Hello everyone! You may think this is a chain mail or la-di-da how's it going email. But it is not. (This is a long email) As some of you may know, Easter is this Sunday. No, it is not about a little bunny that comes in the night to give you candy. It is about the death of Jesus Christ. (I may add somethings you would not expect a 10 year old girl to say because some things may sound violent but it is the truth.) I will start from the beginning. Yesterday was the beginning of a Jewish tradition called Passover. At that time Jesus knew he was going to die. He was only about thirty years old at this time. After his death they started calling it the last supper.
So Jesus sat down with his twelve disciples and three of them were Peter, John, and Judas. "When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. 21And while they were eating, he said, 'I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.' Matthew 26:20-21 "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples saying, 'Take this and eat; this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. 28This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'" Matthew 26:26-28.
Now yes one of his disciples did betray him. It was Judas. In the late night/early morning Judas went to the chief priests and greed took a hold of him. He told the chief priests where Jesus was. And in reward he got 30 pieces of silver.
Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane. "Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'40Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. 'Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?' he asked Peter. 41'Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak'
42He went away a second time and prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.'
43When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing." Matthew 26:32-44.
When Jesus was done praying the chief priests' soldiers had come to take Jesus away and as they were fighting John went and ran to Mary Magdaline and Mary (Jesus' earth mother). John told them what was happening to Jesus.
While John was away, as I told you the soldiers and the two left of Jesus' disciples were fighting for Jesus. (He only took three disciples with him.) Now Peter had a sword and Jesus said "drop it". So Peter did as told. Now the soldiers accidentally sliced off one of their partner's ears. The soldiers was so in shock when Jesus came he was like whoa it is impossible to put my ear back on. But Jesus picked up his ear and placed on the bloody spot where it had sliced off and he had been healed by the power of God.
So the soldiers had Jesus tied up and started beating him with fists as he was taken away.
Judas felt so bad about betraying Jesus he tried to return the pieces of silver to let Jesus go but the would not take it back so Judas left the pieces there. Judas left town and the guilt killed him. I mean actually killed him. He hung himself up on a tree and died. See greed and guilt can kill a man.
They took Jesus to the chief priests and asked him questions but Jesus would not answer but they all started beating him because he would not answer. People around him started saying he brought the dead back to life, healed the paralyzed, and healed the sick with the help of demons. He did but not with demons but with God. But then the chief priest said let him speak. But Jesus would not speak.
They all took him to Pilate the Roman governor. Pilate questioned Jesus in secret. He could not find anything wrong with him. So Pilate took him back out and said there is nothing wrong with him. But he is a Galilean so he is under Harod's control..
Now they took him to Harod and same thing happened but Harod didn't want to deal with him so they took him back to Pilate.
"So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, 'Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?'" Matthew 27:17 They all chose Barabbas to set free even though Barabbas was a horrible criminal. Pilate didn't want to kill Jesus. But they all said to crucify him. So he did as they wish so they would not start a riot.They beat Jesus so badly he couldn't very much stand up. Then they made him a crown of thorns and started mocking him because people say he calls himself "The King of the Jews." They pushed the crown so hard into his head.
The next day Jesus had to carry his cross to the Crucifixion ground which was a long way to walk. A man either offered or was forced to help carry Jesus' cross because Jesus was so weak.
Once they got there, the Romans nailed Jesus' hands and feet to the cross. Then they stood him up. "Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40and saying, 'You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!'"
"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?'—which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" Matthew 27:46. Usually crucified people stay on the cross for weeks but Jesus only stayed up for a few hours alive.
Then a storm approached and a big earthquake happened to show he was dead but the Romans didn't know it. They knew Jesus was dead but stabbed him to make sure.
They put him in a tomb with soldiers guarding it but three days later "angels" (they were invisible) pushed away the rock and Jesus arose from the dead. Jesus gave one last teaching to his disciples and went to heaven.
Jesus died for all of our sins for example cussing, lying, stealing, witchcraft, etc. He died for the sins of the past, present, and future. He died for you and me. Pass this on to share the true story of Easter with friends if you would like.
P.S. Today is Good Friday. It is the day Jesus got hung on the cross and died.
-Jordanne Hamilton
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son,
that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16
