Last Supper is celebrated every year on Holy Thursday The Passover Sedar Meal – Celebrated the holy days when faithful Jews remembered how Yahweh freed the Israelites from slavery Gratitude for God not abandoning them Sedar Meal – Jewish people retell the story of the Exodus and give thanks to God

Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday) – Jewish crowds waved palm branches and cheered his arrival on a humble donkey Jesus said he was sent from God = BLASPHEMY Roman rulers were afraid that Jesus would cause riots against Romans Jesus challenged the authorities Chief priests of the Temple and Pharisees

Disciples and Jesus knew that his time was coming up… Celebrated the Passover meal together by sharing stories of Exodus, said thanks to God, and sang songs With tender love Jesus identified the bread and wine as his body and blood poured out Reflection: Matthew 26:26-29

John’s account of the Last Supper: Washed the feet of his disciples The story is a way of teaching how to serve one another in love Catholics celebrate the Eucharist = Mass (Thanksgiving) Jesus is literally the bread and wine Jesus’ sacrifice is now and forever with us ***WE ARE UNITED IN GOD AND ONE ANOTHER!!**

Jesus knew his friends would betray him, including JUDAS His disciples were afraid to stay with Jesus Jesus was abandoned by everyone around him Jesus’ suffering is told through the PASSION story

Garden of Gethsemane – Jesus prayed to God to spare him from the death and suffering Jesus came to accept it because he TRUSTED in his Father’s love for him

Judas brought the soldiers to Jesus and kissed him Disciples left Jesus Jesus was accused with blasphemy – claiming divine status – and threatening to destroy the temple Jesus was mocked, blindfolding, spat on, beaten, and hit in the face Pontius Pilate was pressured by the chief priests and the mob and sentenced Jesus to death

Crucifixions were the cruelest, most tortuous methods of capital punishment The scourging Jesus was whipped and his flesh was torn from his body Dressed in a purple robe and a crown made from a thorny bush was pounded on his head Jesus = “King of the Jews”

Nailed to the Cross Jesus had to walk a quarter of mile with a heavy wooden beam to GOLGATHA (“PLACE OF SKULL”) Jesus was helped by a man named SIMON OF CYRENE At Golgatha, Jesus was stripped of his clothes, laid out his arms and his wrists and feet were nailed to the cross. Jesus was tortured for hours and suffocated for air

Love of enemies - “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” Jesus freely accepted his death Jesus’ death became an act of love for all humankind and total trust in God’s love for him GOOD FRIDAY – Day to remember that Jesus died and his body was laid in the tomb

“He has been raised” Mary Magdalene and Mary went to the tomb to finish Jesus’ burial An angel appeared, rolled the stone away, and said “Jesus has been raised.” They were told to go tell the disciples Jesus’ disciples were afraid so they hid They felt that Jesus died with his mission and purpose They felt lied to

Easter = the celebration of Jesus being brought back to life Every Sunday = mini Easter Sunday = Sabbath day

Jesus appeared as a gardener to Mary Magdelene He appeared as a stranger on the road to Emmaus He appeared to his disciples in the room

All four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) all note the story – Jesus was not in the tomb and Mary M. and Mary found the empty tomb. The disciples were told that Jesus was raised from the dead After Jesus died, stories about his life, death, and resurrection was passed on by word of mouth The authors wrote the stories to meet the needs of the particular Christian community Bible = a collection of stories of religious truth carried on by God’s people