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The Easter Story
From the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
Thomas Nelson
Copyright © 2001 Tommy Nelson
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4185-8982-0
Chapter One
A great crowd in Jerusalem heard that Jesus was coming there.... They took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Jesus. They shouted,
"Praise God!
God bless the One who comes in the name of the Lord!
God bless the King of Israel!"
The Pharisees said to each other, "You can see that nothing is going right for us. Look! The whole world is following him."
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple.
The leading priests and the teachers of the law ... began trying to find a way to kill Jesus. They were afraid of him because all the people were amazed at his teaching.
John 12: 12–13, 19; Mark 11: 11, 18
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, ... Jesus was sitting at the table with his 12 followers.... Then Jesus said, "... One of you 12 will turn against me." This made the followers very sad. Then Judas said to Jesus, "Teacher, surely I am not the one. Am I?" ...
Jesus answered, "Yes, it is you."
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread. He thanked God for it and broke it. Then he gave it to his followers and said, "Take it. This bread is my body." Then Jesus took a cup. He thanked God for it and gave it to the followers.... Then Jesus said, "This is my blood which begins the new agreement that God makes with his people."
Matthew 26: 17, 20–22, 25; MARK 14: 22–24
Jesus told the followers, "Tonight you will lose your faith because of me...."
Peter said, "All the other followers may lose their faith because of you. But I will never lose my faith."
Jesus said, "... Tonight you will say you don't know me ... three times before the rooster crows."
But Peter said, "I will never say that I don't know you! I will even die with you!"
Matthew 26: 31–35
Jesus and his followers went to a place called Gethsemane. He said to his followers, "Sit here while I pray." Jesus told Peter, James, and John to come with him.... He said to them, "... Stay here and watch." Jesus walked a little farther.... Then he fell on the ground and prayed.
"My Father, if it is not possible for this painful thing to be taken from me, and if I must do it, then I pray that what you want will be done."
Then Jesus went back to the followers and said, "You are ... sleeping ...? Get up. We must go. Here comes the man who has turned against me."
Mark 14: 32–35; Matthew 26: 42, 45–46
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Easter Story Copyright © 2001 by Tommy Nelson. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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