During the Last Supper, Jesus was with His twelve disciples. He broke bread and used it as a symbol of His body. He then took a cup of wine and clarified that it was His blood which ratified His New Covenant with us. His blood was shed for everyone in order to forgive their sins. In the Last Supper, He was foretelling His death in which He took on the sins of the world and redeemed us.
Later Jesus went to the garden of Gethsemane and prayed to God. He prayed that the burden of the sins of the world, which was meant to condemn us to an eternal Hell, would be taken away from Him. Jesus knew that God would do what was best for us, even if that meant sacrificing His one and only Son. Grief and anguish came over Jesus. He then notified Peter and the two sons of Zebedee that His time had come.
Judas, the betrayer, came with a large group of men, including chief priests and elders, all carrying swords and clubs. Judas came to Jesus and kissed Him, which was his sign to the officials to arrest Jesus. Jesus still called Judas a friend, a title Judas did not deserve. Then Jesus was arrested.
Those who had seized Jesus led Him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. The chief priests and the whole council were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they might put Him to death. Naturally, they found no false testimony against Him. Then the high priest interrogated Jesus, “Are you the Christ? The Son of God?” Jesus answered, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of Heaven.” The high priest considered what Jesus said as blasphemy and condemned Jesus to death. The high priest and the whole counsel spat in Jesus face and struck Him.
When morning came, Jesus was delivered to the Pilate in chains. The governor asked Him ”Are you the King of Jews?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
The Bible states that there was a custom at Passover that allowed the Roman governor to release a prisoner of the crowd’s choice. At that time, people could choose either Jesus or Barabbas. Barabbas was a notorious prisoner. The people chose Barabbas to be released because the chief priests and elders had persuaded the people for Barabbas. The envious priests and elders desired to kill Jesus.
The soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters and they gathered the whole battalion before Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. Twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head and put a reed in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they mocked him saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on Him and took the reed and struck Him on the head. They stripped Him of His robe and put His own clothes on Him, leading Him away to crucify Him.
Jesus was crucified at a spot outside Jerusalem called Golgotha, which in Aramaic means ‘place of a skull.’ The Latin word for skull is calvaria so many Christians refer to the site of the crucifixion as Calvary. Before He died, Jesus cried loudly, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Do you know why He said those words? When we sin, we are separated from God. Since Jesus took our sins, He had to be separated from God also. Because we have to be made clean to be with God, Jesus had to take our sins upon Himself and that made Him unclean. Before His last breath, Jesus said, “It is finished!” He had accomplished what He came to do.
Based on the Gregorian calendar, Friday (Passover day) he was in the tomb. During sundown, he died. On Saturday, (Sabbath day) he stayed in the tomb. On Sunday, He rose from the dead. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make people from all nations into disciples, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember! I will be with you always, until the end of the age.”
This is what Easter is about. The celebration of the last days of Jesus Christ, who died the death we deserved because of His ceaseless love for us. He felt sadness, anger, grief, and pain, just like us. He chose to be with us and to redeem us, and will remain with us to the end of the age.
(This post is based on the books of Matthew and John and help from my friends and family. All references are based on the Compete Jewish Bible and English Standard Version 2016.)
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