A true story …….
When Jesus was about 30 years old, he left his job as a carpenter and started travelling and teaching people about God.
Many people decided to follow Jesus, but he was not popular with the religious leaders as he gave a different message as to who God was and what people should do to get to know and love God, than the religious leaders did.
Jesus knew that he had to go to Jerusalem even though this was where those religious leaders that disliked him were.
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, people lined the streets to see him and waved palm branches to welcome him as a king.
Christians across the world remember this happening when we celebrate 'Palm Sunday' each year, which is the Sunday before Easter Day.
But the religious leaders wanted to get rid of him. They decided they would watch Jesus very closely for anything that he might do that could get him arrested.
Watch out for what happened next....
Did you know that the donkey is important in both the Christmas and Easter stories. Legend has it that the reason why donkeys have the mark of a cross on their backs is because God gave it to them as a reward for their love of Jesus.
On the Thursday night later that same week, Jesus was with his close friends and just before they ate, he began to wash their feet.
He did this to show them that following God meant that they should serve and help others.
Jesus then shared a last supper with his friends.
Jesus gave thanks to God.
He then did something very special – he shared a cup of wine and piece of bread with them and as he did this, he said his friends should, ‘do this in remembrance of him’.
Later that night Jesus went to a special garden to pray to God.
But one of his so-called friends - a disciple called Judas - had decided that Jesus was not as special as he had thought he was and was no longer acting and doing things as Judas had expected Jesus to do.
Judas was so cross that he teamed up with the religious leaders and the Roman soldiers and he led them to where Jesus was so they could arrest him.
The next day – Friday – a Roman leader called Pilate handed Jesus over to be killed.
The soldiers put Jesus on a cross.
When Jesus died there was an earthquake and everywhere went dark.
After Jesus had died, they took his body off the cross and placed it in a tomb. Several men had to roll the excessively big and heavy stone across the entrance.
The Romans, the religious leaders, the people that had followed Jesus and even his closest friends his disciples thought that was the end.
Saturday was a sacred day of the week for Jewish people, and this meant that none of Jesus’s closest friends and followers could go to the tomb again until Sunday.
Early on the Sunday morning, some of his female friends went to the tomb. But when they got there, they found the huge stone blocking the entrance had been rolled away.
Suddenly angels appeared and stood near them.
They said ‘why are you looking among the dead for one who is alive? Jesus is not here: he has been raised’.
Then the women saw Jesus – they knew it was him because he called them by their names. Jesus told them to tell his other friends that he was alive and to tell all people about God’s love for everyone and that God promises eternal life for all who believe and follow him.
And that is what happened – and his friends did a great job because 2000 years later we still remember that first Easter and still share the wonderful news that God loves everyone and his gift to us of eternal life.
So, this Easter enjoy this wonderful story because it is truly wonderful but to make it the absolute best story ever – make it real and know that God wants you to know him and to know that you are loved by him just as much as God wanted that for the people 2000 years ago.
You can come to him at any time, no matter what we do or have done – God loves you and no problem is ever too big or too small for God to care about and to manage.
If you want to find out more do contact anyone in our local churches http://www.churchesindawlish.org.uk/ or pick up a bible and just start reading.
God Bless and Happy Easter xxx
