John 19:1-42

John tells the Good News about Jesus

Gospel of John

Marion Adams

Chapter 19

Pilate orders his soldiers to whip Jesus 19:1-16

v1 So Pilate ordered his soldiers to whip Jesus. v2 The soldiers took some small branches that had sharp points on them. They made a crown with these branches and they put it on Jesus’ head. They put a purple *robe on him.

v3 They came to him. They were saying, ‘Hail, King of the *Jews!’ (‘Hail’ was a word that people used to greet a ruler.) And they hit him.

v4 Pilate went outside again. He said to the crowd, ‘I will bring Jesus out to you again. Then you will understand that I cannot find any reason to *condemn him.’

v5 Jesus came out. He was wearing the crown of branches that had sharp points and the purple *robe. Pilate said to the crowd, ‘Look! Here is the man!’

v6 The chief priests and guards from the *Temple saw him. They shouted, ‘*Crucify him! *Crucify him!’

Pilate said to them, ‘Then take him! *Crucify him! But I say that he is not guilty!’

v7 The *Jewish leaders answered, ‘But he did not obey our *Jewish *Law! Our *Law says that he should die. This is because he pretended to be the Son of God.’

v8 When Pilate heard this, he became even more afraid. v9 He went back inside the palace.

He asked Jesus, ‘Where are you from?’ But Jesus did not answer.

v10 So Pilate said, ‘You are refusing to speak to me! I have the authority to let you go free. But I also have the authority to order people to *crucify you.’

v11 Jesus answered, ‘Yes, you have power over me. But you only have power because God gave it to you. So the man who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse *sin.’

v12 After Pilate heard this, he really wanted to let Jesus go free. But the *Jewish leaders continued to shout. They told Pilate, ‘If you free this man, you cannot be the *Emperor’s friend! Anybody who calls himself a king is the *Emperor’s enemy!’

v13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. Then Pilate sat on the judge’s seat. This was at a place called the Stone Pavement. (A stone pavement is a level floor that workmen make from small stones.) The name of this place in the *Aramaic language is ‘Gabbatha’. v14 It was the day before the *Sabbath during the *Passover. The time was about the 6th hour.

Pilate said to the crowd, ‘Here is your king.’

v15 They shouted, ‘Take him away! *Crucify him!’

Pilate said, ‘Do you want me to *crucify your king?’

The chief priests answered, ‘The *Emperor is our only king!’

v16 Then Pilate handed Jesus over to them, so that they could *crucify him. And they took Jesus away.

Verses 1-3 The *Romans whipped people to punish them. This was a very cruel punishment, because the *Romans tied sharp pieces of metal to their whips. Some people even died because of their injuries. Perhaps Pilate thought that this punishment would be bad enough to satisfy the *Jewish leaders and the crowd.

But Pilate’s soldiers did more than just whip Jesus. They insulted him, too. They dressed him as a king. Purple was the colour that kings wore. And the crown of branches seemed like a king’s or a god’s crown. This was because kings wore crowns with metal points.

Verses 4-5 In fact, Jesus was God and the king of all. Even then, Jesus was still completely powerful and he had authority over heaven and earth. But as he stood there, he looked completely weak. However, still the *Jewish leaders wanted him to die.

It is difficult for us to understand why God’s Son should allow himself to become so weak. It is difficult to understand why he allowed people to insult him. And he allowed them to hurt him. But the reason is that he loved people so much. This was the only way really to show us his love on our behalf. He had to suffer. And he had to die in order to *save us.

Verse 6 Pilate insisted still that Jesus was not guilty of any crime. He wanted the *Jews to take the blame for Jesus’ death.

The *Jewish leaders then referred to their own laws instead of *Roman law.

Verses 7-8 For the first time, the *Jewish leaders told Pilate that Jesus had claimed to be God’s Son. (To claim means to say that something is true.) This made Pilate afraid. There are two possible reasons for Pilate’s reaction. Perhaps he was afraid that Jesus really was God’s son. And therefore, Jesus could use his special powers against Pilate if Pilate *condemned him. But there is another possible reason for Pilate’s reaction. The *Emperor called himself a son of a god. So it was a serious crime for anybody else to claim to be the son of a god. Perhaps Pilate thought that this was Jesus’ crime. So Pilate needed to ask Jesus more questions. Pilate wanted to know if this was true.

Verse 9 Pilate’s question was very important. Jesus had been born in Bethlehem. He had lived in Nazareth. But, actually, he had come from heaven.

