Jesus asked His disciples: “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus commended this answer, saying: “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you.” (See Matthew 15:16–17 NLT)

Jesus knew that who He is – and could be to us – has the power to save us and to transform our lives. He says, “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (John 10:10 AMPC)

On the eve of His crucifixion – or Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday – Jesus shared a final Passover meal with His disciples in Jerusalem. At this last supper, He spoke prophetically about His impending death – His body given for us, and His blood shed for us. At the same time, He established the practice of Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, inviting us to take the tokens of bread and wine in remembrance of Him.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (NIV) says: “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”

The Bible says that Jesus was crucified on “Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath” (Mark 15:42 NLT). It describes the sequence of events: “It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him … At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (Mark 15: 25, 33–34 NLT)

As Jesus bore the sins of the world, He endured the anguish of separation from His Father, the consequence of sin, so that we could be reconciled with God.

We commemorate Jesus’ crucifixion on Good Friday because His death is good news for us. He took the punishment our sins deserved in our place so that we can have forgiveness, friendship with God, and eternal life.

Very early on the Sunday morning, after the crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and a third woman named Salome visited Jesus’ tomb. They found the large stone covering the entrance rolled away. As they entered the tomb, an angel appeared to them and said: “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” (Mark 16:6 NLT)

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. His resurrection answers questions, such as: Is Jesus God? Is there life after death? Can I know God personally? The answer to all of these is “Yes”. The empty tomb means that Jesus is alive. We have the present assurance that He is with us, and the future hope that we will spend eternity with Him.

Easter is a beautiful opportunity to discover more about who Jesus is and to find a genuine, welcoming community. The Easter story centres on themes of life, renewal, forgiveness, and hope, and can clarify questions about faith and salvation. If you’re curious but unsure, Easter can introduce you to practices like worship, prayer, and reading the Bible in a friendly and uplifting environment.