The death and resurrection of Jesus

Who is that, sneaking around? That’s Judas, one of Jesus’s apostles. He’s talking to someone! One of the priests who isn’t very fond of Jesus. The priest wants to know where Jesus is.

The priest gives Judas money – thirty silver coins - to reveal Jesus’s location. So that the soldiers can know whom to arrest, they agree that Judas should give the soldiers a sign. The person that Judas kisses is Jesus. Jesus has come to Jerusalem with the apostles to celebrate a Jewish holiday, Passover. Jesus knows that his many enemies want to kill him.

He feels that his time on earth will soon be over. He gathers his apostles for one last supper, and says that one of the apostles will betray him. Judas is nervous. How could Jesus know? Jesus also tells the apostle Peter that: “You will deny knowing me.” What?

I will never abandon you! Jesus blesses and breaks some bread, and gives some to each apostle. He says, “This is my body”. He then blesses the wine and passes the cup, so that each of them can drink from it. “This is my blood,” Jesus says. “Do this in the future to remember me.” We have come to arrest Jesus! There he is!

Jesus knows what Judas has done, but he is not angry. A woman points at Peter. He is close to Jesus! Peter is scared. No, I don’t know him.

Peter realises that he has done what he promised never to do. When Judas sees Jesus taken away he regrets his betrayal. He throws away the money he received and takes his own life. The soldiers take Jesus to the priests. They accuse him of being a false prophet.

But Jesus doesn’t answer the priests’ accusations. So then they take him to the highest representative of the Roman empire: Pontius Pilate. Pontius Pilate doesn’t know what to do. On the one hand, the powerful and wealthy want Jesus to be executed; on the other hand, Pontius Pilate doesn’t think that Jesus deserves to die. What should he do?

Actually! There is a tradition of freeing - or pardoning - a prisoner during Passover. If he lets the people decide, they are sure to decide that Jesus should be pardoned. Pontius Pilate lets the people choose between a known prisoner, Barrabas, and Jesus. But Pontius Pilate’s plan fails.

The crowd have been listening to the priests, and call for Jesus to be executed. Pontius Pilate says that he is no longer responsible for Jesus. Barrabas is released and Jesus is sentenced to death. The soldiers whip Jesus, and nail him to a cross between two criminals. They crucify him.

Jesus has nails through his hands and feet. He is suffering on the cross with no food or water under the burning sun. After nine hours he cries out, “Father, why have you abandoned me?” and dies. Jesus is buried in a cave, and a large rock seals the entrance to the grave. Three days and three nights pass.

Jesus’s faithful follower Mary Magdalene goes to the grave to wash the body and wrap it in cloth. The grave is open! What has happened? Jesus has risen from the dead! He is alive!

Mary Magdalene runs to the apostles and tells them what she has seen, but they don’t believe her. But… who’s that? It is Jesus! He gathers the disciples around him and tells them to travel the world to make all the people of the world disciples. They don’t need to be worried about him: he will be with them every day until the end of time.

The disciples leave to spread Jesus’s message. A new religion is born.