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The Story of Easter
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By Gwen Ellis
Thomas Nelson
Copyright © 2007 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4185-7819-0
Chapter One
Jesus Borrows a Donkey Luke 19:28–35 The first Passover happened when God's people left Egypt long ago. After that, God's people celebrated Passover every year. One year Jesus and His closest followers went to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.
Before they got there, Jesus said to His followers, "Go into town and find a young donkey colt. Untie it and bring it to Me. If anyone asks where you are taking it, say, 'The Master needs it.'" When the men got back with the donkey colt, they spread their coats on its back. Jesus climbed on the colt.
Why do you suppose Jesus needed that donkey colt?
Jesus Rides Like a King Luke 19:36–38; John 12:12–16
The donkey started to clippity-clop through the town. People came running. They threw their coats down for the donkey to walk on. They took palm branches and waved them in the air. "Praise God!" they shouted.
Some of them remembered the scriptures that said, "Your king is coming ... sitting on the colt of a donkey."
Why do you suppose they laid their coats down for the donkey to walk on? Did they think Jesus was a king?
The First Lord's Supper Matthew 26:26–29; 1 Corinthians 11:23–25; Luke 22:18; Mark 14:25
While Jesus and His closest followers were eating the Passover dinner, Jesus took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke the bread apart and said, "Take this bread and eat it. Do this to remember Me."
Next He took a cup and said, "When you drink this juice of the grape, remember Me." Jesus knew this was His last meal with His followers because He was about to be killed. He wanted His followers to always remember Him.
Today in church we still eat bread and drink the juice of the grape to remember Jesus. We call this time of remembering Communion or The Lord's Supper.
Jesus Prays for Help Matthew 26:36–40; Mark 14:32–42; Luke 22:39-46
Jesus and His followers went straight from dinner to a quiet garden. Jesus wanted to pray and ask God to make Him strong for what was about to happen. He took three of His closest followers—Peter, James, and John—apart from the others. Jesus asked them to wait and pray.
He went a little farther into the garden to pray by Himself. It was very late, and the three men were very tired. They couldn't keep their eyes open to pray. Soon they were asleep. Jesus woke them twice, but they went back to sleep each time.
When we have tough things ahead of us, we need to pray and ask God to help us.
Jesus Is Arrested Matthew 26:45–56; Luke 22:45–51; John 18:10–11
The third time Jesus woke His followers, He said, "We must go. Here comes the man who has turned against Me." Just then a big crowd carrying torches and clubs came into the garden. Judas, one of Jesus' followers, was with them. He kissed Jesus on the cheek. It was a signal to the guards to arrest Jesus.
Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of one guard. Jesus told Peter to put the sword away. Then He healed the guard's ear.
You might think the crowd would let Jesus go after He healed the man's ear. Well, they didn't. They arrested Him and took Him away.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Story of Easter by Gwen Ellis Copyright © 2007 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.. 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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