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The Crucifixion
(Intermediate)

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Excerpts from Matthew 27, Luke 23, and John 19

Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the governor's palace and gathered the whole troop of soldiers around Him. They took off His clothes and put a scarlet cloak on Him. They twisted some thorns into a crown, placed it on His head, and put a stick in His right hand. Then they knelt before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" They spit on Him, took the stick, and hit Him on the head.

After mocking Him, they took off the cloak and put His own clothes on Him. Then they took Him away to crucify Him.

As they led Jesus away, they took hold of Simon, a man from Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and they laid the cross on him, to carry it behind Jesus. A large crowd of people followed Him. The women in the crowd were beating their breasts and weeping over Him .

When they came to the place called Skull, they crucified Him there with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; they don't know what they are doing."

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took His clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier, and the tunic was left over. The tunic was without a seam, woven in one piece from top to bottom. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another, "but let's throw lots and see who gets it" -- what the Bible said had come true: They divided My clothes among them, and for My garment they threw lots. So that's what the soldiers did.

Vocabulary

cloak
criminal
crucify
forgive
garments
governor
kneel
mock
palace
spit
thorns
tunic
weep

Sentence Completion I

1. The soldiers put a scarlet _______________ on Jesus.
2. They made a crown out of _______________ and placed it on His head.
3. The soldiers then knelt before Him and _______________ Him.
4. Jesus was________________ between two criminals.
5. Even thought He was suffering, Jesus asked His Father to ______________ the people who had crucified Him.

Sentence Completion II

1. While in France, we enjoyed touring the ______________ of Louis XIV.
2. The ________________ escaped from prison.
3. It is not polite to _______________ people.
4. The old man _________________ down to pray.
5. "I was wrong. Please ______________ me."

Reading Comprehension

1. Where did the soldiers first take Jesus?
2. What did they make Him wear?
3. How did they treat Him?
4. Where did they take Him next?
5. Who carried the cross for Him?
6. What did they do when they arrived?
7. How did Jesus respond?
8. Why did the soldiers not tear his tunic?