As we come towards the end of Easter Sunday, it’s a good time to reflect on the three days that changed the world. This blog discusses three things that were changed by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection: our relationship with God, our relationship with one another, and…nothing at all!
Read moreSpring to life
The opening chapter of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows perfectly captures how I feel on a fresh spring day. There’s something so alluring, so carefree about the first days after a long, cold winter. The relief of the warmer temperature, tempered by a cool breeze, the scent of new growth, the chirrup of chiff-chaffs, swallows and house martins and the cheeriness of daffodils and crocuses all combine to make me want to throw down my metaphorical brush and recklessly head out into the sunshine.
Read moreEaster Retold: Part 8 – New Beginnings
Cleopas listened to what they all had to say. He found it hard to believe. The Passover was over and it was time they made their way home to Emmaus. It was a seven mile walk and he did not want to delay setting out. They could discuss the matter on the way. As Cleopas and his companion walked they considered text after text to see if the scriptures supported this turn of events. Did they explain what this rising was? Was He going to be King or not? How could He be if He was dead? Had the plan gone wrong? They conversed earnestly as they walked along the dusty road.
Read moreEaster Retold: Part 7 – The Resurrection
The soldiers outside the tomb kept vigilant watch, half of them on watch while the other half slept, turn and turn about, every three hours. As darkness fell, they remained on extra high alert for any Galilean gang creeping up. If anything untoward happened or anyone sneaked by them, they would be executed, either as a squad or by one picked out by lot to answer the crime of all. There was no chance they would doze off.
Read moreEaster Retold: Part 6 – In the Grave
udas saw Jesus arrested. He watched as He was taken to the house of Caiaphas the High Priest. But then, in the morning, Jesus was taken before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, as a convicted criminal. And it was then that the truth hit him.
Read moreEaster Retold: Part 5 – Denial, Trial and Crucifixion
Jesus was led first to the house of Annas, father in law to Caiaphas the high priest for that year. Annas sent Him on, still bound, to Caiaphas where the court had convened and was waiting in his palace. Caiaphas was the one who had pronounced some while previously that it would be a good thing if someone, whether innocent or guilty, should be put to death, rather than spark a riot amongst the people which would bring Roman wrath down on the whole Jewish nation.
Read moreEaster Retold: Part 4 – The Last Supper
Jesus had now finished teaching His disciples and His ministry was at an end. He told them that He was about to be betrayed and that He would die but they did not understand the significance of this. The feast of unleavened bread was about to begin and the disciples asked Jesus where He wanted them to prepare the Passover meal. Jesus had planned for this to be a special meal with His friends, knowing that it was to be the last one, and had arranged a secret location.
Read moreEaster Retold: Part 3 – Teaching in the Temple
When Will The Kingdom Come?
Every day that Passover week, Jesus taught in the Temple. He arrived early in the morning and stayed till late at night. People flocked to hear him from the time he entered the city till the time he left. But at night, when everyone else went back to their homes to eat and sleep, Jesus went out to the Mount of Olives alone to pray.
Read moreEaster Retold: Part 2 – Cleansing the Temple
Jesus entered the Temple and stood in the Court of the Gentiles. What He saw grieved and horrified Him. So He set to and began to throw the traders out. Out went the men who changed people’s money into Temple currency at outrageous exchange rates – just so they could pay their annual taxes. Out went those who sold doves, the minimum sacrifice required from poor people, at high prices. Out went all those who bought and sold. He would not even allow anyone to carry things to sell through the Temple precincts.
Read moreEaster Retold: Part 1 – Into Jerusalem
Six days before the final Passover feast, Jesus arrived in Bethany. A supper was prepared for Him at the house of Simon the leper and everyone came. Martha was serving as usual and Lazarus was sitting with Jesus at the table. People turned up not only to see Jesus but Lazarus as well. He was quite a figure now he had been raised from the dead and he used this to preach about Jesus. (The Pharisees were quite annoyed about it and were plotting together to execute him as well as Jesus if they could.)
Read more‘Easter Retold’: An introduction
As we enter the Easter period, we are going to be posting a series of blogs retelling the Easter story. There will be one post per day starting from tomorrow, and concluding on Easter Monday. The idea is to match the events covered in the story each day closely with the events that happened in the week leading up to Jesus trial, death, and resurrection. We don’t know the exact order of events, but have done our best to make the story as chronologically accurate as possible.
The material for ‘Easter Retold’ has been serialized from a book of Bible stories for adults by Hilary Higgins. If you’re interesting in finding more about this, please get in touch.
We hope that you will enjoy this version of the Easter story, and that it will make you think a little!
Image: Flickr.