The Greatest Story Ever Told

[16 minute Read]

The Easter story is not just a story of 3 days, but a one spanning millenium. It’s a story which starts at the beginning of time and spans to the end. This story is a true account of the circumstance leading up to Jesus’ death and the real people and emotions involved. An anger from the religious leaders, a fear from the romans, a betrayal from friends, a sadness from Jesus’ mother, and incomprehensible love from Jesus himself.

The Ancient prophecIes

The story of Easter doesn’t start with Jesus though, but starts 2000 years earlier. Around 1850 BC God made a promise to Abraham (The Israeli leader at the time). That nation of Israel would finally have their own country. Having been a nomadic people, God had decided to give them their own resting place as a nation. This country would include parts of modern day Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.

Israel lived happily settled in this country until about 700 BC when they were invaded and conquered by the Babylonian Empire. This was the first of a series of invasions which led to Israel being politically run by the Persian empire, the Egyptian Empire and the Roman Empire amongst others.

However, just before the Babylonian invasion, there was another prophecy. The prophecy was that within the bloodline of King David (Israel’s most famous king), a virgin would give birth to a boy. This boy would grow up to be the new leader of Israel. He would free them from their oppressors. They would no longer live under oppression but live with freedom. A conquering king.

The long awaited Conqueror

Under Roman rule, in 0 AD Jesus was born to his mother Mary, a virgin at the time. He grew from a child into a man and at 30 years old left the family carpentry business and started to travel, preach and perform miracles. Jesus’ preached that he was the leader foretold in the ancient prophecy and son of God. He declared that he had come to bring freedom from oppression.

His teaching gained momentum and his followers grew from a handful to tens of thousands in a few years. As he started to gain more attention, the Israeli religious leaders grew more aware of his teachings and miracles. The Israeli religious leaders at the time were in a strange position of authority. Although they held the religious power of Israel, that power was granted to them by their Roman oppressors. The religious leaders were aware that the little freedom they had could quickly be taken away by Rome if Israel caused too many problems for them.

The religious leaders believed in the ancient prophecy and would happily follow his teachings and leadership against Rome. However, they didn’t believe Jesus was that leader. Jesus’s preaching focuses on love, peace, helping the poor and sick, as well as encouraging paying tax to Rome. Expecting a more militant and overtly revolution leader, the religious leaders concluded that Jesus could not be the awaited leader and would only agitate the delicate power balance between Israel and Rome.

The Roman occupiers were also aware of the ancient prophecy. And although they didn’t believe it, they were weary of any person gaining popularity amongst the Israeli nation. They were always concerned of a military uprising.

Passover

Passover is a significant annual celebration for Israel, comparable to Christmas for Christians or Ramadan for Muslims. The origins of Passover are tied to Israel’s first liberation and revolution of Egyptian rule. Every year many Israelites saw the Passover as the best opportunity to try and coordinate an uprising against Rome, and every year Rome was on high alert.

For the Passover of 33 AD, Jesus travelled to Jerusalem with his friends and followers. He planned to spend a week in Jerusalem. Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey with crowds of his followers throwing palms under its feet. (This is where the origins of Palm Sunday come from). The palm is a Jewish symbol for victory, the symbol of a conquering leader. Rome and the religious leaders all knew what this could mean and both were aware of how quickly the celebration could turn into a violent protest.

Jesus spent the first few days of Passover week in the temple as did the religious leaders. Almost inevitably conflict erupted between them. With Jesus’ growing crowd of followers at an all time high, the religious leaders decided that enough was enough and that Jesus needed to be made an example of. Not only to the crowd, but also to Rome. However, with so much support, there was not a good opportunity to discreetly arrest Jesus. With Passover soon approaching and likely that Jesus and his followers would move on to another city after the celebration, they felt paralyzed to do anything. Although Jesus spent time alone and away from the crowds, only those close to him knew where and when that would happen. The religious leaders were in a stalemate, not able to act, but not able not to act.

The First betrayal

No-one knows why Judas decided to meet with the religious leaders, but the day (Wednesday) before the Passover celebration he met with them in secret. For the religious leaders, this was a miraculous opportunity. That someone who would know Jesus’ movements over the next couple of days would turn up totally unsolicited. Between them they agreed that Judas would act as their spy and all he needed to do was inform them of where Jesus would be alone. They would do the rest.

No-one knows it yet, but this act is the final piece which sets into motion a perfect combination of events which will ultimately lead to Jesus’ execution.

The last supper

Jesus decides to spend passover with a small group of friends, away from the crowds of followers. We now know this as the last supper. During the meal, Jesus blessed the bread and the wine. saying “This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory.” and “This cup is the new promise written in my blood, blood poured out for you.” It’s this act which has become know was communion or eucharist in every church across the world.

There are conflicting accounts about whether Judas was at the meal. What is certain is being one of Jesus’ closest friends, he would have known where and when the meal was happening as well as the plans for afterwards.

Jesus continued to talk and teach with his friends. At about midnight, Jesus and his friends left to pray. He went to a quiet place that he often visited, a park called Gethsemane. Jesus is recorded to have started his prayer with “Father, it’s time.” (Read Jesus’ full prayer here).

