📖 From the Bible
A Roman officer was standing right in front of the cross. He saw how Jesus died. He said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
When the centurion, who stood by opposite him, saw that he cried out like this and breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
This is how we tell this passage to kids. The exact words of the Bible are under “As it is in the Bible”.
Mark 15:39 · Scripture: World English Bible Updated (public domain)
Somebody laughs at you at recess. Other kids start to join in. You wish the ground would swallow you up. Jesus went through something like that, only much worse. A whole group of soldiers laughed at Him.
Roman soldiers took Jesus into a courtyard and called all their friends over. They turned Him into a game. They put a dark red cloak on Him, the kind kings wore. They twisted thorny branches into a crown and put it on His head. Then they bowed down and shouted, “Hail, King of the Jews!” It was all pretend. They wanted Him to look silly. Strange kind of king, right? When they got tired of the game, they took the cloak off and put His own clothes back on Him.
Then they led Jesus up a hill and put Him on a cross. Above His head they hung a sign that said, “THE KING OF THE JEWS.” People walking by shouted that He should “come down from the cross!” Jesus didn’t come down. He didn’t answer the insults. He didn’t want to win by being strong. He chose a different way: He gave His life for people.
A Roman officer, called a centurion, stood right in front of the cross. That means he was in charge of a hundred soldiers. He had seen everything from the start. He could have laughed with the others. But when Jesus died, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” He saw something nobody else noticed. He saw a real king. Not the kind who rules by scaring people, but the kind who helps. That matters. The one everybody laughed at was the real king. And a real king doesn’t have to prove anything to anybody.
Did you know?
In Rome, when someone became emperor, it all followed a plan. Soldiers gathered. The new ruler got a cloak and a wreath. Everyone shouted in his honor, and then a parade went up a hill. Mark, the man who wrote this part of the Bible, told Jesus’ story in the same steps, one by one. People in Rome understood that right away. Mark was telling them: this is a real crowning, but of a king who wins with love.
Look at Jesus
Jesus could have come down from the cross. He didn’t, because He chose love over strength. He gave His life for us. And the story doesn’t end there: Jesus is alive! The one people laughed at is the real King, and He’s with you right now, even on the days when somebody is laughing at you.
What about you?
When someone laughs at you, you don’t have to answer the same way. Take a breath. Think: what others say doesn’t decide who I am. Jesus knows what it feels like when someone makes a joke out of you. Today, look around your class. If someone is being laughed at, sit next to them or say something kind. Sometimes that’s enough.
Let’s talk about it
- How do you feel when someone laughs at you?
- What did the soldiers shout at Jesus, pretending He was a king?
- Who around you is sometimes alone because other kids laugh at them?
Today’s challenge
Today, say one kind sentence to someone other kids sometimes joke about. Or sit next to them at recess.
Prayer
Jesus, You know what it’s like when someone makes fun of You. Help me not to laugh at other people, and to stay close to those who feel hurt. Amen.
Tap when you have prayed.