Do you know what Easter is about? Jesus took the sin of the world in the garden, just before being betrayed by Judas Iscariot. He would soon be passed around in mock court trials, and would ultimately be sentenced to death by the Jews, and would be killed by the Romans. Don't stop there, as that is not all that happened. Jesus was laid in the tomb after being taken down from the cross. What happened three days later is what we want to celebrate today!

Happy

Easter! Welcome to Redemption Church. We are coming to you from

Plano Tx and we have good news for you. Jesus Christ is alive.

My

name is Chris Fluitt and I am glad to share this time with you.

We

sometimes take for granted that people understand what

Easter is all about. Today I want to talk to you about the what.

Easter

is about WHAT

Good

reporting is the who, what, when, where, and why. You could spend

immeasurable time studying the journalistic reporting of the final

week of Jesus’ life. All the “who’s” of that final week…

There is great debate over the “when”… When exactly was the

“high Sabbath” and when exactly was Jesus crucified. Archeologist

have tried to search out the “where”… where is the spot known

as Golgotha/Calvary… and “where” is the tomb?

And

then there is the all-important why. I am not sure we have really

exhausted all the “why” of the final week of Jesus’ life. There

is so much depth in this story. I have found that all my study just

leads me to more need for study. Can you relate?

Today

in an interest of time I would like to focus on the “what.”

What

happened?

What

did Jesus do? What did Jesus go through? What did Jesus say?

The

Last Supper

Jesus

spent an evening with his 12 disciples. This is called the last

supper. He shared time with them and even ­­sang a hymn with

them. He knelt before them and washed the feet of every disciple…

even the one named Judas who Jesus knew would betray him.

It

was here at this meal that Jesus shared bread & wine. He told

them the bread was His body and the wine was His blood and that we

should do this same act in remembrance of Him. We refer to this act

as communion and we still partake of his body & blood in

remembrance.

Judas

the betrayer leaves to go do his evil deed. Jesus & his 11

remaining disciples leave the supper table and go a place called the

mount of Olives. Here, Jesus reveals that “this very night” He

will be taken and that all of his disciples will scatter and even

disown him. (Matthew 26:31-35) Peter took issue with this and said

He would never do such a thing… Jesus told Peter that He would deny

Jesus 3 times before the rooster crows.

They

traveled further to a garden called Gethsemane that was at the foot

of the Mount of Olives. Jesus went to pray and told his disciples to

wait and watch with Him.

Matthew 26:38 (NIV2011) Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Jesus

was aware of WHAT was about to happen. What Jesus felt I don’t

think we could ever fully understand.

Matthew 26:39 (NIV2011) Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father,