New Testament crossword puzzle: Matthew, Mark, and Luke
TL;DR: This page offers a New Testament crossword puzzle based on Matthew, Mark, and Luke—the Synoptic Gospels. Its clues cover important people and events associated with Jesus’ birth, ministry, and crucifixion. The puzzle draws on chapters 20 and 21 of Alex Varughese’s Discovering the Bible.
Conversion of St. Matthew, an oil painting by Giovanni Lanfranco, 1625–1635 |
Image Source
Based on material in chapters 20 and 21 of Discovering the Bible by Alex Varughese
Discovering the Bible
Challenge: Can you solve this puzzle even if you do not have the book by Varughese?
Across
1 -- Disciple who betrayed Jesus and identified Him to those who came to arrest Him
2 -- King of Judea who ordered the killing of the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, hoping to kill the infant Jesus
4 -- Zebedee's son who was one of the Twelve disciples and one of the inner circle
of three at the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane; traditionally identified as the author of the Gospel of John
8 -- Jesus' mother
9 -- The Roman governor who authorized Jesus’ crucifixion even though he believed Jesus was innocent
10 -- A righteous and devout man to whom it had been revealed that he would not
die before he had seen the Christ. At the infant Jesus’ presentation at the Temple, this man said to
God, “My eyes have seen your salvation.”
11 -- The disciple (one of the Twelve) whom Jesus said would deny or disown him
three times; the first disciple to say that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the Christ
Down
1 -- Relative of Jesus who baptized Him in the Jordan River
3 -- The earthly father of Jesus of Nazareth
5 -- The promised Messiah
6 -- One of Zebedee's sons who became one of the Twelve disciples
7 -- Elderly prophetess who was present when Mary and Joseph presented the infant Jesus at the Temple. She spoke about the child to “all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Bible sources for this assignment: Matthew 1–2; Luke 1–2; Mark 1–16
This crossword puzzle was created for use in the course Introduction to Biblical Literature.
The words and clues come from the textbook Discovering the Bible: Story and Faith of the
Biblical Communities, edited by Alex Varughese and published by Beacon Hill Press of
Kansas City, now The Foundry Publishing.
Why are Matthew, Mark, and Luke called the Synoptic Gospels?
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels because they present many of the same events, teachings, and parables from similar perspectives. The word “synoptic” comes from Greek words meaning “to see together.” Although these Gospels share considerable material and may reflect literary interdependence, each writer offers a distinctive presentation of Jesus’ identity, ministry, and message.
