Preparing for Easter: Jesus' Death

For the next few weeks until Easter we are dedicating each week to a topic that will help prepare us emotionally and spiritually for Easter. This past week on Twitter we explored Jesus' Death. In case you missed the tweets here they are:

•  Jesus knew he was born to die.  Here are three places he predicted his own death:

• From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.- Matt. 16:21 (NIV)

• When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. - Matt. 17:22 (NIV)

• Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them,“We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matt. 20:17 - 19 (NIV)

•  The chief priests & Sanhedrin looked for evidence to put Jesus to death but could not find any:

• The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.- Mark 14:55 (NIV)

• Those that were closest to Jesus were the ones that denied and betrayed him:

•  When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”  Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”  Jesus answered, “You have said so.” - Matt. 26: 20 - 25 (NIV)

• “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.”  But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. - Matt. 25: 34 - 35 (NIV)

• Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.  But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.  Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”  He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!” After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”  Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly. - Matt. 26: 69 - 75 (NIV)

• Jesus was stripped, hit on the head repeatedly, pierced, spit on, mocked...

• Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.- Matt. 27: 27 - 31 (NIV)

• When He breathed his last, the sun stopped shining and the Centurion knew...

•  It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.  The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away.  But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.- Luke 23: 44 - 49 (NIV)

• They made the tomb as secure as they knew how to make sure Jesus' body was not stolen...

•  The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.”  “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard. Matt. 27: 62 - 66 (NIV)

 Application

When reflecting on these reminders of Jesus' death we are taught the following:

• Jesus willingly gave His life for each of us.
• Even Jesus' enemies could not find anything wrong that He did.
• Jesus was betrayed by the ones that knew Him best, who He spent the most time with and He still forgave them.
• The suffering Jesus went through was real, painful and humiliating.
• When Jesus died the Earth knew, His enemies and His believers knew.  When Jesus comes back all will also know.
• Every precaution was taken to ensure Jesus' body would stay in the tomb.  

 Next week will explore Jesus' Resurrection.

You can follow these topics throughout the week through Twitter @kelly_saylor also!

We hope that throughout this Easter season you gain a better understanding of the meaning and are truly able to be a part of this wonderful celebration!


Editor's Note: The Community Care ministry provides emotional and spiritual support. There is a pastor or community care leader available to speak with you today. If you have questions regarding the Community Care ministries please contact communitycare@mecklenburg.org or 704.598.9800 x 121. You may also learn more at the Community Care website and our upcoming events page.