Have everyone focus their minds and their hearts on worshiping God.

Have someone pray:

Jesus, we remember you.

You became poor and lived among us.

You were strong, healing the sick and the troubled.

You taught your disciples. You were their companion and servant.

We thank you for what you have done for us.

Jesus, we remember you.

You allowed yourself to be rejected by your own disciples.

You were convicted even though you didn’t do anything wrong.

You were crucified, even though you could have stopped it.

You prayed for the forgiveness of those who crucified you.

We thank you for what you have done for us.

Jesus, we remember you.

You were cursed so that we could be blessed.

You were punished so that we wouldn’t have to be.

You died so that we could live.

We thank you for what you have done for us.

Amen.

Have someone read:

Matthew 26:20-30 (NIV)

When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the

Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one

of you will betray me.”

They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other,

“Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?”

Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl

with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written

about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It

would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you

don’t mean me, Rabbi?”

Jesus answered, “You have said so.”

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had

given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take

and eat; this is my body.”

Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to

them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the

covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on

until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of

Olives. 

Have someone read:

Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV)

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called

Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there

and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with

him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to

them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.

Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and

prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.

Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping.

“Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked

Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not

possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will

be done.”

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because

their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more

and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you

still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of

Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here

comes my betrayer!”

Have someone read:

Matthew 26:57-58,69-75 (NIV)

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

…

Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Have someone read:

Matthew 27:1-2, 22-26 (NIV)

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

…

“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked.

They all answered, “Crucify him!”

“Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.

But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”

All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Have someone read:

Matthew 27:31-37 (NIV)

After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. 

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Have someone read:

Matthew 27:38-44 (NIV)

Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Have someone read:

Matthew 27:45-53 (NIV)

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”

Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.