lesson, but you should read all 4 accounts in your study for this lesson.
Some teachers might feel uncomfortable telling this story to children - especially young children. While we certainly encourage you to be sensitive to your students' ages and their ability to process the information, we strongly encourage you not to water the lesson down so much that they miss the central point: Jesus Christ willingly suffered at the hands of men for our sins. You can teach them that the soldiers placed a crown of thorns on his head and give them a basic description of it without going into gory details. You can teach them that they nailed him to the cross on his hands and his feet without treating it like a scary movie.
Here are the components of the story:
get your kids talking and engaged
Last week, we learned that Jesus was arrested. What did Jesus do to be arrested?
Today, we're going to learn about what happened to Jesus after he was arrested.
teach a holistic story
(There are potential triggers in this story for children who have recently experienced the death of a close family member or for those who have been emotionally or physically abused. Keep an eye out on the reactions of your students as you are teaching this lesson for any signs of distress)
Read story from a Children's storybook Bible for younger children.
For older children, read the story from an age-appropriate Children's storybook Bible or read directly from the Bible.
Be sure to include as many details (see the Story Summary above) as are appropriate for your age students. The "Crucifixion Egg Hunt" reinforcement activity can be used as a teaching aide as well.
give them basic Bible skills
Scripture for Kids to Read Aloud: Mark 15:16-38
make sure they understand the story
First, ask the children if they have any questions about the story. What to do if you don't know the answer?
help them apply the story to their lives and open up a conversation about faith and the gospel; close with prayer
hide God's Word in their heartBelieve in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31 ESV)