Verses 10-14 But Jesus did not answer the question. He had done *miracles. He had talked much about God, his *Father. He had said that he was the only way to God. So he had already shown where he was from.

Pilate thought that he had complete control over the situation. This was because he could order his soldiers to *crucify Jesus. Or Pilate could let Jesus go free. But, in fact, God was in control of everything that was happening. Jesus knew this. He knew that God had allowed his arrest and his *trial to happen. He also knew that he had to die. He had to die so that he could save us. This was God’s plan. Pilate only had the authority to order Jesus’ death because God had given this authority to him.

Pilate had to make a decision about what would happen to Jesus. He believed that Jesus was innocent. But the *Jewish leaders and the crowd persuaded Pilate to *crucify Jesus. The *Jewish leaders hated Jesus so much that they plotted to kill him. Jesus said that this was an even greater *sin than Pilate’s *sin. However, Pilate could have refused to do what the *Jewish leaders wanted. But he gave in to their demands. So he, too, was responsible for Jesus’ death.

Pilate governed *Judea *province on behalf of the *Emperor. The *Emperor wanted Pilate to keep peace there. The *Emperor could not afford to have large armies in every *province that he ruled. So if anybody opposed *Roman rule, the ruler of that *province had to stop that person immediately. And usually the ruler did this by force. So it was Pilate’s job to keep peace in *Judea. The *Emperor wanted him to do this.

The *Jewish leaders told Pilate that Jesus had opposed the *Emperor. This was because of what Jesus had said. Jesus had said that he was a king. So if Pilate let Jesus go free, he (Pilate) was not loyal to the *Emperor.

Their words frightened Pilate. He was afraid that he might lose his job. The *Emperor might even kill him as punishment.

So Pilate brought Jesus out again, so that he could *judge Jesus in front of them all.

‘The time was about the 6th hour.’ Many Bible teachers think that John means midday. However, Mark 15:25 says that the *crucifixion began at 9 o’clock in the morning. So other Bible teachers think that John means 6 o’clock in the morning here. (That would be *Roman time. See note on John 1:39.)

Verses 15-16 Most of the *Jewish leaders hated the *Romans. They wanted to be free from *Roman rule. But they hated Jesus even more. Although he was their real king and their *Messiah, they *rejected him. They pretended instead that they were loyal to the *Emperor. So, at last, Pilate made his decision. He ordered Jesus’ death.

The *Roman soldiers *crucify Jesus 19:17-27

v17 Jesus carried his *cross to a place called ‘The Place of the Skull’. (The skull is the bone of the head that protects the brain.) This place is called ‘Golgotha’ in the *Aramaic language. v18 They *crucified him there. They also *crucified two other men. They put Jesus on his *cross between the other two men. v19 Pilate wrote a notice and he ordered the soldiers to put it on the *cross above Jesus. The notice said, ‘Jesus from Nazareth, the King of the *Jews’. v20 Pilate wrote the words in *Aramaic, Latin and *Greek. (Latin was the language that the *Romans spoke.) The place where they *crucified Jesus was near to the city. Many of the *Jews read the notice. v21 So the *Jewish chief priests went to Pilate. They said, ‘Change the words on the notice! The notice should not say, “The King of the *Jews”. Instead it ought to say, “Jesus said that he was the King of the *Jews.” ’

v22 Pilate answered, ‘I will not change it! I have written those words. And nobody may change them.’

v23 When the soldiers *crucified Jesus, they took his clothes. They divided the clothes into 4 parts. Each soldier received something. Also they took his *robe. The tailor who made the *robe had used just one piece of cloth. So the material was continuous, from top to bottom.

v24 The soldiers said to each other, ‘We will not tear it apart. Instead, we will gamble to see who will have it.’ (To gamble means to play a game of chance, with money or goods as the prize.)

This happened so that the *prophecy in the *scriptures would become true. It says,

‘They divided my clothes among themselves. And they gambled for my *robe.’

v25 So the soldiers did this.

Meanwhile, Jesus’ mother was standing by the *cross. Her sister was with her. Mary, Clopas’s wife, and Mary (who was from Magdala) were standing there, too. v26 Jesus saw his mother there, with the *disciple whom he loved.

Jesus said to her, ‘This man is your son now.’ v27 And Jesus said to the *disciple, ‘She is now your mother.’

After this, Jesus’ mother lived in this *disciple’s home always.

