The story of Jesus   Day 33   Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.   When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus […]

The story of Jesus   Day 30     After Judas left, Jesus gave the disciples a glimpse of what was to come. He foreshadowed the fact that he was going to be “broken” and “poured out”—he was going to take humanity’s punishment for sin on himself.     While they were eating, Jesus took […]

The story of Jesus   Day 38   They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus […]

The story of Jesus   Day 39   Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, […]

The story of Jesus   Day 34   As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.   Roman crucifixion was a cruel punishment. Nailed to a wooden cross by wrists and feet, it was an excruciating, slow and very public way to […]

The story of Jesus   Day 35   For those made to suffer crucifixion, death itself was the only resolution. So Jesus waited that day, along with two other victims and a crowd of onlookers, for death to overcome him. Before that, however, a deeper pain was coming. A pain that went far beyond the […]

The story of Jesus   Day 36     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 respects.     […]