2026 — Bible study series

Week Five

The Crucifixion and Death

Mark 15:22–41 · Matthew 27:33–56 · Luke 23:33–49 · John 19:18–37

Opening Prayer

Almighty God, Heavenly Father, You gave Your only-begotten Son to suffer and die upon the cross for our salvation. As we study the sacred accounts of His crucifixion, open our eyes to behold the depth of Your justice and the fullness of Your mercy meeting in one place. Grant that Your Holy Spirit would teach us through Your Word, that we may see in the witness of the four Evangelists the one true Christ who is our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption. Let the cross of Your Son be our only boast, and His blood our only plea. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

How This Session Works

This session returns to the full four-layer Building Approach. Rather than reading all four Gospel accounts at once, we build understanding one layer at a time. Mark provides the baseline, Matthew is read for his divergences from Mark, Luke offers a substantially distinct portrait, and John provides a narrative that differs radically from the Synoptics in tone and theological emphasis. Record your observations after each layer; the fourfold portrait at the end of the session will show how the four Evangelists together give us the full Christ.

Layer One

The Gospel of Mark

Mark 15:22–41

Read aloud: Mark 15:22–41. Mark's account is characterized by restraint in describing physical agony and heavy reliance on Old Testament allusion, especially Psalms 22 and 69. This is our baseline for comparison.

First Observations (15:22–24)

Greek Vocabulary — Mark 15:22–23

Golgotha — the Aramaic name preserved by Mark, translated as "Place of a Skull." Mark's practice of preserving Aramaic terms alongside their translation (as with Gethsemane in Week One) reflects his pastoral care for his audience.

lēstai — "bandits" or "revolutionaries" (15:27). The same word used for Barabbas's companions in Week Four. Mark draws a deliberate connection between the two crucified with Jesus and the insurrection from which Barabbas was freed.

1. Mark provides the Aramaic name Golgotha and translates it as "Place of a Skull" (15:22). Why might Mark preserve the Aramaic name alongside the translation, as he did with Gethsemane in Week One? What does this pattern tell us about his audience?
2. The soldiers offer Jesus wine mixed with myrrh (15:23), likely a narcotic to dull pain. Jesus refuses it. In light of what we learned in Week One about the "cup" of God's wrath, why does Jesus refuse anything that would diminish His capacity to suffer?

The Chronology of the Cross (15:25–32)

Mark structures the crucifixion around a three-hour timeline: the third hour (9:00 a.m.) for the crucifixion, the sixth hour (noon) for the onset of darkness, and the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.) for the death.

3. Mark calls the two men crucified with Jesus lēstai (bandits or revolutionaries), the same word used to describe Barabbas's companions in Week Four. What connection does Mark draw between these criminals and the insurrection we studied last week? What does their presence on either side of Jesus communicate?
4. Three groups mock Jesus: passersby, chief priests with scribes, and those crucified with Him (15:29–32). The passersby "wag their heads," a direct allusion to Psalm 22:7. Mark records that the leaders say, "He saved others; himself he cannot save." How is this statement simultaneously a mockery and an unwitting confession of the truth?

The Cry of Dereliction (15:33–37)

Darkness covers the whole land from the sixth hour to the ninth hour. Mark preserves the Aramaic cry: "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" — a quotation of Psalm 22:1.

Greek Vocabulary — Mark 15:33–38

Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani — "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (15:34). The Aramaic form of Psalm 22:1. Mark preserves the original language; Matthew gives the Hebrew form (Ēli).

eschisthē — "was torn" (15:38). The same Greek root (schizō) used at the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:10, where the heavens were "torn open." Mark creates a deliberate structural bookend between baptism and death.

5. The darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour recalls the plague of darkness in Exodus 10:21–23 and the prophetic "Day of the Lord" in Amos 8:9–10: "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight." What is the theological meaning of this darkness? Is it merely a natural event?
6. Jesus cries out: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Some bystanders misunderstand, thinking He calls for Elijah (15:35–36). Is this cry merely the opening line of a psalm that ends in hope, or is Jesus genuinely experiencing abandonment by the Father? What does this tell us about the nature of the atonement?

The Tearing and the Confession (15:38–41)

At the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:10), the heavens were "torn open" (schizomenous). At the death of Jesus (15:38), the temple curtain is "torn" (eschisthē). The same Greek root marks both events, creating a structural bookend across the entire Gospel.