Knowing Jesus would be in Gethsemane, Judas led the religious leaders, roman guards and local police to him. Jesus was promptly arrested and put on trial. By today’s judicial standards we would consider Jesus’ trial to be a mistrial. Not only did it happen outside of court hours and not all officials were present but fake witnesses were called who gave false testimony. Notably though, not a single one of Jesus’ closest friends spoke up in defence of Jesus. They hid aware of how vicious and unforgiving the Roman justice system can be.

Jesus’ Execution

Jesus was found guilty of blasphemy and awaited to be sentenced. The religious leaders handed the responsibility of sentencing over to the local council. The local leader, named Pilate, was responsible for passing sentence but was reluctant. He was more aware than anyone of the delicate power balance between Israel and Rome and knew that the death of anyone popular movements leader could be the call to action for the more militant Israeli’s. After talking to Jesus, Pilate discussed with the religious leaders that he felt he was innocent. Perhaps because he did believe it, or perhaps so as not to have to pass sentence. The religious leaders insisted he respect their legal system and uphold the judgement. Pilate tries to compromise.

Aware that Passover was a likely trigger point for revolution, Rome had previously instigated a tradition of releasing a Jewish political prisoner to keep the peace. Pilate decided that rather than release a political prisoner, he would offer the Jewish locals a choice. Pilate offered the choice that either he would release Jesus of Nazareth, or a notorious violent criminal coincidentally also called Jesus (Jesus Barabbas). Feeling fairly certain that the local community wouldn’t willingly release a convicted murderer, Pilate felt certain this was a win/win. The Jewish legal system is respected and their judgement is upheld but martyrdom of a movement leader is avoided.

Influenced by the local religious leaders, the crowd surprised Pilate by calling for the release of Jesus Barabbas. The will of the people prevailed. Pilates hands were tied and he sentenced Jesus to be beaten and then executed. Jesus is taken away and beaten.

At 9 AM Jesus is nailed to a cross. He is recorded to have started reciting an ancient poem whilst on the cross. “God, God . . . my God! Why did you dump me miles from nowhere?” (Read the full poem here). Perhaps most heartbreaking of all, Jesus’ mother Mary is recorded as being present at his execution.

Jesus died 6 hours later at 3 PM. Despite his many significant wounds, it’s most likely that his cause of death was form of heart failure. Jesus’ body is laid to rest in a tomb and guards are placed to dissuade any interference from his followers.

A different perspective

To many this would be the end of the story, however in telling it we’ve kept back a key moment in the timeline of events. A moment which views the story in a whole new perspective. The day before Jesus rode into Jerusalem for passover, Jesus took his closest friends away from the crowds and told them something in secret.

Throughout this entire story, Jesus was fully aware of everything that had been happening. The rising tension between Israel and Rome. Judas’ secret meeting and agreement with the religious leaders. The narrowing window of opportunity for his arrest. The growing fear of revolution.

Jesus was not subject to these circumstance, but created the circumstance. He orchestrated the perfect series of events which led to his death. He choreographed it not to prove that he could die, but to prove that he could live. That he could beat death and was beyond human. His claims of being the son of God were true and he has the right to grant life to others.

3 days after his death, on Sunday morning, a friend of Jesus’ called Mary went to visit his tomb to mourn. She was surprised to see it empty. She wept alone by the tomb, mourning the loss of her friend and now his body. As she wept a man approached her and asked why she was weeping, she explained the situation. So swept up in her mourning she paid little attention to him.

It was Jesus. With nail damaged hands and feet, but alive in the flesh. Mary suddenly realised who it was and after embracing him, he instructed her to go tell his other friends that he was alive.

Jesus spent the remainder of his days on earth with his closest friends, eating food and enjoying their company. At 33 years of age, Jesus voluntarily returned to heaven without dying.

Jesus’ closest friend, Peter, founds an organisations with two aims; to share this incredible story with others, and to follow the teachings and example of Jesus. Other (more literate) friends of Jesus create written accounts of the 3 years of their time with Jesus. Including Jesus’ teachings, miracles and events surrounding his death and resurrection.

Today

Many believe that the ancient prophecy of a conquering king has not happened. Since it was invaded in 1850 BC, Israel has never occupied the promised land as promised to them. However, this assumes the prophecy is literal. That the promised land means land and freedom of oppressors currently means freedom from Palestinian occupation. But Christian’s don’t believe that. Christians believe the prophecy to be far bigger than that.

Human nature tends humans towards oppression. Looking at recent history, human nature has led the world to war twice and to the brink of nuclear annihilation. On an individual level, we tend towards laziness, greed, pride, anger, jealousy, and selfishness. We hold within us such potential to damage to those around us and ourselves. We are inherently oppressed by human nature. Jesus’s death offers us freedom from that oppression. Proving he was the son of God, he has the right to offer life to us. Jesus came not to lead us to the literal promised land but to the promise of life free from oppression and accessing the fullness of life.