The Passover

I would like to tell you what happened in Jerusalem about a year ago. We could not talk publicly about it then. If anyone mentioned anything that happened that week they were killed. It is still dangerous to talk about it, but I can no longer keep quiet. I have to tell the world of the marvelous things I saw and the fantastic things I heard. It changed the life of everyone involved.

    It started on the first day of the week, a man came riding into Jerusalem on a colt surrounded by twelve men. There were many people standing along the road shouting  “HOSANNA, HOSANNA TO THE KING”. I didn't see anyone but a man on a colt. So I asked someone where the king was. He pointed to the man on the colt and said he was the KING OF KINGS and that man was going to save the Jews.
    A few days later on the day of Passover the man went into an upper room to have the Passover meal his friends who I was told were called Apostles. I have been told some strange things happened in that room. The first thing this King of Kings did was wash the feet of his Apostles. That is very strange indeed since only slaves were suppose to wash other peoples feet. The man said “The last shall be first and the first shall be last”.  
   Then he took the bread held it up and blessed it and told them “This is my body which will be given for you. Do this often to remember me.” Then he took the cup of wine held it up and blessed it and said “Drink this, this is my blood which is shed for you. Do this often to remember me”. How very strange to tell people to eat you skin and drink you blood even if it is just symbolic. 
   Then he told the Apostles “One of you will betray me tonight”. He even pointed out the Apostle but the other Apostles didn't understand.
    After the meal he went into the Mount of Olives to pray. While he was there Judas (one of the apostles) came up there with a crowd of people and some church officials to arrest him. Judas went up to him and kissed him on the cheek (this was a sign to tell the officials who to arrest). The other Apostles drew their swords and tried to help him. One even cut off the ear of a slave. This man reached down and picked up the ear and put it back on. Then he told the Apostles “Don't fight anymore, It is the will of my father that this happen.”
    He was taken to Pilate who could not find any reason to kill him. Pilate sent him to King Harod. Harod could not find that he broken any Roman laws either so he sent the man back to Pilate. Now in Jerusalem the is a tradition that every Passover they release one prisoner. Pilate thought I will release this man Jesus and I will be done with it. So he went to the crowds and said “I find nothing wrong with this man Jesus.  If you want I will have him whipped and then release him. Or I will release Barabbas”.  Now Barabbas was a bad man everyone knew he should die.   Pilate thought they would say release Jesus and he would be through with the whole mess. The crowds started yelling “Release Barabbas!, kill Jesus.” So Pilate said “I am turning him over to you do what you want with him.”
    They took Jesus to Skull mountain and nailed him to a cross along with two other prisoners. They they started taunted him saying “If you really are the son of God get down off that cross”.  One of the other prisoner got into it too he told Jesus “Free yourself and take us with you.” Then the other prisoner spoke up. “We belong here we are guilty this man is not. Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered “You will be with me forever”. Then Jesus looked into the heavens and said “ Father forgive them for they don't know what they are doing”. Then Jesus said “It is finished”. The skies got real dark for 3 hours and even the curtain in the temple split in two from top to bottom.
    A man named Joseph of Arimathia got permission to take the body of Jesus and put him in a new tomb. Because it was so close to the Sabbath they had no time to prepare the body. So they laid him in the tomb. Roman soldiers  put a huge stone in front of the tomb so no one would bother the body. 
   On the first day of the week some women came to the tomb to prepare the body. When they got there the they found the stone gone. They went in and found the body gone.  They got scared and ran to tell the Apostles. They found John and Peter (two of the Apostles). When they heard what happened they ran to the tomb. John got there first and was looking in the tomb. When Peter arrived he didn't stop he ran right into the tomb. John followed him. Neither one of them could figure out what happened. So they went back to tell the other Apostles what had happened. So that together the might figure out what to do.
  A little while later Mary was sitting in the garden crying. She heard a voice behind her saying “Why are you crying”.  Mary thought it was the gardener and said “Please sir if you have taken his body somewhere and hid it. Please tell me where it is and I will go and get it.”.
   “Mary” Jesus said softly. Immediately she recognized him. Then He said “Go and tell the Apostles what you have seen.” She did.
    There were many more strange and unusual things that happened that week.. I don't have time to go into all of them. Let me say this much. Everyone who saw and heard even a little bit of what happened has changed.  I have kept quiet for a year I cannot keep quiet any longer even if it means my death.

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