The Silence of the Tomb | 1 Corinthians 15:17

“And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17 NLT)   The day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday is known as Silent Saturday. Silent because the Bible has little to say about it, aside from a passage in Matthew 27 in …

It Is Finished | John 19:29–30

“A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. When Jesus had tasted it, he said, ‘It is finished!’ Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:29–30 NLT) Ever since I was a little kid, I have always had a g…

Jesus’ Final Words | Luke 23:46

“Then Jesus shouted, ‘Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!’ And with those words he breathed his last.” (Luke 23:46 NLT) Today we are going to discover the most painful moment in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. What do you think it was? Perhaps your mind races to the crucifixion its…

Fulfilling Prophecy to the Very End | Psalm 34:20

“For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! ” (Psalm 34:20 NLT) Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross made eternal life possible. It’s the greatest gift ever offered. And God wanted to make sure that people recognized the gift for what it was. So even in the mos…

The Cost of Salvation | Matthew 27:28–30

“They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, ‘Hail! King of the Jews!’ And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and st…

Rejected | John 19:15

“‘Away with him,’ they yelled. ‘Away with him! Crucify him!’ ‘What? Crucify your king?’ Pilate asked. ‘We have no king but Caesar,’ the leading priests shouted back.” (John 19:15 NLT)   In the hours after His arrest, Jesus faced several different trials before Jewish and Roman leaders. His accu…

The Son of God on Trial | Mark 14:55

“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.” (Mark 14:55 NIV) The prosecution of Jesus offers a case study in injustice, hypocrisy, and evil. After He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Je…

Jesus Is Arrested | Luke 22:52

“Then Jesus spoke to the leading priests, the captains of the Temple guard, and the elders who had come for him. ‘Am I some dangerous revolutionary,’ he asked, ‘that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?’” (Luke 22:52 NLT) The scene in Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested is chaotic and confu…

Jesus Prays | Matthew 26:42

“Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, ‘My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.’” (Matthew 26:42 NLT) Jesus’ last stop before His arrest was the Garden of Gethsemane. The garden was located on a slope of the Mount of Olives, just across the Kidron…

The Last Supper | Matthew 26:27–28

“And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, ‘Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.’” (Matthew 26:27–28 NLT) As the hour of Jesu…