The Bible is a big book with 66 smaller books inside it. All these books tell how God created everything, including us, and how he loves everything he created. It is also the story of how we decided to disobey God and tried to do things our way. This didn’t go well, so the mess we made.
the bIg rescue is the
true Story of how God saveS the world he loves.
The Easter story is actually lots of stories about what happened in the week before Jesus died and came back to life. Yes! He came back to life. It is the story of how Jesus saved us – by dying for us all – and came back to life. It is the .
But they are not made-up stories – they are all true.
‘So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place.’ Luke 1:3
But before we get there, it’s useful to understand what Jesus was doing leading up to this one week when the world changed – when he changed it, forever.
. (Luke 19:28–40) Jesus is born. c. 6–4 BC (Luke 2:1–7)
Wise men visit, and Jesus escapes to Egypt with his parents. (Matthew 2:1–15)
LIFE OF JESUS TIMELINE
Jesus spends 40 days in the desert before starting work. (Luke 4:1–13)
HOLY WEEK
Jesus enters the temple and kicks out the traders. (Luke 19:45-46)
1Corinthians15:5–6)
heaven after promising to come back.
(Acts 2:32–33)
Jesus prays to God. (Luke 22:39–46)
friends. (Luke 22:7–20)
Jesus is betrayed by his friend Judas and is arrested. (Luke 22:47–54) OnSund a y,theto utisd iscov
Peopletelllies a boutJesus. (Luke22:5462)
THE MIRACLES OF JESUS
When Jesus grew up and started his work, he spent a lot of time talking to people and showing them that he was the Son of God. He did this by doing lots of miracles.
explained by ordinary laws of nature.
Jesus did lots of these miracles, ‘little rescues’. He showed that he was Master, Lord and King over everything on earth – that there was nothing he could not control. He changed water into wine at a wedding feast.
He walked on water. (Matthew 14:22–33)
He made sick people better. (Luke 4:38–41) He made blind people see. (Luke 18:35–43)
He brought three people who had died back to life: Lazarus (John 11:38–44); the young daughter of Jairus (Luke 8:40–42, 49–56); and the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11–17).
And the biggest rescue of all was still to come …
BUT many people did not like Jesus showing how powerful he was. They thought he would take away their power.
These people made a plan to get rid of Jesus, which began with his arrest by Roman soldiers. Let’s have a look at what happened next.
23:13–21
PILATE QUESTIONS JESUS
Pilate called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people. He told them, ‘You brought Jesus to me and said he was a troublemaker.
Pilate wanted to set Jesus free, so he spoke again to the crowds. But they kept shouting, but i have queStioned hIm here I n front of you, and i have not found him Guilty of anythI nG that you say he has done. herod didn’t fI nd him Guilty either and sent him back.
thIs man doesn’t deserve to be put to death!
I will just have him beaten with a whip and set free.’
But the whole crowd shouted, ‘Kill Jesus! Give us Barabbas!’ Now Barabbas was in jail because he had started a riot in the city and had murdered someone.
‘Nail him to a cross! Nail him to a cross!’
Pilate spoke to them a third time, ‘But what crime has he done? I have not found him guilty of anything for which he should be put to death. I will have him beaten with a whip and set free.’
The people kept on shouting as loud as they could for Jesus to be put to death. Finally, Pilate gave in. He freed the man who was in jail for rioting and murder, because he was the one the crowd wanted to be set free.
Then handedPilateJesus over for them to do what they wanted with him.
LUKE 23:32–35
FRIDAY:
JESUS IS CRUCIFIED
Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus. When the soldiers came to the place called ‘The Skull,’ they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus.
‘Father, forgive these people! Jesus said, They don’t know what they’re doing.’
LUKE 23:44–46, 48
Around midday the sky turned dark and stayed that way until the middle of the afternoon.
the sun Stopped shinI nG, and the curtain in the temple split down the middle.
JeSus shouted,
‘father, i put mySelf in your hands!’ then he died.
