What Did Jesus Do In the Last Days Before He Died?
How do we really know that Jesus is the Messiah, the one that God had promised in the Old Testament to save not only the Jewish people, but the whole world?
Well, Jesus fulfilled over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament through His life and ministry here on earth!
Throughout this Easter, we’ll be exploring some of these prophecies, where they are in the Old Testament, and how Jesus made them come true in the New Testament. Let’s jump into some Fast Facts about Easter!
Before Crucifixion
Holy Week is the special week before Easter. It’s important because it’s a time to remember and celebrate the events that led up to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
During Holy Week, we remember when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and people waved palm branches to welcome him. We also remember when Jesus had a special meal with his friends, which we call the Last Supper.
We remember when Jesus was arrested, put on trial, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. And we remember when Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Holy Week helps us understand the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.
What happened on Maundy Thursday?
On Maundy Thursday, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet to show them the importance of being humble and serving others. Washing someone’s feet was a job that was usually done by servants or slaves, so it was considered a lowly and unimportant task. But Jesus showed His disciples that serving others, even in small ways, was very important.
By washing their feet, Jesus showed them how much He loved them and cared for them. He wanted them to follow His example and serve others with love and humility. In fact, He made it a command, a new command of love, which is where “Maundy Thursday” comes from.
In Latin, the word for “command” is “mandatum” (where we get the word “mandate” from), and over time “mandatum” got turned into “maundy”. You can read more about Maundy Thursday here.
Last Supper
The Last Supper was a special meal that Jesus had with his friends before he was arrested and crucified. During the meal, Jesus took some bread and gave thanks for it, then broke it and gave it to his friends, saying “This is my body, which is given for you.”
Then he took a cup of wine, gave thanks for it, and gave it to his friends, saying “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
Jesus used the bread and wine to explain that he was going to die for the sins of the world, and that his sacrifice would bring forgiveness and a new way of living for everyone who believes in him.
Christians remember the Last Supper and the bread and wine to show that they believe in Jesus and his sacrifice for them.
Good Friday
Why is Good Friday good? The name âGood Fridayâ seems like a really terrible name because very bad things happened to Jesus on this day!
Good Friday is the day that we remember Jesus dying on the cross as the perfect lamb of God. Even though a lot of bad stuff happened, it was all a part of Godâs plan to save people from being controlled by sin and having to be punished for all the bad things theyâve done.
Jesus loves us so much that He took our place because He knew this was the only way we could be saved. It is Good Friday because God used it for good! And three days later we see how Jesus defeated death to give us life!
And that is not just good, itâs the best news ever! Easter is coming!
Are you ready for more? Keep an eye on the What’s Up blog all through Easter and keep listening to Keys for Kids Radio to see how else Jesus showed He is the real Messiah!