7. Mark creates a structural bookend (inclusio) between the baptism and the death. At the baptism, the Father declared, "You are my beloved Son." At the death, the centurion declares, "Truly this man was the Son of God." What has happened between these two "tearings"? What is the significance of the centurion's confession coming from a Gentile executioner?
8. The women who watched from a distance are identified by three verbs: they followed, they served, and they came up with Him to Jerusalem (15:41). The male disciples have fled (14:50). What does this contrast reveal about discipleship in Mark's Gospel?

Record Your Portrait of Jesus in Mark: In a sentence or two, capture Mark's distinctive portrait. What is his emphasis — and what two words from opposite ends of his Gospel hold it together?

Layer Two

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:34, 39–40, 51–54

Read aloud: Matthew 27:34; 27:39–40; 27:51–54. Matthew follows Mark closely through the crucifixion. Rather than re-reading the full narrative, we focus on the four places where Matthew diverges.

27:34 — "And they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it."

27:39–40 — "And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, 'You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.'"

27:51–53 — "And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many."

27:54 — "When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'"

Direct Comparisons to Mark

Greek Vocabulary — Matthew 27:34, 40

cholēs — "gall" (27:34). Matthew changes Mark's "myrrh" to "gall," directly fulfilling Psalm 69:21: "They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink." The shift is deliberate: Matthew is citing Scripture, not describing a narcotic.

Ei huios ei tou theou — "If you are the Son of God" (27:40). The identical formula used by the tempter in Matthew 4:3 and 4:6. Matthew is identifying the voice behind the mockery at the cross.

9. Mark says the soldiers offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh. Matthew changes this to wine mixed with "gall" (cholēs). Read Psalm 69:21. Why does Matthew make this change? What is Matthew's consistent theological concern, which we have seen in every layer since Week One?
10. The taunt in Matthew 27:40 reads: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." Read Matthew 4:3 and 4:6. Where have you heard this exact formula before? What is Matthew telling us about the identity of the voice behind this mockery?

Material Found Only in Matthew (27:51–53)

Matthew alone records a series of cosmic events that accompany the death of Jesus: an earthquake, the splitting of rocks, the opening of tombs, and the raising of many saints.

11. Read Ezekiel 37:12–13: "Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people." How does Matthew's earthquake and the raising of the saints signal that the death of Jesus is not merely one man's execution, but the turning point of the ages?
12. In Mark, the centurion confesses alone, and his confession is triggered by the manner of Jesus' death (15:39). In Matthew, the centurion and those with him confess together, and their confession is triggered by the earthquake and what took place (27:54). What does this shift from a single Gentile witness to a corporate Gentile confession add to Matthew's narrative?

Comparison — Mark vs. Matthew

Feature	Mark	Matthew
The Drink	Myrrh (narcotic, refused)	Gall (Psalm 69 fulfillment)
The Cry	Aramaic: Eloi	Hebrew: Ēli
Physical Signs	Darkness and torn curtain	Darkness, curtain, earthquake, raised saints
Mockery Focus	"King of the Jews"	Satanic echo: "If you are the Son of God"
Confession	Centurion alone (based on the death)	Centurion and guards (based on signs)
Driving Theme	Raw suffering and total isolation	Fulfillment of Scripture and the Day of the Lord

Record Your Portrait of Jesus in Matthew: How does Matthew's Jesus at the cross differ from Mark's? What scriptural framework is Matthew laying over the events?

Layer Three

The Gospel of Luke

Luke 23:33–49

Read aloud: Luke 23:33–49. Luke's crucifixion diverges substantially from Mark. His portrait of Jesus at the cross is that of the Righteous Sufferer and Royal Savior who dispenses mercy even from the instrument of His execution. The full reading is essential.

The Royal Prayer of Forgiveness (23:33–34)

Greek Vocabulary — Luke 23:33–35, 41, 43

kakourgoi — "criminals" or "evildoers" (23:33). Luke's word for the two crucified with Jesus. More generic than Mark's lēstai (revolutionaries), it creates a more direct fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12: "He was numbered with the transgressors."

atopon — "out of place" or "amiss" (23:41). The penitent criminal's word for Jesus: "This man has done nothing atopon." A remarkable understatement that carries real legal force: not wrong, not misplaced, nothing out of order.

paradeisos — "Paradise" (23:43). From the Persian word for a royal garden or park. In the Septuagint, it translates the Garden of Eden. Jesus promises the criminal not merely comfort but a return to the original dwelling of humanity with God.

dikaios — "innocent" or "righteous" (23:47). The centurion's verdict. The same word used throughout Luke for the Righteous One whose legal innocence the narrative has been establishing since Week Three.

