Matthew 28:1-10 “Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen. Come, see where His body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and He is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there. Remember what I have told you.’ The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to Him, grasped His feet, and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! Go tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there.’”

1. His Betrayal
   Matthew 26:14-16 “Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests and asked, ‘How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?’ And they gave him thirty pieces of silver. From that time on, Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.”
   John 13:21-22, 26-27 “Jesus was deeply troubled, and He exclaimed, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray Me!’ The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom He could mean. Jesus responded, ‘It is the one to whom I give the bread that I dip in the bowl.’ And when He had dipped it, He gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, ‘Hurry and do what you’re going to do.’”
   
   
   2.His Trial
   Matthew 27:11-12 “Now Jesus was standing before Pilate, the Roman governor. ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ the governor asked Him. Jesus replied, ‘You have said it.’ But when the leading priests and the elders made their accusations against Him, Jesus remained silent.”
   Matthew 27:15-18 “Now it was the governor’s custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner to the crowd - anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious prisoner, a man named Barabbas. As the crowds gathered before Pilate’s house that morning, he asked them, ‘Which one do you want me to release to you - Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?’ He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.”
   Matthew 27:22, 24-26 “Pilate responded, ‘Then what should I do with Jesus
   who is called the Messiah?’ They shouted back, ‘Crucify him!’ Pilate saw that he wasn’t getting anywhere and that a riot was developing. So he sent for a bowl of water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this Man’s blood. The responsibility is yours!’ And all the people yelled back, ‘We will take responsibility for His death - we and our children!’ So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead- tipped whip, then turned Him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.”
   

2. His Cruxifixion
   Matthew 27:27-31 “Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on His head, and they placed a reed stick in His right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before Him in mockery and taunted, ‘Hail! King of the Jews!’ And they spit on Him and grabbed the stick and struck Him on the head with it. When they were finally tired of mocking Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him again. Then they led Him away to be crucified.”
   Matthew 27:45-46 “At noon, darkness fell across the whole land. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”
   John 19:28, 30 “Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and He said,
   ‘It is finished!’ Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
   

The big idea: The best is yet to come!