It was just before the Passover feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love. The evening meal was being served and the devil had already prompted Judas to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power; that He had come from God and was returning to God. 

He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. When the hour came, Jesus and His disciples reclined at the table, and He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it. He gave it to them, saying, "This is My body given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way, after the supper, He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you." After He had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray Me." 

His disciples stared at one another at a loss to know which of them He meant. Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas. "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told Him. As soon as Judas had taken the bread, He went out, and it was night. Then, they went to a place called Gethsemane, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," He said to them. "Stay here and keep watch. Pray that you will not fall into temptation." He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down, and prayed, "Father, if You are willing, take this cup from me; yet not My will but Yours be done." 

An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him. Being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When He rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, He found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. "Why are you sleeping?" He asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation." While He was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With Him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons sent from the chief priest and the elders of the people. Now, the betrayer had arranged a signal with them, 'The one I kiss is the man. Arrest Him.' Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi," and kissed Him. Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss? Friend, do what you came for."

Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him, asked them, "Who is it that you want?" "Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am He," Jesus said. When Jesus said, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. Jesus commanded, "Peter, put away your sword. Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me? No more of this." And He touched the man's ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priest, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come for Him, "Am I leading a rebellion that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour – when darkness reigns." 

Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound Him and brought Him to the high priest. Then, all the disciples deserted Him. The high priest asked Him, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?" "I am," said Jesus, "and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." The high priest tore his clothes. "Why do we need any more witnesses?" he asked. "You have heard the blasphemy." They all condemned Him as worthy of death. Then some began to spit at Him. They blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and the guards took Him and beat Him. Very early in the morning, the chief priest with the elders, the teachers of the law, and the whole Sanhedrin reached a decision. 

They bound Jesus, led Him away, and handed Him over to Pilate. "Are you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. The chief priest accused Him of many things. Again, Pilate asked Him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of?" But Jesus still made no reply. Pilate was amazed. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is from another place." "You are a king then," said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." 

"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this He went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against Him." Now it was the custom at the Feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?" asked Pilate. But the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. "What shall I do then with the one you call the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked them. "Crucify him!" they shouted. "Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him, crucify him!" 

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said, “It is your responsibility.” All the people answered, "Let His blood be on us and on our children!" Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed Him over to be crucified. Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. Then, they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, and knelt in front of Him and mocked him, "Hail, King of the Jews," they said. They spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again. Then they led Him out to crucify Him. 

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." They divided up His clothes by casting lots. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him, "Don't you fear God," he said, "Since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." 

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth. Today, you will be with Me in paradise." It was now about the sixth hour and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. For the sun stopped shining. About the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?" And He said, "I am thirsty.” A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on the stalk of a hyssop plant and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When He had received the drink, Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit. It is finished." When He had said this, He breathed His last. 

At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split, the tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs and after Jesus' resurrection went into the Holy City and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and exclaimed, "Surely, He was the Son of God." The soldiers came to Jesus and found that He was already dead, so they did not break His legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the council who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. 

Pilate was surprised to hear that He was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 

In their fright, the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen. Remember how He told you, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified, and on the third day be raised again.’" Then, they remembered His words. When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and the others, but they did not believe the women, because their words seemed like nonsense. On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for the fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again, He said to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 

With that He breathed on them, and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit.” Now, Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it." A week later, His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said, "My Lord and my God." 

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." After His suffering, He showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was still alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. Then, Jesus came to them, and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age." 

By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers at the same time, then He appeared to James and then to all the apostles. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. All these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. 

This is the story of Easter according to Scripture. It's really simple and it's really profound. Maybe you've never heard, maybe you forgot, but Jesus did all that for you. You see, this is the gospel. The gospel simply means good news. Not good advice, not a good idea, not a good suggestion, good news. What is news? News is something that has already happened, and because of what's happened, it changes everything. 

The good news of what happened is that Jesus, the Son of God, stepped out of heaven, came to earth, took on humanity. He took on our flesh. As a baby born in a manger, He moved into our neighborhood with grace and truth. He grew in wisdom and favor and stature with both God and men. He came to show us what it looked like to be fully human, what it looked like to be fully alive. He showed us how to live free as a beloved son or daughter in whom the Father is well pleased. He came to destroy the works of the devil, to show us who the Father was and what life in the kingdom was all about. He was tempted in every way you and I are tempted. He was tested. He had to deal with our situations and our circumstances. In every place you and I fall short, every place where we fail, He was perfect. 

He was willing to lay down His life, His will, as a humble, obedient servant to death on a cross, and He died. He was buried in the grave, and three days later, He rose from the grave, defeating sin, death, and darkness. He, now, offers you abundant life, eternal life. Kingdom life. I love that the first time the gospel was preached after Jesus raised from the dead, it says the people were cut to the heart, and said, "Brothers, what shall we do?” I want you to know that all week, we've been praying that you would be cut to the heart. That you would have eyes to see, and ears to hear, and a heart to receive, that which Jesus has done for you. 

