March 29 2026, Sunday School Lesson

Jesus Bears God’s Wrath

Lesson Text: Mark 15:16-39

Related Scriptures: Psalm 22:1-24; Isaiah 53:4-12; Leviticus 16:1-34; Hebrews 9:1-14; 10:19-25

TIME: between A.D. 26 AND 30

PLACE: Jerusalem

Golden Text – “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom” (Mark 15:37-38)

INTRODUCTION

When Jesu suffered on the cross, it was no accident of history. Three times on His way to Jerusalem, He explained that He was going to Jerusalem to be give over to be killed (Mark 8:31-33; 9:30-37; 10:32-34).

Jesus’ suffering was a fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies. As the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53), He suffered and died for the sins of His enemies, praying for them even as they mocked Him. God had determined to provide salvation through the cross in the eternity past.

Although Jesus was mocked and ridiculed for His claims of kingship, He truly is the King over all. Nevertheless, Christ suffered and died, bearing the wrath of God for the sins of the world. In doing so, He provided redemptions for all people suffering in the lostness of sin.

Through His death, Jesus inaugurated a kingdom where service and sacrifice are the true marks of leadership. His suffering opened a way for the divine reconciliation of sinners so that they may become friends of God.

LESSON OUTLINE

1. THE MOCKERY AND HUMILIATION OF JESUS – Mark 15:16-20

2. THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS - Mark 15:21-32

3. THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS – Mark 15:33-39

QUESTIONS

1. Why did the Romans soldiers put Jesus in a purple robe and give Him a crown of thorns?

2. How did we know Jesus’ death at the hands of the Romans was not an accident?

3. Why did Isaiah 53 say the Suffering Servant would suffer?

4. How did the location of Golgotha fulfill Old Testament prophecy?

5. Why was it important that Jesus suffered between two criminals?

6. What was ironic about the Jewish leaders’ taunt of Jesus?

7. What did Jesus accomplish on the cross?

8. What was the meaning of the darkness over the land?

9. What was the significance of the curtain being town in two?

10. How is the centurion’s declaration significant?

ANSWERS

1. The Roman soldiers’ actions toward Jesus were intended to degrade and humiliate Him. They clothed Him in a purple robe, placed a crown of thorns on His head, and mocked Him as the “King of the Jews.” In addition to the physical abuse, the mockery was also an insult to His identity and mission. The purple robe was a parody of royal attire, and the crown of thorns was a cruel inversion of a monarch’s crown, causing physical pain and demeaning His kingship.

2. While intended to demean, the soldiers’ actions unwittingly fulfilled Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah’s suffering (Isa. 50:6; Ps. 22:7-8). These prophecies foretold that the Messiah would be despised, rejected, and suffer for the sins of the people.

3. Jesus’ experience of suffering and beating is a direct fulfillment of these prophecies, confirming Him as the promised Messiah who would suffer for the people’s sins.

4. This location was likely named for its bare, skull-like appearance. The specific mention of Golgotha places Jesus’ death in a precise geographical and historical context, grounding the event in history and fulfilling the Messiah’s call to suffer outside the city gates (Heb. 13:11-12).

5. At Golgotha, Jesus was crucified between two criminals, fulfilling the prophecy that He would be counted among the transgressor (Isa. 53:12). This position highlighted the stark contrast between the sinless nature of Jesus and the guild of humanity. Despite His innocence, Jesus willingly submitted to a death reserved for the worst of criminals, signifying His complete identification with humanity’s sinfulness and His ultimate sacrifice for our redemptions.

6. There is an irony in the religious leaders’ taunt. Their challenge to Jesus to save Himself and come down from the cross revealed their misunderstanding of His mission. Jesus saved others by not coming down from the cross.

7. Through His suffering Jesus absorbed the wrath of God for humanity’s sin, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin. The punishment we would have to receive if we paid for our own sins. Yet He endured the punishment for us.

8. This darkness was both literal and symbolic, representing God’s judgment on sin. The physical darkness mirrored the spiritual darkness of humaniity’s sin and the judgment it incurs. It was a tangible sign of the cosmic significance of Jesus’ sacrifice, bearing the weight of sin, which separates us from the Father.

9. Immediately following Jesus’ death, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. That event is rich in symbolism, signifying the end of the old covenant and the establishment of a new way to God through Jesus Christ. The tearing of the curtain, which separated the Holy of Holies – a place where only the high priest could enter once a year – symbolized the removal of the barrier between God and humanity. Through Jesus’ sacrifice all people can have direct access to God through Him, abolishing the need for earthly mediators.

10. This confession from a Gentile highlights the inclusiveness of the gospel, which is not limited to a specific people but is available to all humanity. The centurions’ acknowledgment of Jesus’ divine identity, in the wake of His sacrificial death, invites us to consider our response to Jesus. Do we recognize Him as the Son of God and the Savior of the world? If we were standing there, would we have acknowledged Him ams God’s Son?