The Death of Jesus—Matthew 27:45–56 Open It 1. *What is it like to be separated from someone you love? 2. When in your life did you ever feel abandoned? Explore It 1. What happened from the sixth to the ninth hour (from 12 noon until 3 p.m.)? (27:45) 2. *What did Jesus cry out at the ninth hour? Why? (27:46) 3. *What did Jesus’ last words mean? (27:46) 4. What did some of the bystanders think Christ had yelled? (27:47) 5. What did one man in particular try to do for Jesus? (27:48) 6. How did the rest in the crowd respond to the gesture of kindness toward Jesus? (27:49) 7. What happened the next time Jesus cried out in a loud voice? (27:50) 8. What supernatural event took place inside the temple when Jesus died? (27:51) 9. How were things in Jerusalem at that time? (27:51) 10. How did the death of Jesus affect activity in some of the area’s cemeteries? (27:52–53) 11. *How did a Roman centurion react to the way Jesus died? (27:54) 12. Who else was in the crowd watching the crucifixion? (27:55) 13. Who in the crowd was most prominent at Jesus’ death? (27:56) Get It 1. *What did it mean that the sky turned black as Jesus hung on the cross? 2. How would you explain to an inquiring friend the significance of the veil in the temple tearing in two as Jesus ed? 3. Why does it often take drastic measures or life-threatening upheavals to bring people to their senses and persuade them to follow Christ? 4. What situations or events did God use to convince you that Jesus is the Son of God? 5. Why are the women followers of Jesus mentioned, and not the male disciples? 6. *What did Jesus accomplish for you with His death? Apply It 1. *What steps can you take this week to allow the profound truth of this passage to sink in? 2. In the near future, with whom can you share the good news of Christ’s payment for sin on the cross?