The Best News Yet

"**The Best News Yet**" (からっぽの墓物語, *Empty grave story*), is a *Superbook* episode from Season 1. In this episode, the children experience the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

## Characters

* Superbook
* Chris Peeper
* Ruffles
* Phoebe Peeper
* Joy
* Fred Peeper
* Gizmo
* Jesus Christ
* Caiaphas (debut)
* Jesus' disciples
	+ Judas Iscariot
	+ Peter
* Mary Madgalene (debut)
* Pilate (debut)
* Barabbas (debut)
* Angel
* Mary of Clopas (debut)

## Synopsis

Chris Peeper arrives from school and sees some donuts on a plate. Chris immediately thinks that his mother is already home, and hurries and tries to find her upstairs. Upon entering his room, he and Joy find out in surprise that his room is tidier than usual. Superbook begins glowing, and shows the two kids a picture of three women looking at an empty tomb in a cave. Superbook then takes them to the story for the day.

The two kids and Gizmo end up in Jerusalem, and Gizmo finds Jesus, curing a blind woman. The nearby crowd is astonished, except for Caiaphas, who claims that Jesus is threatening his authority. Judas Iscariot arrives at Caiphas' palace, and betrays Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. The trio runs to inform Jesus about the plot.

Superbook tells the audience a likely reason why Judas betrayed Jesus, with some saying it involved an incident when a woman anointed Jesus with an expensive ointment. The scene later cuts to Jesus washing his disciples' feet in an upper room. They then begin their last supper, and Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him, and it would be the one who dips his hand in a dish. Judas, being the one, hurriedly runs away from the table, while Chris, Joy, and Gizmo continue searching for Jesus.

Jesus tells Peter that he will deny him thrice before the rooster crows, and at the same time, the trio ends up in the Garden of Gethsemane. Gizmo senses an approaching mob with torches with his radar, with one of them being Judas. They continue their search for Jesus, and Chris stumbles upon a sleeping Peter. Gizmo eventually finds Jesus praying in the garden. Jesus is spotted by Judas and is later arrested. Jesus promises the three that he will meet them again.

While Caiphas talks to Jesus, Peter is watching with some servants. Peter denies Jesus three times by claiming he does know him. A rooster crows in the distance, and Peter encounters Jesus being led away, causing Peter to remember what he just said earlier.

Meanwhile, Jesus is sent to Pilate, answering nothing as the chief priests accused him. As a Passover custom, Pilate orders one prisoner to be released, and the other to be executed. Pilate asks the crowd who to release, and the crowd chooses Barabbas. Pilate asks them what to do to Jesus, and the crowd all chooses to crucify him.

Caiphas celebrates his victory, while a guilty Judas throws his money on the floor and walks away. Later, Jesus is seen carrying his own cross, with a crown of thorns on his head. Jesus trips down, and a woman comes by to aid him. A guarding soldier shoves her away and continues forcing Jesus to carry the cross. The screen cuts to three crosses upon a hill, with the sky turning dark, and later red. A mighty earthquake shakes, and Chris, Joy, and Gizmo feel the earthquake from a distance.

Peter runs towards the three and announces Jesus' death. As they run to visit Jesus, Peter regrets his previous actions. Joseph of Arimathea sought permission to bury Jesus' body in his own tomb. Three days later, Chris, Joy, and Gizmo see soldiers guarding the entrance of the tomb sealed with a large rock. A bright light shines and pushes the rock away. Two women visit the tomb, and to their surprise encounter an angel who tells them that Jesus has risen. Chris, Joy, Gizmo, and the two women began spreading the news to Peter. Peter recalls a time when Jesus tells them that he will "restore the temple in three days". Peter explains to them that Judas is not with them anymore.

The eleven remaining disciples meet at the top of a mountain along with Jesus. He blesses them and instructs them to spread his word, before finally ascending to heaven, telling them that he is with them always.

## Trivia

### General

* This episode is based on the Book of Matthew.
* The scenes from this episode were also featured in the following episodes from *The Flying House*:
	+ "The Preparation"
	+ "Betrayed"
	+ "Who's in Charge"
	+ "The Crown of Thorns"
	+ "Golgotha"
	+ "The Empty Tomb"
	+ "With You Always"
* Many lines in this episode, such as Jesus' final message, were directly taken from the *King James Bible*.
* Many important scenes are not present in this episode, either to save time or due to being too intense for children's programming at the time.
	+ However, some scenes of Jesus being tortured, such as him being crowned with thorns and nailed to the cross, were shown in the sister series *The Flying House*.

### Errors

* Judas does not kiss Jesus in this version.
* Pilate does not wash his hands in this version.
* When Chris, Joy, and Gizmo visit the three crosses, they are shown to be four times taller than Jesus when he was carrying the cross.

## External links

* Full episode (YouTube)
* "He Is Risen!", "Peter's Denial", and "Doubting Thomas", the *Reimagined* counterparts of this episode