Intermediate Bible Study
As already stated, the most important event in the history of man is the coming of Jesus. The most important events in His life are His death and His resurrection.
Many times while Jesus was on the earth, He was very popular with the multitudes. One time there were about 5,000 men listening to Him preach, not counting the women and children. Just a week before His death, the people ran before Him coming into the city, shouting His praises. (Matthew 21:8,9).
Why then did He die? One reason was because of what He taught. He wasn't afraid to tell men of their sins, He spoke very plainly. (Matthew 23). He taught the Jews that God was planning to remove them from being His chosen people and that others, those not Jews, would be accepted. (Matthew 21:43; 8:11,1 2). He also taught that He was equal with the Father (John 5:1 8) and this made the Jews angry. Jesus died because men hated Him; yet it was these same men for whom He died!
A very close friend of Jesus named Judas, decided to sell Jesus to His enemies. The enemies promised Judas 30 pieces of silver if he would give Jesus into their hands. One night while Jesus was praying, Judas came with a mob and showed them who Jesus was by kissing Him. Later Judas killed himself because of what he had done.
Jesus was taken by the mob and, though not one time in His life had He done wrong, He was put on trial. Men lied about Him, about what He had done, and finally He was sentenced to die. All the time He was on trial, men were spitting on Him, hitting Him in the face, mocking Him and beating Him. Jesus, even though being treated wrong, still did no wrong. (I Peter 2:22-25).
Finally, He was taken to be crucified. They drove nails through His hands and feet and into the cross, then lifted the cross up, to watch Him die. Even while He was on the cross, they mocked Him.
After Jesus was dead, His friends took Him from the cross to bury Him. A man named Joseph, from Arimathea, gave them a burial place. Because the Jewish leaders were afraid someone might steal the body, they placed guards around the tomb to keep the body of Jesus in the tomb.
But nothing could keep Him in the tomb! On Sunday morning, when the friends of Jesus came to the tomb, they found it open; Jesus had been raised from the dead! In order for all men to know that Jesus was His son, God raised Him from the dead. Forty days later Jesus returned to heaven to be with God! Jesus is alive! He is a living Savior!