Peace Through His Death

Based on Luke 22:3-6, 23:21, 32-56; Matthew 26:45-67, 27:11, 26

The religious leaders became more and more angry with the teachings and actions of Jesus, and more and more jealous of his following. They plotted, along with one of Jesus’ closest followers, to have him arrested.

One night Jesus was in a garden praying with his followers, and a mob of people led by his betrayer, armed with swords and clubs, grabbed Jesus and arrested him. All his closest followers deserted him and fled. Jesus was taken in to the authorities. There they asked him, “Are you the Promised Savior?” Jesus replied, “Yes.” The people began shouting, “Kill him! Kill him!”

Finally the governor sentenced Jesus to die. The soldiers took Jesus and whipped him with a lead tipped whip, and led him to the place of execution. There they nailed him to a cross made of two planks of wood. And he was raised up—on his right a criminal on his left a criminal. The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Promised Savior.”

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Promised Savior, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me.” And Jesus replied, “I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. The light from the sun was gone. Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he died.

A friend of Jesus’ went to the governor and asked for Jesus’ body. He took the body down from the cross (the planks of wood) and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. This was done late on Friday afternoon.

As Jesus’ body was taken away, the women who had been his followers followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. A huge stone was placed in front of the entrance of the tomb. Then they went home and prepared spices to prepare his body for burial according to their custom. But by the time they were finished, their religious day of rest had begun, so they were required by their religious laws to wait until after the day of rest was over before they could go back to the tomb.

Drawing Elements: Garden, Followers, Arrested/whipped, Tomb, Jesus, People

peacethroughdeath

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