13. Luke uses the term kakourgoi (criminals, evildoers) rather than Mark's lēstai (bandits, revolutionaries). Read Isaiah 53:12: "He was numbered with the transgressors." Why does Luke's vocabulary choice create a more direct fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy?
14. Jesus prays: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (23:34). This prayer is unique to Luke. A priest offers sacrifice on behalf of others; a king pardons those condemned under his authority. How does this prayer reveal Jesus acting simultaneously as both High Priest and King?

The Mockery and the Chosen One (23:35–38)

15. Luke carefully distinguishes the people from the rulers. The people "stood by, watching" (23:35a), while the rulers "scoffed" (23:35b). Why does Luke draw this distinction? How does the reaction of the people connect to what happens after the death of Jesus in 23:48?

The Penitent Criminal (23:39–43)

This episode is found only in Luke. One criminal blasphemes Jesus. The other rebukes him, confesses his own guilt, and testifies to the innocence of Jesus.

16. The penitent criminal says three things: (a) "We are receiving the due reward of our deeds"; (b) "This man has done nothing wrong" (literally, "nothing atopon," nothing out of place); and (c) "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Which of these statements is Law, and which is faith reaching for the Gospel? What does this criminal bring to Jesus?
17. Jesus responds: "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise" (paradeisos). The criminal asked only to be remembered. Jesus gives him far more than he asked. How does this exchange illustrate the Lutheran understanding that salvation is entirely Christ's gift and never earned by the quality of the sinner's confession?

The Death of Trust (23:44–49)

18. Luke omits the cry of dereliction ("My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?") entirely. Instead, Jesus' final words are from Psalm 31:5: "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Compare this to Mark's Psalm 22:1. How do these two different psalms create two different portraits of the same death? Which aspect of Christ's work does each emphasize?
19. Instead of confessing Jesus as "Son of God," Luke's centurion declares: "Certainly this man was innocent" (dikaios, which can also mean "righteous"). In the context of a Roman trial and execution, what does this verdict accomplish? How does it connect to the charges of sedition that Pilate heard in Week Three (Luke 23:2)?
20. Unique to Luke, the crowds who witnessed the crucifixion return home "beating their breasts" (23:48). This is a gesture of mourning and contrition. In Mark, the crowd mocks. In Luke, the crowd mourns. What has the cross done to these onlookers?

Comparison — Luke vs. Mark and Matthew

Feature	Mark and Matthew	Luke
Prayer from Cross	No prayer of intercession recorded	"Father, forgive them"
The Criminals	Both revile Jesus (Mark); bandits (lēstai)	One repents; criminals (kakourgoi, fulfilling Isaiah 53)
Final Cry	Psalm 22:1 (dereliction)	Psalm 31:5 (trust)
Centurion Says	"Son of God"	"Innocent / Righteous" (dikaios)
Crowd Reaction	Mockery throughout	Mourning and beating of breasts
Veil Timing	Torn after the death	Torn before the death

Record Your Portrait of Jesus in Luke: Luke's Jesus prays, forgives, promises Paradise, and dies in trust. How does this portrait differ from Mark's, and what does it add to the fourfold picture?

Layer Four

The Gospel of John

John 19:18–37

Read aloud: John 19:18–37. John's crucifixion narrative is radically different from the Synoptics. There is no darkness, no cry of abandonment, no torn curtain, and no mocking crowds. As you read, notice what John has replaced these elements with.

The Enthronement: The Title (19:18–22)

Greek Vocabulary — John 19:19, 23, 28, 30

titlos — "title" or "inscription" (19:19). Pilate places a trilingual inscription — Hebrew, Latin, Greek — on the cross. In John, the cross is a throne; the inscription is the royal proclamation.

chitōn — "tunic" (19:23). Jesus' tunic is seamless, "woven from top to bottom" (ek tōn anōthen). The High Priest's vestment was similarly not to be torn (Exodus 28:31–32). The detail identifies Jesus as the true High Priest offering Himself as sacrifice.

Tetelestai — "It is finished" or "It has been accomplished" (19:30). A perfect tense verb indicating a completed action with ongoing effect. The word was also written on commercial receipts to indicate a debt "paid in full."

paredōken to pneuma — "handed over the spirit" (19:30). John's active verb, in contrast to the Synoptics' exepneusen ("breathed his last"). Jesus is not a victim expiring; He is the one in sovereign control delivering His spirit.

