Christ before Pilate

Ecce Homo, by Antonio Ciseri

June 19–25

Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19

“It Is Finished”

Begin your preparation by reading Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; and John 19. Prayerfully seek to understand the needs of the children.

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Invite Sharing

Let each child take a turn holding the picture from this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. While holding the picture, each child could share something he or she sees in the picture.

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Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children

Matthew 27:11–66; Luke 23; John 19

Because Jesus died for me, I can be resurrected.

Little children might be upset by the accounts of Jesus’s Crucifixion. “Chapter 52: The Trials of Jesus” and “Chapter 53: Jesus Is Crucified” (in New Testament Stories, 133–38, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org) provide a good model for how you might appropriately share this story with them.

Possible Activities

• Show the picture in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families as you tell about Jesus’s trial, Crucifixion, and burial (see also Gospel Art Book, nos. 57–58). Invite the children to share what they know about these events. Emphasize that on the third day, Jesus was resurrected. In other words, He came back to life.

• Ask the children to name some things their parents do for them that they cannot do for themselves. Show a picture of the Savior. Explain that because of Jesus, we can be resurrected—something we cannot do ourselves.

• Show a picture of someone you know who has died. Share your testimony that because of Jesus that person will one day live again.

burial of Christ

The Burial, by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Matthew 27:26–37; Luke 23:34

I can forgive others as Jesus did.

How will you help the children understand how to forgive those who are unkind, as Jesus did?

Possible Activities

• Describe how the soldiers were unkind to Jesus (see Matthew 27:26–37), and then read Luke 23:34. Explain that when we forgive others, we aren’t angry at them anymore and we show love to them.

• Share examples in which someone says or does something unkind. Invite the children to talk about how they could show forgiveness in these situations.

• Sing together a song about forgiveness, such as “Help Me, Dear Father” (Children’s Songbook, 99). Ask questions that are answered in the song, like “Whom should we forgive?” or “Who can help us when forgiving is hard?”

• Search a recent issue of the Friend to find a story about a child who forgave someone. Share this story with the children.

Luke 23:32–33, 39–43

Because Jesus suffered and died for me, I can repent and be forgiven.

Although children under age eight are not yet accountable, it is important for them to start learning now how to repent of the wrong choices they make.

Possible Activities

• Summarize Luke 23:32–33, 39–43, and help the children find the two thieves in picture 57 in the Gospel Art Book. Explain that when the first thief made fun of Jesus, the second thief admitted that he had done something wrong—he was beginning to repent.

• Read Doctrine and Covenants 19:16 to the children. Why did Jesus suffer for us?

• Show the video “The Shiny Bicycle” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Explain that we can pray to Heavenly Father and He can help us fix our sins and mistakes and receive forgiveness.

• Let the children make chalk marks on the board to represent wrong choices. Then ask them to erase the board to represent repentance. Show a picture of the Savior, and testify that we can repent because of Him.

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Teach the Doctrine: Older Children

Matthew 27:11–66; Luke 23; John 19

Jesus died for me because He loves me.

Why are you grateful that Jesus Christ died for you? Consider how you can help the children understand the significance of the Savior’s sacrifice for them.

Possible Activities

• Write key events from Matthew 27:11–66 on separate pieces of paper (for help doing this, see “Chapter 52: The Trials of Jesus” and “Chapter 53: Jesus Is Crucified,” in New Testament Stories, 133–38, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Invite the children to study these verses and place the events in the correct order.

• Ask a child to read Matthew 27:54, and invite the children to share things about Jesus that help them know He is the Son of God.

• Ask the children what they learn about the Crucifixion from “Behold the Great Redeemer Die” (Hymns, no. 191) or another sacrament hymn. Why was Jesus willing to suffer for us? (see Doctrine and Covenants 18:10–11; 19:16).

Matthew 27:26–37; Luke 23:34

I can forgive others as Jesus did.

It can be hard to forgive others. The children you teach will be blessed as they follow the Savior’s example and learn to forgive.

Possible Activities

• Invite the children to take turns reading about the soldiers being unkind to Jesus in Matthew 27:26–37 and Jesus forgiving them in Luke 23:34. (See the insight provided by the Joseph Smith Translation in Luke 23:34, footnote c.) What do we learn from Jesus’s example?

• Write on the board What can you do to forgive someone who is unkind to you? Let the children take turns writing ideas on the board, such as Pray to have kind feelings toward the person or Think of something good about the person.

Luke 23:32–33, 39–43

Because Jesus suffered and died for me, I can repent and be forgiven.

This lesson is a good time to testify that because of Jesus Christ, we can repent of our sins and be forgiven.

Possible Activities

• Invite a child to read aloud Luke 23:32–33, 39–43. Explain that the two people being crucified with Jesus were thieves. How did one of the thieves show that he was beginning to repent? What can we do to show that we are repenting? (See Guide to the Scriptures, “Repent, Repentance,” scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.)

• Write the following sentence on the board, leaving blanks for the italicized words: “I can be forgiven when I repent because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.” Give the children clues to help them fill in the blanks.

• Invite a child to hold a bag, and fill it with rocks as the other children name wrong choices someone could make. Help the children compare the bag to the spiritual burden we carry when we sin. How is repentance like taking rocks out of the bag? You might remind the children that repentance is not a one-time event but a daily process.

• Look in a recent issue of the Friend magazine for a story or message about repentance, and share it with the children.

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Encourage Learning at Home

Encourage the children to think of someone they need to forgive and decide on one thing they will do to show that person that they have forgiven him or her.

Improving Our Teaching

Learn to recognize revelation. Revelation often comes “line upon line” (2 Nephi 28:30), not all at once. As you pray and ponder the scriptures and this outline, you will find that ideas and impressions can come anytime and anywhere—as you travel to work, do household chores, or interact with family and friends.

activity page: Because Jesus died for me, I can be resurrected