This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in Mark 15:22-40, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
A long, long time ago, a man named Jesus was taken to a place called Golgotha. This place was also called the Place of a Skull. Some people gave him wine mixed with myrrh, but he didn’t want it. Then, the people put him on a cross, and they took his clothes and divided them up among themselves. They even played a game to decide who would get what. There were two robbers who were also put on crosses, one on his right and one on his left.
People who passed by laughed at him, and said, “Hey, you said you could rebuild the temple in three days, why don’t you save yourself and come down from the cross?” The chief priests and the scribes also made fun of him. They said, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down from the cross so that we can see and believe.” Even the two robbers who were on the crosses next to him made fun of him.
Then, at the sixth hour, it became dark across the whole land, and it stayed dark until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” This means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some people thought he was calling for Elijah. Someone gave him some sour wine, but Jesus didn’t want it. Finally, he let out a loud cry and passed away.
When Jesus died, the curtain in the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The centurion who was standing in front of Jesus saw this happen, and he said, “This man was truly the Son of God!”
There were also some women watching from far away. One of them was Mary Magdalene, and another was Mary, the mother of James the younger and Joses, and Salome.
Biblical Lessons
- Jesus’ death and resurrection offer us the chance to be saved.
- Even when things seem bad, we can trust in God’s plan.
- The tearing of the temple curtain symbolizes that we now have direct access to God through Christ, without the need for priests or sacrifices.
- The fact that the centurion recognized Jesus as the Son of God shows that God’s truth and power can reach even the most unlikely people.