Disclaimer... This message was created directly out of the Story. (Matthew 26:36-28:10)
Video.... Risen Easter Worship Intro
Prayer
Slide #1
Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane and said to them.
“Sit here while I go over there and pray”.
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with Him, and He began to be sorrowful and troubled.
Then He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and Keep watch with me.”
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.”
Then He turned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” He asked Peter.
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Jesus went away a second time to pray, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”
An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
Slide #2
When He came back, He again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.
So He left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people.
Jesus knowing all that was going to happen to Him...went out and asked them, “Who is it you want”
“Jesus of Nazareth” they replied.
“I am He,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them).
When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Again He asked them, “Who is it you want?” “Jesus of Nazareth” they said.
Again Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He...If you are looking for me, then let these men go.”
This all happened so that the words He had spoken would be fulfilled.
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priests servant, cutting off his right ear.
Jesus then commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
And Jesus touched the man’s ear and healed him.
Then Jesus said to the high priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for Him.
“Am I leading a rebellion that you have come with swords and clubs?
Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me...
But this hour-when darkness reigns.”
Slide # 3
Soldiers of the Jewish religious establishment had come to place Jesus under arrest, and Jesus gave Himself up. He could have toppled His foes with a word.
He had the power to call on vast armies of angels to rescue Him, Matthew 26:53 (12 Legions-A Roman Legion consisted of 6000 soldiers = 72,000) but instead He surrendered. The disciples knew something very bad was happening, and they ran away to save their own lives. Jesus was left alone with His captors.
Those who had arrested Jesus took Him to Caiaphas (Kay-a-fus) the high priest...where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.
But Peter followed Him at a distance...right up to the court yard of the high priest...He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so they could put Him to death.
But they did not find any...though many false witnesses came forward.
Finally two came forward and declared, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days’”.
Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer?
What is this testimony that these men are bringing up against you?” But Jesus...He remained silent.
The high priest said to Him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming down on the clouds of Heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”
“He is worthy of death,” they answered.
Then they spit in His face and struck Him with their fists. Others slapped Him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
Slide #4
Peter was not the timid sort. His normal reaction to trouble was to wrestle it to the ground, not to run from it. Quite naturally, then, he was the one to follow the soldiers back to the high priest’s house and wait for the outcome. Maybe he was dreaming up “Plan B” when a few people took him by surprise.
And when some there had kindled a fire in the middle of the court yard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them.
A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him a said, “This man was with Him.”
But Peter denied it. “Woman I don’t know Him,”
A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” A Second time Peter replied “ I am not!”
About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with Him, for he is a Galilean.”
And for the third time Peter replied, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed.
Jesus turned and looked straight at Peter... Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Slide #5
Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound Him, led Him away and handed Him over to Pilate the governor.
When Judas who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
“I have sinned,” he said, “For I have betrayed innocent blood.”
“What is that to us?” They replied. “That’s your responsibility.”
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.
Slide # 6
The Jewish leaders brought Jesus to Pilate, who had governed the region of Judea for Rome for 4 years. Historical records reveal that he was no friend of the Jews. (Even being a Jew himself) He frequently ordered soldiers to beat and kill Jewish protestors, and showed no remorse. On this Friday morning of the Passover week, the Jewish leaders asked him to judge Jesus as a subversive threat. Now Pilate was caught. If he refused to condemn Jesus, Jewish accusers would portray him as no friend of Caesar (A very dangerous public image). If he agreed to crucify Jesus, he’d be acting against his own judicial instincts and, perhaps worse, caving in to those he despised. He needed to question this prisoner himself.
Pilate then went inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked Him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
“Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about Me?”
“I am a Jew,” Pilate replied. “Your people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”
Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“Are you the King, then?” said Pilate.
Jesus answered, “You say I am the King. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” Retorted Pilate.
With this Pilate went out again to the Jews gathering there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against Jesus... But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release the King of the Jews?”
They shouted back, “No not Him! Give us Barabbas (Ba-Rab-us)!”
Slide #7
Then Pilate took Jesus and had Him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They clothed Him in a purple robe and went up to Him again and again, saying, “Hail the King of the Jews!” And they slapped His face.
Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing Him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man.”
As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!”
But Pilate answered, “You take Him and crucify Him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against Him.”
The Jews insisted, “We have a law, and according to that law He must die, because He claimed to be the Son of God.”
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went back inside the palace. “Where do you come from?’ he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.
“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”
Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting,
“If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a King opposes Caesar.”
When Pilate heard this, he bought Jesus out and sat down on the judge’s seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement.
It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
“Here is your King,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take Him away! Crucify Him!”
Finally Pilate handed Him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.
Slide #8
Roman crucifixion was a cruel punishment. Nailed to a wooden cross by hands and feet, it was an excruciating, slow and very public way to die. The victim’s groaning became a morning’s entertainment for onlookers. Seeing the horrors of crucifixion was an effective deterrent for wrong-doers. For Jesus, this heinous death
was undeserved. As He gave His life, he looked beyond it to God’s bigger story of salvation that was being played out through His life and death.
Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying,
“So, You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!”
In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked Him among themselves by saying, “He saved others, but He can’t save himself...Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals-one on His right, the other on His left.
Slide #9
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
They (referring to the Soldiers) divided up Jesus clothes by casting lots. (A roman game)
The people stood watching...and the rulers even sneered at Him.
The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. They offered Him wine vinegar and said, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.”
There was a written notice above Him, which read... THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “Since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this Man has done nothing wrong.”
Then he said, “Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
And Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining.
Slide #10
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, (AY-LEE,AY-LEE,LA-MAH, SA-VOCK-TA-KNEE) “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink.
When He had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished” with that, He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks spilt and the tombs broke open.
The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the Holy City and appeared too many people.
When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely He was the Son of God.”
Slide #11
Jesus died and was buried on Friday. The next day was the Jewish Sabbath, and a guard was posted to prevent any tampering with the body. Then on the first day of the week, Sunday, those who mourned Jesus came to pay their respect.
When the Sabbath was over... Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.
His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.
The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.
The angel said to the woman, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him’.”
So the women hurried away from the tomb. Afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell the disciples.
So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran the Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of lines lying there but did not go in.
The Simon Peter came along behind him and went into the tomb.
He saw the strips of lines lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus, head.
The cloth was still lying in its place, separated from the linen.
Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also saw and believed.
Video Peter and John
Slide #12
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The Easter Story holds a life changing message for those who believe.
Today we have Reason to Celebrate...our King has Risen!!!!!
