Easter is all about the fulfilment of the Hebrew Passover celebration: 1) Jesus Christ took upon himself the sins of the world, by being the actual Passover lamb. 2) Passover remembers when the Hebrews were slaves in Egypt, and the blood of a sacrificed lamb was smeared around the door of their homes so that a destroying angel did not touch them. The Egyptians didn't do that therefore their firstborn got killed and Pharaoh drove the Hebrews out of Egypt. 3) The lamb that had to be sacrificed was called the paschal lamb - it died so that many people could be spared. 4) The apostle Paul wrote about Jesus saying that: "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." (1 Corinthians 5:7) 5) Jesus held a 'last supper' for his followers on the very night that the paschal lambs were being killed during their Passover meal. 6) Jesus had been telling his followers that he would be crucified and later that night Jesus was betrayed by Judas. 7) The jealous religious leaders held an unlawful trial and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. 8) Pilate saw no reason to crucify Jesus but a riot was forming, so he had to concede to their demands. 9) The Roman soldiers scourged him and then crucified him. 10) At noon darkness fell until three in the afternoon, the curtain of the temple was torn in two and Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." He then breathed his last. (Luke 23:44-46) 11) Jesus was laid to rest in a tomb cut into the rock with a huge stone door that was rolled across the entrance. 12) The religious leaders posted guards at the entrance because Jesus had said that he would be raised from the dead. 13) On the third day there was an earthquake, angels appeared, the stone was rolled away from the doorway and Jesus rose from the dead. 14) The soldiers were terrified and went back to the religious leaders to tell them what had happened. 15) Jesus kept appearing to his followers over the next forty days - to more than five hundred people. 16) "When Jesus had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God." Luke 24:50-53