Verses 17-18 ‘Golgotha’ was probably a hill outside *Jerusalem. It was near a main road. Probably, it got its name because the *Romans *crucified many people there. Or perhaps the hill had the same shape as a skull (the bone of the head that protects the brain.)

The *Romans *crucified many people. It was a common punishment. It was very cruel. The soldiers forced the person to carry his own *cross through the streets. They wanted many people to see this. Such events reminded people how the *Romans punished criminals. And such events warned people not to oppose the *Romans.

The *Romans *crucified people in different ways. Sometimes, they tied the person to the *cross with ropes (very thick string). But they fixed Jesus to his *cross with nails. They hammered the nails through his hands and his feet. Then they lifted the *cross up and they fixed it in the ground.

Verses 19-22 The *Romans often wrote notices that described the person’s crimes. Sometimes, they hung the notice on the person’s neck. But Pilate put the notice on Jesus’ *cross, where everybody could see it. He wrote it in the three main languages, so that everybody could read it.

People think that kings should be strong and powerful. But, on the *cross, Jesus seemed very weak. He seemed to have no power whatever. Most people would think that the notice was a joke or an insult. The *Jewish leaders considered that it was an insult to them, too. But Pilate refused to change the notice. He did not really believe that Jesus was a king. However, although he did not realise it, his notice was true. Jesus really is the King of the *Jews. He is also the King of the *Gentiles. He is, in fact, the King of everybody and everything. And his death and *resurrection ended the devil’s authority over the earth.

Verses 23-25 When the soldiers *crucified Jesus, they took his clothing. This was the custom. They divided it between them. His *robe was the most valuable piece of clothing. It was not easy to tear, because somebody had made it with just one piece of cloth. The tailor (the person who made the *robe) had not sewn two pieces together. So the soldiers played a game to decide which of them should have it. Psalms 22:18, which John recorded in verse 24, was a *prophecy about this. Psalms 22 also contains other *prophecies about Jesus’ death.

Verses 26-27 Often, when people are suffering, they can only think about themselves. Although Jesus was suffering very much, still he thought about his mother. It seems that Mary’s husband, Joseph, had died. Jesus was Mary’s first son. So it was his duty to look after her.

We know that Jesus had brothers (for example, Mark 4:31). However, some *Christians think that this word ‘brothers’ refers instead to Jesus’ cousins. This is because the *Greek word for ‘brothers’ can also mean ‘cousins’. But, at that time, these brothers (or cousins) were not Jesus’ *followers. And it seems that only one *disciple had stayed with Jesus by the *cross. This was probably John (see note on John 13:23-25). Jesus trusted John. So Jesus told John to look after his (Jesus’) mother. And Mary went to live with John, as a member of his family.

This reminds us that all *Christians belong to one family. Therefore we should care about each other. We should love each other like mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers.

Jesus dies 19:28-30

v28 Afterwards, Jesus knew that he had finished his work. He said, ‘I am *thirsty.’ This made the *scripture become true.

v29 There was a bowl there. It had sour wine in it. The soldiers put a sponge in it. They fixed the sponge to a branch of a bush called hyssop. Then they held it up to Jesus’ mouth. (A sponge is material that holds liquid.)

v30 Jesus drank some. Then he said, ‘I have finished my work!’ Then he turned his head down. And he died.

Verse 28 Jesus’ death on the *cross was the most important part of God’s plan to *save people. Jesus knew this. He had done everything necessary to *save us. He knew that soon he would die.

But before he died, he spoke twice. Firstly, he said that he was *thirsty. There are three places in the *Scriptures that could refer to Jesus’ words.

1. Psalms 22:15. This is a reference to physical *thirst.

2. Psalms 69:21. This is a reference to the cheap wine that the soldiers gave to Jesus.

3. Psalms 42:2. This is a reference to *spiritual *thirst. The author wrote that his spirit was *thirsty for God. His spirit needed God like his body needed water.

Perhaps all three verses referred to Jesus’ words. He was physically *thirsty. But all our *sin had separated him from God. So his spirit was *thirsty for God, too.

Verses 29-30 The soldiers had cheap wine to drink while they were on duty. They gave some of it to Jesus.

‘I have finished my work!’ (verse 30). Jesus was speaking about all the work that he had come to do on the earth. These words are the translation of just one *Greek word. People wrote this word on a bill to show that somebody had paid it completely. Jesus had paid the price for the *sins of everybody in the world, past, present, and future. Before this, people had to *sacrifice animals. This was the only way to pay for *sins, so that God could forgive them. Then the people were *clean again and they could come to him. However, every time that they *sinned, they had to *sacrifice another animal.