That the Holy Spirit would be moving in your life, convicting you, bringing you to the end of yourself with a sense of desperation for the goodness and the grace of God, that you would hunger and thirst for righteousness, that you would have a heart that wants to turn towards God. I love how the disciples answer their question. They simply say, "Repent, be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is for you and for your children, for all who are far off, for all whom our Lord will call." See, repent, change your mind, rethink your life, rethink your strategy and what you're doing and how you're living and where you're going, and turn towards God. Think, again, about what is true and what is real and what is good. Then, be baptized. Allow yourself to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 

Allow yourself to be crucified with Christ; that you can raise to a new life in Him, the new life that He offers you, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Literally, the Spirit of the living God wants to come and dwell inside of you. The same power that raised Jesus from the grave wants to live inside of you and give you a new power so that you can live a new life. This is for you, for your children, for all whom our Lord will call, no matter how far off you may feel. I mean, aren't you tired of religion? Are you tired of the world? Are you tired of yourself? Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." 

Jesus offers you rest for your soul. He invites you to come be His disciple, to learn from Him, to follow Him. He wants to be your Savior. He wants to be your Lord, and He wants to be your teacher. He wants to teach you how to live life. See, maybe God is better than you think He is. Maybe He's bigger than you think He is. Maybe He's more gracious and loving and kind and compassionate than you thought He was. Maybe there's more to life than you've realized. I believe that Jesus is standing at the door of your life, just waiting for you to invite Him in so He can show you the path of life. At all of our campuses right now, our teams are going to start passing out communion, or the Lord's Supper. 

Communion simply means to commune, to connect, to fellowship, to have relationship, to have intimacy with one another. As we take communion, it's simply a cracker and some grape juice. In and of itself, it's not really much of anything, but what it represents is everything. It represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It represents the forgiveness of our sins and the invitation to new life. It represents that the life of God is now inside of me. As you reach out and you take those, what you're saying is that “I believe that Jesus is who He says He is and did what He said He did. By faith, I receive it for me.” You see, to believe something is simply to act as if it were so. 

That's all that it means to believe something. If you believe it, you act as if it were so. Well, faith is simply the belief in the unseen. That's all that faith is. It means you believe that which you cannot see with your eyes. Faith is acting as if what I can't see were so. Even though your eyes might not be able to see the physical Jesus, by faith, as you take communion, you can act as if it were so and say, “This is for me.” As it gets to you, if you're not ready for this, no problem. I want to just encourage you, just pass the tray along. If you're here and you're like, "I don't believe that. I'm not ready. I don't know about this. This isn't for me." No problem. It's dark, nobody's looking at you, nobody's going to know, nobody's going to say anything. 

You simply pass it on. When you're ready, Jesus will be here. When you're ready, we'll be here. You see, Christ died for our sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. Jesus literally laid down His life and removed any and every barrier between you and God so that the kingdom of God is accessible and available to you. There is no more distance, there is no more brokenness, there is no more separation because of what Jesus has done for us. You see, ever since Adam and Eve, the first two humans that God created in the Garden of Eden, sinned and rebelled against God, sacrifices had to be offered for the forgiveness of sins. For thousands of years, lambs and bulls and goats were sacrificed; the shedding of blood for the forgiveness of sins. 

Then, Jesus came, the final sacrifice; the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world once and for all. As everyone is getting their elements, can I just invite you to close your eyes and can we just ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to say to us? You came to church today for Easter. The very fact that you came means that there's something inside of you that's so important to you that there's something inside of you that's stirring up a hunger for God, a thirst for life, a hope that there's more than what you're currently experiencing. Can we just say, "Holy Spirit, would you just speak to me right now?" 

Maybe He just wants to tell you, “You're forgiven.” Maybe He just wants to tell you, “You're free.” Maybe He wants to tell you, “It's time.” Maybe He's saying, “There's no condemnation, there's no shame, you're no longer stuck in your past because I have a great future for you.” Maybe He's just trying to tell you, “Hey, you and me, we're good.” Maybe He's simply saying, “There is more, so come and follow me.” Speak, Lord, for we're listening. 

You see, on the night the Lord Jesus was betrayed, He took the bread, He gave thanks, and He broke it. He said, "This is my body, which is given for you." He said, "My body is going to be broken so you can be made whole." See, salvation isn't about getting to heaven some day. It's not just about the forgiveness of your sins. No, no, no, it's about being saved, healed, whole, made free, set free, and delivered in Jesus' name. He wants to make you whole. He says, "Do this in remembrance of Me." We don't do this in remembrance of our sins and our failures and our brokenness. No, we do this in remembrance that God is good and Jesus has forgiven me. Can we let Jesus make us whole together? 

In the same way, after the supper, Jesus took the cup. "This is the cup of the new covenant, my blood, which is poured out for you. My blood is going to be poured out so you can be saved, so you can be clean, so you can be forgiven, so you can have new life in the kingdom of God." The reason this is so powerful is because of that story that we just read together. He says, "Do this, not in remembrance of you and your struggles and your past. Do this in remembrance of Me, that you are loved and everything really now is possible." Can we receive the life of Jesus together?

Jesus, thank You, that You are who You say You are and that You did what You said You did. You came to do it for us. Thank You, God, for new life. Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.