We are thinking about Easter. By the end of his life, Jesus knew that his enemies – the chief priests and religious leaders – were determined to kill him. He was preparing to go into Jerusalem because it was the time of the Passover festival.
Jesus sent two of his disciples to find a donkey. They brought the donkey to Jesus, put some clothes on the donkey’s back and helped Jesus get on. As Jesus rode along, the people spread clothes on the road in front of him and waved palm leaves.
Every year Jewish people celebrated the time when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and held a special Passover meal. Jesus made plans to have a special meal with his disciples. Jesus took some bread in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broke the bread and handed it out saying. ‘This is my body, which is given for you, eat this as a way of remembering me.’ Then he took a cup of wine in his hands and said ‘This is my blood. It is poured out for you and with it, God makes his new agreement.’ He was talking about his body being crucified. Jesus looked around the table and said, ‘The person who will betray me is here at the table with me!’
After the meal he went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, to a garden called Gethsemane where he prayed and an angel from heaven came to strengthen him. Suddenly there was loud banging and shouting. A band of armed men led by Judas had come to arrest him. Jesus was unfairly trialled and was sent to be crucified at a place called Calvary.
Around noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon. The sun stopped shining and the curtain in the temple split down the middle. No human being could have done it. Then Jesus died.
The women who cared for Jesus followed Joseph of Arimathea who took Jesus’ body and placed it in the tomb.
Two days later they returned to the tomb carrying spices to put under the grave clothes. A heavy stone had been placed to block the entrance of the tomb but when the women got there the stone was rolled away. They went into the tomb, but the body of Jesus was gone! Two angels appeared and told the women some marvellous news. Jesus had risen from the dead!
More about Jesus’ resurrection next month.