On the last day of His life, Jesus experienced several significant events that are recorded in the Bible. These events include His arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and burial. Let’s take a closer look at what happened on this fateful day.
The Arrest of Jesus
After the Last Supper with His disciples, Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was here that He was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and arrested by the Jewish authorities. The Gospel of Matthew describes the scene:
“Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.”
The Trial and Sentencing of Jesus
Jesus was brought before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. The Jewish authorities accused Him of blasphemy and sought to have Him executed. Pilate initially found no fault with Jesus but eventually gave in to pressure from the crowd and sentenced Him to be crucified.
“Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ And he said, ‘Why?
What evil has he done?’ But they shouted all the more, ‘Let him be crucified! ‘”
The Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus was taken to Golgotha (also known as Calvary), where He was nailed to a wooden cross and left to die. He suffered excruciating pain and humiliation as He hung between two criminals.
“And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.”
The Death of Jesus
After six hours on the cross, Jesus cried out “It is finished!” and gave up His spirit. The Gospel of Luke records His final words:
“Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!’ And having said this he breathed his last.”
The Burial of Jesus
Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy man and follower of Jesus, obtained permission from Pilate to take down the body of Jesus and bury Him in his own tomb. The body was wrapped in linen cloths and placed in the tomb.
“So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away.”
Conclusion
The last day of Jesus’ life was marked by intense suffering and humiliation. He was arrested by His enemies, falsely accused, sentenced to death by crucifixion, and buried in a borrowed tomb.
However, as Christians believe, this was not the end of the story. Three days later He rose from the dead – an event that has been celebrated ever since as Easter Sunday.