… A crowd had gathered to see the terrible sight. Then after they had seen it, they felt brokenhearted and went home.
a roman army officer waS standing in front of JeSus. when the officer saw how Jesus died, he saId, ‘this man
really was the son of
god!’
Mark 15:39
LUKE 23:50, 52–56
LATER ON FRIDAY: JESUS IS BURIED
There was a man named Joseph, who was from Arimathea in Judea … Joseph went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. He took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in fine cloth. Then he put it in a tomb that had been cut out of solid rock and had never been used. It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin.
the women who had come with JesuS from Galilee followed JoSeph and watched how JesuS’ body waS placed I n the tomb.
Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for his burial.
SUNDAY: JESUS IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD
Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared.
when they
found the stone rolled away from the entrance, they went in.
but they did not find the body of the lord Jesus, and they did not know what to thI nk.
Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. The women were afraid and bowed to the ground.
But the men said,
LUKE 24:5–7
‘why are you lookI nG in for someone who iS alive? he haS been raIsed from whIle he waS still in “the Son of man w to sinners who will but three he will rise
the place of the dead alive? ‘JeSus isn’t here!’ from death. remember that galilee, he told you, Ill be handed over nail hIm to a crosS.
days later rise to lIfe.”’
LUKE 24:36–43
While Jesus’ disciples were talking about what had happened, Jesus appeared and greeted them. They were frightened and terrified because they
but JesuS said,
‘why are you so frIghtened? why do you doubt?’ look at my hands and my feet and see who I am! touch me and fI nd out for yourSelves. GhostS don’t have flesh and boneS as you see I have.’
After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. The disciples were so glad and amazed that they could not believe it. Jesus then asked them, ‘Do you have something to eat?’ They gave him a piece of baked fish. He took it and ate it as they watched.
LUKE 24:45–49
Then he helped them understand the Scriptures. He told them:
‘ the scriptures say that the messIah muSt Suffer, then three dayS later he will rise from death. they also say that all people of every nation must be told I n my name to turn to god, in order to be forgiven.
So beginning in Jerusalem, you must tell everything that has happened. I will send you the one my Father has promised, but you must stay in the city until you are given power from heaven.’
WHY YOU CAN BELIEVE JESUS ROSE AGAIN
1
The tomb was empty, and the large rock in front of it was the size of a car. It would have been impossible for people to move the rock and take the body.
(Luke 24:2–3)
2 The tomb was sealed and guarded by Roman soldiers (Matthew 27:62–66). Roman
4
People saw the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet where the nails had been. (Luke 24:39–40)
5 BBQ!) – ghosts don’t eat. (John 21:1–14)
6
The news was shared by a woman. If you wanted to make up a story you wouldn’t include this information – in those days women were not thought to be important enough to be listened to (!). (Luke 24:10)
7 Many of Jesus’ friends were killed because they refused to deny the resurrection of Jesus – people don’t die for something they made up. (For example, Acts 7:59–60)
WHY DOES THIS STORY MATTER?
Because it changes everything.
The miracles showed that Jesus was the King, Master and Lord over everything, and that he truly was the Son of God.
He was, and is, in charge of nature, sickness and, most of all, death.
When he died and came back to life, he showed that he is able to defeat all the things that make life horrible.
The end of the Easter story is the beginning of a new story for the whole world: the beginning of new life.
If Jesus is alive, we can also, through him, be alive and have eternal life.
ANOTETOPARENTSANDCARERS
This little book has been funded by the generous supporters of Bible Society Australia. Our mission is to Open The Bible to all people everywhere by all means possible.
The Bible can inspire us, challenge us and give us answers to the difficult questions of life. It can change us for good.
That's why we and our supporters work hard to make sure that everyone who wants a Bible can have one -and one in their own language. We help provide Bibles all over the world: to the islanders of the Pacific, refugees from the Middle East, new Christians in China, and the poorest Christians everywhere. We also want people to have the Bible in their hearts as well as their hands! We want to make sure that people can read the Bible and understand the message of God's love that it shares.
We want children to know the wonderful stories of the Bible. That's why we created this book, just for them.
