Why is Easter such a big deal to Christians? Has someone ever asked you this? Maybe you’ve wondered it yourself? Many people do. The Christian meaning of Easter sometimes gets overlooked, even forgotten, among colorful baskets stuffed with eggs, treats, and toys.
The foundation of Christianity…
Easter is a big deal to Christians. Actually, it is THE biggest deal–the most important message of the Christian faith journey. Also known as Resurrection Sunday, Easter celebrates the foundation of Christianity–the resurrection of Jesus, an event confirming he is more than simply a remarkable leader; he is truly the Son of God.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah’s prophecy told of a Messiah or Savior who would suffer for the sins of humanity and reconcile people with God (Isaiah 53:1-12). Easter remembers the miraculous fulfillment of this prophecy through Jesus Christ.
In order to save us from sin and its price of death, Jesus voluntarily gave his own sinless life as the perfect sacrifice. Afterwards, on the third day, he rose from the dead, just as he had promised. (Some examples of this promise: Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22, Matt 16:21, John 2:19-20, Acts 10:40, 1 Cor 15:3-4).
Learning the Easter story…
Learning the Easter story, as told in the four gospels, brings people deep gratitude and love for Jesus. It ignites and reignites our lives with faith. As belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection grows, so does one’s certainty about a new life here and for eternity. Faith assures us that death is not the end when we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Those who believe in him will receive everlasting life (John 3:16, John 14:19).
Below are 11 Bible passages from Matthew’s Gospel with notes about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Use them to deepen your own learning and find renewed joy in the Easter story, or pass this post along to someone with questions.
Easter Story Summary from Matthew’s Gospel
(1) Jesus predicts his death
Bible Passage:
From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.
Matthew 16:21
Notes:
This is the first of three times in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus tells the disciples about his coming death and resurrection (see also Matthew 17:22-23 and Matthew 20:18). The disciples could not yet comprehend Jesus’ mission, and they were concerned for his safety.
(2) The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
Bible Passage:
They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!”
Matthew 21:7-9
Notes:
As Jesus enters Jerusalem, there is a glimpse of both his glory and his humility. Many people covered his path with clothing and palm branches to honor him like a triumphant king returning from battle. Jesus, however, does not enter the city on a mighty warhorse, but on a humble, lowly donkey colt. This unusual arrival fulfilled a 500+ year old prophecy affirming he was indeed the promised Messiah (Zechariah 9:9).
Although the crowds eagerly welcomed Jesus as their anticipated savior, their expectations of his purpose on earth were inaccurate. The Jews believed the promised leader would save them from Roman oppression and bring justice to earth. Many could not grasp that the prophecies spoke of a different kind of Messiah–a Messiah who held the role of a servant suffering for their sins, not a military commander who would defeat their enemies on earth.
So, when Jesus did not take steps to lead a revolt against Rome, the people quickly rejected him. In less than a week, he went from being heralded to being hated.
Photo by Brady Leavell on Unsplash
(3) Judas seeks to betray Jesus
Bible Passage:
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.
Matthew 26:14-16
Notes:
Like the other disciples, Judas assumed Jesus would overthrow the Roman government. And, as one of his followers, he hoped for a prestigious role in the new kingdom. Realizing his plans were not becoming a reality, Judas let his greedy desires for recognition and money take over.
(4) Jesus and the disciples share the Last Supper
Bible Passage:
As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.”
Matthew 26:26-29
Notes:
Before his betrayal and arrest, Jesus shared a final meal in observance of Passover with his disciples. He instructed them to remember the physical sacrifice he would make in order to forgive sins and save humanity from spiritual death. In churches and gatherings today, we still recall and reflect on Jesus’ words as we share bread and wine during a sacrament known as the Lord’s Supper, Eucharist, or Communion.
Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
(5) Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane
Bible Passage:
Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Matthew 26:36-39
Notes:
Jesus understood the suffering to come, and in his human nature, he struggled immensely. Yet, through his agony, he continued to confirm his desire to do God’s will.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
(6) Jesus is betrayed and arrested
Bible Passage:
And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
Matthew 26:47-50
Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Matthew 26:55-56
Notes:
As one of the disciples, Judas held key information about Jesus’ whereabouts. He brazenly betrayed Jesus after the Last Supper by telling religious leaders where to find him. The leaders wanted to arrest Jesus for blasphemy because he claimed to be God, but they needed a political reason for their charges to be valid in a Roman court. So, they accused Jesus of declaring himself a king, therefore making him a risk to Caesar’s rule.
