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Kids & Family
Resurrection Story Time
Written by Cecile Gilbert
It was the week of the Passover, a festive time that all Jews
would come together to celebrate what God did for them many
years ago when He delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Little
did they know that during this same week, Jesus Christ would
die, delivering the whole world from the slavery of sin!
For the past three years, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Son of
God, had been teaching and performing wonderful miracles all
around Judea and even in Samaria. He had 12 close disciples and
countless followers and many people loved Him. When Jesus
came into the city of Jerusalem that week, they waved branches
and sung his praises, some even laid their coats before Him, but
not everyone liked Jesus.
The Pharisees and Sadducees liked things done their way. They
didn’t like the fact that Jesus was teaching a new doctrine and
that his popularity was growing. They were determined to stop
him. They even plotted with one of Jesus’ own disciples, Judas.
One night, after having dinner with his disciples, Jesus went
out to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. All of a sudden an
angry crowd came into the garden! They were looking for Jesus
and Judas was leading them to him! The mob tied Jesus up and
brought him to the chief priest and then to the governors of the
land, Pilate and Herod. After being questioned, though he was
not found guilty, the Jews demanded that He be crucified.
On Friday, after whipping and beating Jesus, they made Him
carry his cross and walk to a place called, “Golgotha”, where
they nailed Him to the cross next to two thieves. It was a very
painful and shameful death, but Jesus did it because He loved
God’s children so much. Once Jesus died, His body was taken
down and placed in a tomb.
On Sunday morning, some of the women who followed Jesus
came to the tomb only to find the stone rolled away and Jesus
no longer there. They ran with joy to tell the disciples but they
didn’t believe right away. Peter and John then ran to the tomb
and found it empty as well. Later, Jesus appeared to them many
times before rising up to Heaven, proving to His follower’s that
death and hell didn’t have the victory over Him, but He had the
power over them and we can too, if we live for Christ! Because
of Christ’s sacrifice, we don’t have to die a final death, but can
be forgiven of our sins, so that we too can rise again and live
eternally with Him in Heaven!
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