But Jesus paid the full price for all *sins. We do not need to *sacrifice animals. Jesus became the only *sacrifice that we need. God will forgive everybody who *believes in Jesus. Although we may *sin again and again, he can forgive us. We must tell him that we have done wrong things. We must say that we are sorry. We must *repent. If we do all this, God will forgive us. Jesus has taken the punishment that we should have. His death has *saved us.

A person who was hanging on a *cross died very slowly. In the end, the body would sink down and the person would be unable to breathe. When Jesus turned his head down, he would not be able to continue to breathe. At that moment, Jesus had finished his work on earth. John was present at the *cross and he saw these things. Perhaps, at that moment, John realised that Jesus was ready to die.

Blood and water flow from Jesus’ body 19:31-37

v31 The *Jewish leaders did not want Jesus and the other men to remain on their *crosses until the next day. This was because the next day was very special. It was both the *Sabbath and the *Passover. So they asked Pilate to order his soldiers to break the men’s legs. Then they could take the bodies down from the *crosses. v32 So the soldiers came. They broke the legs of the two men whom they had *crucified next to Jesus. v33 But when they came to Jesus, they did not break his legs. They could see that he was already dead. v34 Instead, a soldier stuck his spear into the side of Jesus’ body. (A spear is a pole with a sharp metal point on it.) Blood and water flowed out. v35 (This is the report of a witness to these events. His report is true. He knows that he is telling the truth. He says this so that you, too, can believe it.)

v36 All this happened so that the *prophecies in the *scriptures would be true. The *scriptures say, ‘They will not break any of his bones.’ v37 The *scriptures also say, ‘They will see the man whose body they cut open.’

Verse 31 The *Law did not allow the *Jews to let a dead body hang upon a *cross for more than a day (Deuteronomy 21:23). Also, the *Law did not allow them to work on the *Sabbath. The *Sabbath started on Friday evening, after it became dark. It was ‘work’ to take the dead bodies away. So the *Jewish leaders wanted to take the bodies away before evening.

When the *Romans *crucified a person, they put a piece of wood on the *cross, under the person’s feet. The *Romans did not want a criminal to die quickly. Because of this piece of wood, criminals would suffer for a long time before they died. They could support their own weight if they pushed up with their feet. This helped them to breathe. If they could not support themselves, the weight of their body made it very difficult to breathe. So, to make them die quickly, the *Romans would break their legs.

Verses 32-33 The soldiers did this to the two men whom they had *crucified with Jesus. But they realised that Jesus was already dead. They knew this immediately, because they had probably seen many dead bodies. So they did not break his legs.

When the *Jews *sacrificed *lambs at the *Passover, the *Law did not allow them to break any bones (Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12). Jesus was the final *sacrifice for everybody’s *sins. He was called God’s *lamb. (See John 1:29.) The author John wanted to emphasise this. He also referred to two verses in the *scriptures which were *prophecies about Jesus’ death. The first one was Psalms 34:20 and the second one was Zechariah 12:10.

Verse 34 There are medical reasons why blood and water flowed from Jesus’ body. Many experts agree about the reasons for this. This would happen to a person who had died on a *cross. But it happened only after the person had died.

Some people say that Jesus was not really dead. They say that he had only become unconscious. (‘Unconscious’ means alive, but unaware; like someone who sleeps.) And he had woken up when he was in the grave. But the blood and the water were medical evidence that he was really dead. And somebody was actually a witness of this fact. Many people think that this person was the author John.

However, John also wanted his readers to understand the *spiritual meaning of these real, physical events. Jesus’ blood poured out so that we could receive God’s *salvation. In order that God will forgive us, we cannot have a *sacrifice without blood (Hebrews 9:22). The water reminds us about the new *life that Jesus offers to us. This new *life is possible only because Jesus *sacrificed his own life on our behalf.

Joseph from Arimathea and Nicodemus put Jesus’ body in a grave 19:38-42

v38 Afterwards, Joseph from Arimathea asked Pilate if he could take away Jesus’ body. (Joseph was one of Jesus’ *disciples. But this was secret, because Joseph was afraid of the *Jewish leaders.) Pilate allowed Joseph to take away Jesus’ body. So Joseph took it down from the *cross.

v39 Nicodemus went with Joseph. (Nicodemus was the man who had visited Jesus at night.) Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes (natural substances that people used to put on dead bodies). The mixture weighed about 30 kilos (75 pounds). v40 The two men wrapped Jesus’ body in linen cloth with the myrrh and aloes. (Linen is a type of cloth.) These are the customs of the *Jews when they place a dead body in a grave.

v41 There was a garden in the place where Jesus had died. There was a new grave in this garden. Nobody had ever used it. v42 It was nearly the *Sabbath and the grave was near to them. So they put Jesus’ body there.