Arresting Jesus at night, in this secluded place, was ideal because the religious leaders were afraid of the crowds who followed and listened to him teach each day. Sadly, the disciples, who seemed so loyal to Jesus at the Last Supper just hours before, abandoned him upon his arrest.
(7) Jesus is sentenced to death
Bible Passage:
Pilate responded, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” “Why?” Pilate demanded. “What crime has he committed?” But the mob roared even louder, “Crucify him!” Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!”
Matthew 27:22-24
Notes:
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in charge of Jerusalem, hesitated to authorize Jesus’ crucifixion. He was unable to find any fault in Jesus, but he knew the crowd wanted to crucify him. He was concerned about losing his position of authority if he failed to maintain peace in his region. So, he ignored what he felt was right, gave into the pressure, and satisfied the crowd.
Photo by Samuel Lopes on Unsplash
(8) Roman soldiers mock Jesus
Bible Passage:
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.
Matthew 27:28-31
Notes:
The soldiers were ignorant of Jesus’ true power and authority. They whipped and degraded him. They crafted a crown of thorns to inflict pain and insult his proclaimed royalty. Unbeknownst to them, Jesus was and is the King of kings! He willingly endured their mockery and torture on our behalf. Jesus is the suffering servant of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 53:1-12).
(9) Jesus dies on the cross
Bible Passage:
At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.”
Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.
The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”
Matthew 27:45-54
Notes:
As Jesus took the sins of the world upon himself, he suffered intense physical pain and a spiritual separation from God. Although the pain was horrific, Biblical scholars note that it was the separation from God that brought him the most agony. Because Jesus chose to endure this for us, we never have to suffer alone or be separated from God. Jesus paid the excruciatingly high price of sin–separation from God–so we would never have to (John 15:13).
Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash
(10) Jesus is buried
Bible Passage:
As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.
Matthew 27:57-61
Notes:
Joseph of Arimathea was a part of the high council or group of religious leaders who wanted Jesus crucified, but he did not agree with their decision. Secretly, he was a follower of Jesus. Stepping forward and asking for Jesus’ body took great courage on his part. The disciples who publicly followed Jesus fled in fear of being arrested, but this man (along with Nicodemus, John 19:39) willingly risked status and safety to do the right thing for Jesus.
Photo by Bruno van der Kraan on Unsplash
(11) Jesus rises from the dead
Bible Passage:
Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.
Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint.
Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”
The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.”
Matthew 28:1-10
Notes:
Was the stone moved so Jesus could leave the tomb? No, Jesus’ power would allow him to go whenever he wanted. The stone was moved so others could go in and see he had risen from the dead. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared not only to the women mentioned above, but to hundreds of witnesses. In doing so, he actualized the predictions of being raised on the third day. And, he showed us he is exactly who he claimed to be–the Son of God. Because he died and rose again, we believers can trust in knowing our sins are forgiven and we have a new life, an eternal life, with him (John 3:16).
No Message Can Compare…
Like the women at the tomb, we come seeking Christ. What they learned that Sunday morning was startling and remarkable–Jesus is alive! They ran…yes, they ran to share the joy of the Resurrection!
No message can compare to the promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ. Easter is a big deal. So, be like those women running from the tomb. Be brave, be eager, be delighted with what you learn about Jesus! Spread the Good News of salvation!
Happy Easter! Press on in faith my friends!
~Jamie
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Related Posts
He is Risen: A Poem about the Resurrection
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life–a poem
Jesus, the Haven with Heavenly Names–an Isaiah 9:6 poem
Be Still and Know that I am God
A Candid Photo of Jesus
Even Now, God is Faithful–a poem
Inspiring Resources
Jesus’ death and resurrection story in Matthew 26:1-28:20, Mark 14:1-16:20, Luke 22:1-24:53, John 13:1-21:25
What is the Meaning of Easter–gotquestions.org
Journey to the Cross, Easter Bible Reading Plan–gotquestions.org
Easter Bible Verses–biblestudytools.com
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