21. Pilate places a title (titlos) on the cross in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek (19:19–20). The chief priests object: "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate refuses: "What I have written I have written" (19:22). How is Pilate's stubbornness functioning as unwitting prophecy? What is John showing us about the nature of this "enthronement"?
22. John describes the tunic (chitōn) as seamless, "woven from top to bottom" (ek tōn anōthen). The High Priest's vestment was similarly not to be torn. Read Exodus 28:31–32 for the priestly robe. How does this detail identify Jesus as the true High Priest who offers Himself as the sacrifice?

The New Family (19:25–27)

23. Jesus entrusts His mother to the Beloved Disciple: "Woman, behold, your son!" and "Behold, your mother!" (19:26–27). This act reconstitutes a family at the foot of the cross. What does this tell us about what the cross creates, in addition to what it accomplishes?

Completion and the Spirit (19:28–30)

The sour wine is offered on a hyssop branch. In Exodus 12:22, hyssop was used to apply the blood of the Passover lamb to the doorposts. Jesus' final word is Tetelestai — "It is finished."

24. Tetelestai is a perfect tense verb meaning "it has been completed" or "it has been accomplished." It was also used on receipts to indicate a debt "paid in full." Compare this to the cries in Mark (Psalm 22:1) and Luke (Psalm 31:5). What does each final utterance tell us about how each Evangelist understands the meaning of the death?
25. John writes that Jesus "handed over the spirit" (paredōken to pneuma, 19:30). Mark and Luke use "breathed his last" (exepneusen), which describes the physical cessation of breath. How does John's active verb ("handed over") change the portrait? Is Jesus a victim or the one in control?

The Pierced Side: Sacramental Witnesses (19:31–37)

26. The soldiers do not break Jesus' legs because He is already dead. John cites two Old Testament fulfillments: "Not one of his bones will be broken" (Exodus 12:46, the Passover lamb) and "They will look on him whom they have pierced" (Zechariah 12:10). How does the Passover identification in John differ from the Suffering Servant identification in the Synoptics? What does each framework emphasize?
27. A soldier pierces Jesus' side, and "at once there came out blood and water" (19:34). The early Church Fathers consistently identified the blood and water as pointing to the two Sacraments: the Lord's Supper (blood) and Baptism (water). What does this connection tell us about the source of the Sacraments? Where do Baptism and the Supper originate?

Comparison — The Synoptic Gospels vs. John

Feature	Synoptic Gospels	Gospel of John
Tone	Agony, darkness, abandonment	Glory, sovereignty, completion
Final Word	Cry of dereliction (Mark/Matthew) or trust (Luke)	Tetelestai ("It is finished")
Jesus' Identity	Suffering Son / Righteous Martyr	High Priest / Passover Lamb / King
Signs at Death	Darkness, earthquake, torn curtain	Blood and water from the pierced side
Manner of Death	Breathed His last (exepneusen)	Handed over the spirit (paredōken to pneuma)

Record Your Portrait of Jesus in John: How does John's portrait — sovereign, priestly, declaring the work finished — complete and complement what the Synoptics have shown you?

Synthesis

Theological Synthesis

Now that we have built all four layers, we can step back and see the full picture. The four Gospels are not contradicting one another; they are giving us complementary portraits of the same Christ dying for the same sinners.

The Fourfold Portrait

Using the portraits you recorded at the end of each layer, write them together here:

Mark

Matthew

Luke

John

Core Theological Questions

28. The Atonement: Mark's Jesus cries out in abandonment; John's Jesus declares the work finished; Luke's Jesus entrusts Himself to the Father. Are these different theologies of the cross, or are they different facets of the same event? How do all four accounts together give us a fuller picture of what the death of Christ accomplished?
29. The Torn Curtain: The curtain of the temple separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple. Only the High Priest could enter, once a year, on the Day of Atonement. When the curtain tears "from top to bottom" (Mark 15:38), what is God declaring about access to Himself? How does this connect to what we receive at the altar in the Lord's Supper?
30. Blood and Water: John records blood and water flowing from the pierced side of Jesus (19:34). The Church has consistently identified these with the Lord's Supper and Baptism. If the Sacraments flow from the cross, what does this tell us about the nature of these gifts? Are they human rituals, or are they extensions of the crucifixion itself?
31. The Centurion: In every Synoptic Gospel, the first person to confess Jesus at the cross is a Gentile soldier who helped execute Him. Why is it theologically significant that this confession comes from outside Israel, and from the very man responsible for the crucifixion? What does this tell us about for whom Christ died?