Verse 38 Joseph from Arimathea (a town) and Nicodemus were both *Jewish leaders. Joseph could ask Pilate for Jesus’ body because he (Joseph) was an important man. Both men were *followers of Jesus. But they had followed him secretly. They had not followed him in public. This is the first reference to Joseph from Arimathea in this *Gospel. But John recorded Jesus’ long conversation with Nicodemus at night. Jesus talked about new birth and *eternal life (John 3:1-21). John mentioned Nicodemus again in John 7:50-51.

Verses 39-41 Myrrh and aloes were two kinds of spices. Spices were natural substances that people got from plants. They had a good smell. The *Jews put them on dead bodies to stop the bad smell of the bodies. Spices were very expensive. Nicodemus brought 30 kilos, which was a very large amount. Such a large quantity of spices would be extremely expensive. It was the amount that people used on a king. Nicodemus considered that Jesus was a king. So Nicodemus brought these expensive spices to prove this. He wanted to give Jesus the honour that a king deserves.

*Jewish graves were caves. People cut these caves out of rocks. The caves were big enough for two people to walk inside. People put the dead body on a shelf in the cave, after they had wrapped it in cloths.

It was hard work to build a grave like this. And it was expensive. So people would use the same grave several times. After they had put a body inside, they rolled a large rock across the entrance. This rock would make sure that thieves could not enter the grave. And the rock also kept the bad smell inside (see John 11:38-39).

But Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus put Jesus’ body into a new grave. Nobody had used it yet. It belonged to Joseph himself (Matthew 27:59-60). Joseph wanted to show that he, too, respected Jesus greatly.

Verse 42 Joseph and Nicodemus had to finish their work quickly. It was nearly evening, at the start of the *Sabbath.

robe ~ a long, loose piece of clothing.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
condemn ~ to decide that someone is guilty and that the guilty person should suffer punishment.
temple ~ a building where people went to worship God. Jesus referred to his body as a temple. This was because God was living among people in his Son, Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
crucify ~ to kill a person by means of a cross. The Romans often crucified people as a punishment.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. Roman soldiers fixed people to crosses in order to kill those people as a punishment. Jesus died on a cross. The cross is now the sign of the Christian church.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the Jews.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
crucify ~ to kill a person by means of a cross. The Romans often crucified people as a punishment.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. Roman soldiers fixed people to crosses in order to kill those people as a punishment. Jesus died on a cross. The cross is now the sign of the Christian church.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Aramaic ~ the language that Jesus and many Jews spoke. When they wrote, usually they used Hebrew.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Hebrew ~ the language of the Jews. The Jews wrote in Hebrew.
Sabbath ~ the Sabbath was Saturday; the 7th day of the week which is special to the Jews. It was the day when the people had to rest from work (Exodus 20:8-11).
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Passover ~ an important holy day for the Jews. They eat a special meal on this day every year. This is to remember that God freed them. Before God freed them, they were slaves in the country called Egypt. This happened at the time of Moses. So Passover became an important holiday. At the time of Jesus, the Jews came to Jerusalem to pray in the Temple. And families shared a special meal together.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
temple ~ a building where people went to worship God. Jesus referred to his body as a temple. This was because God was living among people in his Son, Jesus.
Temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews went to worship God.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
worship ~ to give thanks and honour to God and Jesus. To show to him that we love him very much.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
save ~ to rescue from the results of sin.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
miracle ~ wonderful works that only God can do by his power. A wonderful event that shows that a person’s message is from God.
Father ~ God. Jesus taught us to call God ‘Father’. All Christians are God’s children.
father ~ someone whom a person respects and follows; an ancestor. The Jewish leaders said that Abraham was their father. But Jesus said that the devil was their father, instead!
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
ancestor ~ person in the past from whom one’s parents came.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
trial ~ the time when a prisoner is in court. The people there decide whether the person is guilty of a crime.
Judea ~ the country where the Jews lived. Judea is a Greek and Roman name for the southern kingdom that is also called Judah. It is the region south of Samaria. Jerusalem was in Judea.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Greek ~ a person from Greece; the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Samaria ~ region between Galilee and Judea.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Galilee ~ an area and a large lake in northern Israel. The home area of Jesus and several of his disciples.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
province ~ a region that the Romans governed. The Romans divided the countries that they ruled into provinces.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
judge ~ to decide whether a person is guilty, usually in a court of law.
crucifixion ~ when they killed someone on a cross.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. Roman soldiers fixed people to crosses in order to kill those people as a punishment. Jesus died on a cross. The cross is now the sign of the Christian church.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Messiah ~ the Jews’ name for the special servant of God. It means the person whom God sent to save people from the results of their sins. Jesus is the Messiah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
reject ~ not to accept or not to believe in someone or something.
cross ~ two pieces of wood that someone has fixed together. Roman soldiers fixed people to crosses in order to kill those people as a punishment. Jesus died on a cross. The cross is now the sign of the Christian church.
Roman ~ a person from Rome. Rome was an important city. The Emperor and the government lived in Rome. Roman describes everything that belonged to Rome.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Emperor ~ the chief Roman ruler.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Greek ~ a person from Greece; the language in which the authors wrote the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.

