Mark 15 · Grade 4
The King of the Jews
Read and Think
At dawn the chief priests bound Jesus and handed Him to Pilate. Pilate asked, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "So you say." To the many accusations He gave no answer, and Pilate marveled. Pilate knew the priests had handed Him over because of envy. He offered to release Jesus, but the crowd, stirred up by the priests, chose Barabbas and shouted, "Crucify him!"
Wishing to please the crowd, Pilate had Jesus flogged and handed Him over. Soldiers clothed Him in purple, pressed a crown of thorns on His head, and mocked Him. Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry His cross to Golgotha. They crucified Him at the third hour; the sign read "THE KING OF THE JEWS." Passersby and leaders mocked, saying He saved others but could not save Himself.
From noon to three o'clock darkness covered the land. Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Then He cried with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. The temple veil tore from top to bottom. The centurion said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" Women who followed Him watched. Joseph of Arimathea boldly asked for the body and laid it in a rock tomb. But this was not the end. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead! (Mark 16)
Show What You Know
Why had the chief priests handed Jesus over, according to Pilate?
What did the sign on the cross say?
What did Jesus cry out from the cross?
Who confessed Jesus as the Son of God?
Word Bank Fill-In
Use the word bank to fill in each blank.
- At dawn the chief priests bound Jesus and handed Him to .
- Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry His to Golgotha.
- The temple tore from top to bottom.
- Joseph of Arimathea boldly asked for the body and laid it in a rock .
Think About It
Jesus did not defend Himself before Pilate. Why do you think He stayed silent?
Joseph of Arimathea acted boldly for Jesus. When might you need courage to show you belong to Jesus?
Memory Verse
“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!””
Mark 15:39 (WEB)
Copy It
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for this Bible story. Help me to . Amen.
Take It Home
For families: talk about these together.
- How can you stay calm when people say unfair things?
- What does it mean that Jesus died in our place?
Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.