Jesus gave up His life to provide salvation to all who repent of their sin.

Scripture: Luke 23:32-49 

Central Truth

Even in His pain, Jesus fixed His mind on His purpose of saving us from our sin. Jesus’s love for God and humanity—even the people putting Him to death—was at the center of His life and His death.

Key Question

What do Jesus’s actions on the cross show about His love for us?

Keep in Mind

Students may have additional questions about the conversation between Jesus and the repentant criminal. They may ask such questions as: “Was he truly saved?” They may struggle with the fact that this man had no time to truly prove his intentions. But this is a great moment to teach students a valuable truth: salvation doesn’t depend on us, our work, or our goodness. Our salvation isn’t found in a list of rules or steps. Our salvation is a gift from God, and it’s a reflection of the posture of our hearts. This criminal’s heart posture was simple: he recognized Jesus as the Son of God, and he asked Jesus to save him. We sometimes overcomplicate this with our students. But the gift of salvation is simple: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13). 

APPLICATION

Jesus entrusted Himself to God in His most painful moment. When have you struggled to entrust a situation to God?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: We must remember God is trustworthy in all situations—even in sickness, pain, and loss. God’s character is good, holy, compassionate, loving, and so much more. Our students can trust God with their difficult situations because He is faithful to care for them. 

FOR THE LEADER: We can fall into a trap of limiting what type of students God is capable of saving or using in His kingdom. We have to stay centered on this truth: God came to save us, and He places no limits on this gift. This will help us continue to minister to all students, knowing they aren’t out of God’s reach.