'prophecy/prophecies ~ the words that a prophet speaks or writes by God’s power. Often, they tell about events before they happen.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the Jewish *scriptures. The writers wrote this before the birth of Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jerusalem ~ the capital city of Israel. It was the place where Israel’s early kings ruled. Later, the kings of the southern kingdom called Judah ruled in Jerusalem.
Israel ~ name of the land that God gave to Jacob (who is also called Israel) and his sons (Genesis chapter 35). Also refers to the Jews, the group of people whom God chose to belong to him in a special way.
kingdom ~ a place or country that a king rules. God’s kingdom is where God rules. God is the king of all Christians and all Christians are in his kingdom.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Gentile ~ any person who is not a Jew.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
resurrection ~ to come back to life after death.'prophecy/prophecies ~ the words that a prophet speaks or writes by God’s power. Often, they tell about events before they happen.
prophet ~ a person who hears God’s words and tells them to other people. Some prophets wrote books in the Old Testament. Sometimes, they told about events before they happened.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible; the Jewish *scriptures. The writers wrote this before the birth of Jesus.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
follower ~ a person who accepts another person as their guide and their teacher; like a disciple.
disciple ~ a person who wants to do the same things as another person and to learn from them. Jesus had disciples. John the Baptist had disciples, too.
Baptist ~ a person who baptises people.

baptise/baptism ~ to put a person into water, or to put water on a person; it is to show that the person wants to obey God. Christians receive baptism as a sign that they want to follow Jesus.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.

'thirst/thirsty ~ when someone wants or needs a drink.'thirst/thirsty ~ when someone wants or needs a drink.
spiritual ~ something that belongs to the spirit rather than to physical things.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or a gift to thank him for something. The Jews killed animals as sacrifices. This word also means to make a sacrifice.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
clean ~ in the Jewish religion this means something or someone that God accepts.
Jewish ~ the word that describes a Jew or anything that belongs to the Jews. The ‘Jewish leaders’ were a group of important Jews who lived in Judah.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
repent ~ to decide not to do bad things that you did before. To decide to do what God wants.
lamb ~ a young sheep. The Jews sacrificed lambs. Jesus is called the ‘Lamb of God’ because he died on our behalf. He did this so that God could forgive our sins.
Jew ~ a person who is born from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (see the Book of Genesis); a person who follows the religion of the Jews.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or a gift to thank him for something. The Jews killed animals as sacrifices. This word also means to make a sacrifice.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
salvation ~ when God rescues us from the power and the results of our sins.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
life ~ the quality that a person has, because that person is alive. In John’s Gospel, it means to be completely alive in our spirits. When we *believe in Jesus, we receive this life as a special gift. When we have this life, we can live to please God. It is the best way to live.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.
Gospel ~ one of the 4 books at the beginning of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They record Jesus’ life.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus on the earth. It is about the things that Jesus did. And it is about the things that he taught. It is also about the church and what Christians should believe.
church ~ (1) All Christians everywhere. (2) The members of a local group of Christians.
Christian ~ a person who *believes in Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.
Saviour ~ someone who will bring us back to God from the bad things that we have done. Jesus is the only person who can save us from the results of our sins. However, sometimes people used the word ‘Saviour’ as a title (name) for rulers or false gods.
Lord ~ the name for God or Jesus in the Bible. It means that he is above all other things.
sin ~ not to obey God. Sins are the wrong things (or evil deeds) that we do against God and other people.