The Passover Lamb

EASTER 2025: THE PASSOVER LAMB (3 of 3)

MATTHEW 26:17-29

#Easter2025

FLASHBACK (tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Flashback/Film)

In narrative storytelling, there is a technique called “flashback” that is commonly used. ‘Flashback” is a narrative technique in which we are shown events that took place before the episode's main action. Those events may have taken place on-screen earlier, but may also be new scenes showing the viewer new story points or introducing new characters.

There are several great examples of “flashbacks” that are used in epic movies that everyone has seen and so they make for good examples:

For example, in the epic animated masterpiece “Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back,” (2010) while Zartog is trying to communicate with the humans, he does a bad impression of Ham. Ham shows up behind him and says Piddles the Clown does a better impression of him than that. There is then the flashback scene to Piddles the Clown imitating the monkey chatter impression. A classic flashback that simplifies the complicated storyline.

Another great example of this is the action-packed “Shaolin Soccer” (2001) which features the character Sing trying to convince an old soccer coach of the value of Kung Fu. Everyone in the audience knows the value of Kung Fu, but the soccer coach in the movie didn’t. Weird plot point, but okay. While Sing is describing Kung Fu, there are flashbacks to an ancient master performing techniques described, a master played by the same actor as the coach. It is very convincing that if you know Kung Fu you are also a good soccer player. Important for the movie and important for any aspiring soccer players.

Perhaps the best use of flashback of all time was in the best sequel ever to hit the market, Frozen II (2019), when at the beginning of the movie Young Anna and Elsa are being told about the enchanted forest by their parents and the scenes are shown. Dynamic. Impactful. The visuals were stunning, but more importantly we learn why the enchanted forest is there. Every enchanted forest deserves an origin story.

Why mention flashbacks? Today, we are going to talk all about Easter, but there will be a flashback. The flashback is super important! So, when it comes, don’t be alarmed! The flashback is meant to help us understand what is going on and WHY. It is the WHY that is most important. The WHY is what we are after and the flashback will help us understand the WHY.

TRANSITION

Let’s read about what happened on that first Easter Morning and then settle on the why.

THE RESURRECTION EVENT

READ MATTHEW 28:1-10 (ESV)

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”

Let us take a few moments and look at some of the basics of the resurrection event itself.

By the manner people in Jesus’ time counted days, it was the third day that Jesus was in the tomb and the day of the week was Sunday. Pull up any calendar and the default has Sunday as the first day of the week and on this first day, very very early, women were headed to Jesus’ tomb to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial. I sorta wished they had went at noon and then we could sleep in on Easter, but these eager ladies wanted to take care of the dead body of Jesus. Basically, because of their beliefs, they did a rush job with the body on Friday when He died and were coming back to finish preparing the body.

Matthew 28:2 tells us that when an angel broke into the physical plane of existence the earth quaked and the angel rolled back the stone from the entrance to the tomb. A stone was put in front of entrances to tombs to keep out grave robbers and scavenging animals. The angel rolled away the stone so that people could look in and see that Jesus was not there, but that He had risen from the dead.