March 22, 2026

Richard White, Pastor

Luke 23:44-46; Matthew 27:48-54

The Depths of Hope

1. What are some practical ways the seven words of Christ from the cross can shape and build our faith?  Review them together.
2. What do the supernatural signs (darkness, torn temple curtain, earthquake, opened tombs) tell us about the significance of Jesus’ death (and Heaven’s response?)
3. The tearing of the temple curtain symbolizes access to God. How does this image reshape the way you think about prayer, forgiveness, or approaching God today? (Heb. 4:14-16)
4. Matthew describes tombs opening and holy people being raised. How do these surprising and mysterious details expand our understanding of what Jesus’ death accomplished?
5. If you had to explain the gospel to an unbeliever, using only these two passages above, what themes would you highlight?
6. Jesus prayed: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” What does this reveal about His trust in God at the moment of death, and how might that shape your understanding as you think about your own death? 
7. How does Jesus’ cry give you hope in both death and in life?
8. Read through Psalm 31 if you have time. Most likely Jesus was meditating on this whole Psalm as he was dying. What other aspects of this Psalm fit with Jesus’ experience on the cross?  What do you make of it that Scripture was on his lips as he died? What does this speak to you about God’s word in your life?