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Jesus performed one of his last miracles - the raising of Lazarus - when he was on his way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festival of Passover. This miracle made him even more popular with the Jewish people, and more and more people were beginning to take seriously the idea that Jesus was the Messiah. However, the religious leaders saw Jesus as a threat to their authority, so they planned to kill him.

Last Supper

Following a triumphant entry into Jerusalem with crowds cheering for him, Jesus shared a Passover meal with his disciples. This is now known as the Last Supper and is commemorated by Christians with the Eucharist. At this meal, Jesus gave bread and wine to his disciples. He said:

Bread and wine are used by many Christians when celebrating the Eucharist. Christians of different denominations place a different emphasis on the bread and wine in the Eucharist. There is a wide range of views on this issue. For example, Catholic Christians believe that the miracle of transubstantiation take place during the Eucharist, where the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. Other Christians, such as Baptists believe that the bread and wine are symbolic Jesus’ body and blood, helping people to remember Jesus’ sacrifice for humanity’s sins.

Jesus then washed his disciples’ feet, teaching them that it is important to serve others. It was also at this time that he predicted someone would betray him. Jesus knew that it would be Judas (one of his disciples), and he told Judas that he must carry out the task:

Garden of Gethsemane

As well as commemorating the Last Supper whenever they celebrate the Eucharist, Maundy Thursday, is a special day set aside once a year for remembering this important event. After the Last Supper, Jesus and his disciples went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked his disciples to keep watch for the soldiers coming but they fell asleep.

Jesus was arrested for blasphemy as he had been heard calling himself the ‘King of Israel’ and the authorities disliked this. Judas identified Jesus to the soldiers by kissing him. Peter tried to defend Jesus and cut off one of the soldier's ears with his sword. Jesus reprimanded Peter and miraculously healed the man's ear.

Trial and crucifixion

Jesus was put on trial by the high priest and found guilty of blasphemy.

He was taken to see Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, who was responsible for keeping the peace and deciding who could be put to death. Pilate wanted to release Jesus and presented him to the crowd in the hope that they would want him to be freed.

However, they chanted crucify him (Mark 15:13) because they were heavily influenced by the religious leaders and priests who wanted Jesus to be executed. Pilate was therefore pressured into sentencing Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus was flogged and crucified at the site of Golgotha on the day that Christians know as Good Friday.

On the cross above his head a sign was attached that mockingly read “King of the Jews”.

Jesus suffered on the cross for over six hours and called out My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mark 15:34).

Mark's gospel states that the sky then turned dark, and darkness fell over the land for the last three hours of Jesus' life.

At the moment when Jesus died, the temple curtain ripped in two, which Christians understand to be a sign from God to show that Jesus’ death had atoned for the sins of humanity.