This page gives you questions and leader’s notes for 2 Chronicles 35, the chapter where King Josiah restores the Passover in Jerusalem and then dies in battle at Megiddo. It works for a small group, a Sunday class, or a personal study, and each question points you to specific verses so you can read the text along with the discussion.
2 Chronicles 35 at a Glance
The chapter moves in two halves. In verses 1 to 19, Josiah organizes a Passover of unusual scale, assigning priests and Levites to their duties and supplying large numbers of animals from the king’s own resources. The writer stresses that no Passover like it had been kept since the days of Samuel.
In verses 20 to 27, the mood shifts sharply. Josiah marches against Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo despite a warning that seems to come from God, is mortally wounded by archers, and is mourned across Judah. The chapter ends with a summary of his deeds and a pointer to other records.
Observation Questions
Use these questions first, before anyone offers an opinion. Ask the group to point to the exact words in the text and to resist explaining yet. Let silence sit for a moment, because the best observations often come from the second or third person who speaks.
2 Chronicles 35:1
Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem. They killed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
(WEB)
This opening verse sets the whole chapter in motion by declaring that Josiah kept a Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem. Reading it first helps the group see the feast as the chapter’s central purpose.
2 Chronicles 35:6
Kill the Passover, sanctify yourselves, and prepare for your brothers, to do according to the LORD’s word by Moses.”
(WEB)
Josiah’s command to sanctify yourselves and prepare shows that worship required both obedience and inner readiness. Reading it aloud invites the group to consider what preparation means for them.
2 Chronicles 35:18
There was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet, nor did any of the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept, with the priests, the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
(WEB)
This verse explains why the Passover is remembered so vividly, comparing it to the days of Samuel. Reading it helps people grasp how the writer wanted the feast to be remembered.
2 Chronicles 35:23-24
23 The archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, because I am seriously wounded!” 24 So his servants took him out of the chariot, and put him in the second chariot that he had, and brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
(WEB)
These verses record Josiah’s wounding and death, which give the chapter its sober turn. Reading them together lets the group feel the sudden change from celebration to loss.
2 Chronicles 35:25
Jeremiah lamented for Josiah, and all the singing men and singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day; and they made them an ordinance in Israel. Behold, they are written in the lamentations.
(WEB)
Jeremiah’s lament and the ongoing songs of mourning show how grief became part of the community’s life. Reading this verse closes the narrative with a note of remembrance.
Memory Verse for 2 Chronicles 35
2 Chronicles 35:16
So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the Passover, and to offer burnt offerings on the LORD’s altar, according to the commandment of king Josiah.
(WEB)
This verse sums up how all the service of the LORD was made ready on one day, through careful coordination and shared faithfulness. It is a good verse to carry into any week when many people must work together for a common purpose.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you having read about Josiah, a king who sought to restore your worship with his whole heart and who was mourned by his people when his life ended. We thank you that you value faithfulness in every role, from the king who gives generously to the gatekeepers who keep their posts. Help us to prepare our hearts before we serve you, and to give of what we have for the good of others. Where we have pressed ahead without seeking your counsel, forgive us and lead us back to your word. Teach us to remember those who have gone before us with gratitude, and to live in a way that honors the God they served. Amen.