Liturgical Connection

32. The Church reads the Passion according to St. John on Good Friday every year. Having now studied all four accounts side by side, why do you think the Church assigns John's account to that particular day? What does his portrait of the sovereign Priest-King who "hands over the spirit" and declares "It is finished" contribute to the worship of Good Friday?
33. When you receive the Lord's Supper, the pastor says: "This is my body, given for you" and "This is my blood, shed for you." You are receiving what the cross delivered. How does studying the crucifixion narratives in all four Gospels change or deepen your understanding of what is placed on your lips at the altar rail?

The Seven Words from the Cross

The Church harmonizes the four accounts to meditate on Jesus' seven final sayings, distributed across the Gospels:

I. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Luke 23:34 — Jesus as High Priest interceding for transgressors.
II. "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Luke 23:43 — Immediate presence with Christ; the restoration of Eden.
III. "Woman, behold your son… Behold, your mother!" John 19:26–27 — Jesus establishes a new family of believers at the cross.
IV. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34 — The cry of dereliction: Jesus endures the full wrath of God.
V. "I thirst." John 19:28 — Fulfillment of Psalm 69:21.
VI. "It is finished." John 19:30 — Tetelestai: the theological climax of the atonement.
VII. "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." Luke 23:46 — Psalm 31:5: a prayer of sovereign trust.

Lectionary Usage

Palm Sunday, Series A: Matthew 27:11–54, including the crucifixion in 27:33–56.
Palm Sunday, Series B: Mark 15:1–39, including the crucifixion in 15:22–41.
Palm Sunday, Series C: Luke 23:1–49, including the crucifixion in 23:33–49.
Good Friday (all series): John 19:18–37 is the appointed Gospel for the Chief Service, as part of the Passion of Our Lord according to St. John (John 18:1–19:42).
Christ the King (Proper 29, Series C): Luke 23:27–43, highlighting the ironic kingship of Jesus who saves a criminal while hanging on the cross.
One-Year Lectionary, Palm Sunday: Matthew 27 is the traditional Gospel for Palmarum.

Hymnody

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (LSB 449/450)

Meditates on the physical details in John 19 and the deep sorrow recorded in Mark 15. Paul Gerhardt's text addresses Jesus directly, inviting the singer to contemplate the face of the crucified Lord and confess personal guilt for His suffering.

At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing (LSB 633)

Interprets the flow of blood and water from John 19:34 as the source of Baptism and the Eucharist. The hymn makes explicit the sacramental reading of the pierced side that the Fathers already recognized.

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted (LSB 451)

Draws on Isaiah 53 and the Passion narratives together. Stanza 2 declares, "Tis the Christ, by man rejected; yes, my soul, 'tis He, 'tis He!" — connecting the crucifixion to the personal confession of the believer.

Upon the Cross Extended (LSB 453)

Bridges the physical suffering of Calvary with personal application. Stanza 2 names the cause directly: "Your grief and bitter Passion were all for sinners' gain; mine, mine was the transgression, but Yours the deadly pain."

On My Heart Imprint Thine Image (LSB 422)

Based on Luke 23:38. Prays that the superscription "King of the Jews" be written personally — "Jesus, crucified for me" — turning the political charge into a personal confession of faith.

Were You There

Places the singer at the foot of the cross as an eyewitness. The repeated question "Were you there?" forces the hearer to confront the personal reality of the crucifixion. The trembling it evokes is a form of the mourning Luke records in 23:48.

The Torn Curtain and the Open Altar

The tearing of the temple veil declares that the Levitical sacrificial system has reached its end and the Holy of Holies is now open to all believers through the blood of Jesus. In the Divine Service, the congregation approaches the altar with confidence — not because of any worthiness of their own, but because the curtain has been torn from top to bottom by God Himself.

The Two Cups

The crucifixion narratives connect the Cup of Wrath — the judgment Jesus drinks on the cross — with the Cup of Blessing received in the Sacrament of the Altar. Jesus drinks the cup of judgment so that the communicants may drink the cup of forgiveness. This is the theology that underlies the words of institution: "This is my blood, shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins."

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, upon the cross You bore the full weight of the sin of the world. You refused the narcotic, endured the mockery, cried out in abandonment, interceded for Your enemies, promised Paradise to a dying criminal, constituted a new family, and declared the work finished. You handed over Your spirit, and from Your pierced side flowed the gifts of Baptism and the Holy Supper. We have nothing to bring You but the sins that nailed You there. Receive us, as You received the thief, with nothing in our hands but Your promise. Feed us with Your body and blood, and keep us in the one true faith until we see You face to face. For You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.