𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣
• Describe an important event you recently witnessed or experienced. Give your thoughts about what happened.
• Is there a time when something you had been waiting on finally happened? Tell us more about it.
• Have you ever experienced not being reprimanded despite a mistake you made? How did you feel?


𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 . . . 𝟭 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟯

(Read also 𝟭 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟭–𝟮, 𝟰–𝟴.)

Christ’s death and resurrection is a story of love and hope that was all part of God’s plan—right from the beginning. The message of the gospel is not an afterthought. That is to say, we are not an afterthought to God. Knowing and appreciating how God saved us does not only give us the confidence to come before Him without any fear or shame; it also reminds us that we have a testimony to share and a message to proclaim. Today, we will look at how Christ’s death and sacrifice redeem us and provide us an opportunity to deliver the message God has given us.

𝟭. 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱.
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 . . . 𝟭 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟯

Christ’s death, though brutal and painful, is an act of love that was witnessed by many people. His sacrifice is not a myth; it is a historical fact. Jesus was on earth as a real person—innocent, yet suffered unjustly on the cross. Without His death, redemption would have been impossible. What does Christ’s death mean for you? What does Luke 23:48 say about the crowd that had witnessed Jesus’s death?

𝟮. 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝘀.
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 . . . 𝟭 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟯

(Read also 𝟭 𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟯:𝟭𝟴.)

When Jesus died, far more happened than mere suffering and pain. His death on the cross did something for us. Isaiah 53:5 says that 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. On the cross, He dealt with our failures and our shame. He took our place and endured the death that we deserved to free us from our sins—even those that seem too great to forgive or too hurtful to overcome. How has Jesus’ love displayed on the cross changed the way you look at yourself and others? What does 1 Peter 2:24 say about how we should live our lives in light of Christ’s sacrifice?

𝟯. 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀.
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥: 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 . . . 𝟭 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭𝟱:𝟯

The purpose of Jesus’ death resounds not just in the New Testament but even in the Old Testament. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised to send a Savior who would bear our sins and suffer in our place (Isaiah 53:4). Hundreds of years later, Jesus came and endured the most painful death—in complete obedience to God—so we could have the most precious gift. Just as God fulfilled His redemptive work through the death and sacrifice of His Son, Jesus, we can be secure that He will also complete His work in us, as well as His plans and purposes for us. Why do you think Jesus’ death happened during such a time? How does this help us appreciate the gospel more?


𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• How has the understanding of Jesus’ death and suffering changed you? What can you do to let others know the depth of God’s love for us?
• Pause and give some thought to how much God has forgiven you. How can you extend forgiveness to someone who has hurt you in the past?
• To whom can you share this message of salvation with this week? Ask God to give you the grace to obey what He is prompting you to do.


𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥
• Thank God for the message of the gospel. Praise Him for the opportunity to receive and share His love and grace with others.
• Ask God to give you the grace to release yourself from your past guilt and shame. Pray that you will always choose forgiveness over hatred and bitterness.
• Seek God as you minister to others and point people to Him. Surrender every aspect of your life as you walk in obedience to His will.