Luke 23 - 24

The Roman overseeing the Judean district, Pilate, tried Jesus but found nothing that merited a further trial or sentence.  He sent him to Herod, the King of the region for further questioning.  Herod was not able to procure the answers he sought, so he had Jesus beaten and sent back to Pilate's custody.  Pilate again tries Jesus, but finds no fault in Him.  He attempts to have Jesus released, only to find that the people would rather have a known and convicted terrorist released instead of Jesus.  The crowd, fomented by the religious leaders, call for an execution.  Pilate releases Jesus to the custody of the religious leaders so that He could be executed by crucifixion.  Jesus was crucified outside the city gate, buried in a tomb and left there.  Very early in the morning of the first day of the week, women went to the tomb to further embalm the body, but found the tomb empty and an angel waiting with a message that Jesus had risen.  Several of the disciples went to investigate this claim and found no evidence to the contrary.  Jesus Himself appeared to two men traveling from Jerusalem that day, as well as to the disciples gathered in Jerusalem.  He proved to them that He had died and risen from the dead as He promised, then commissioned them to preach His message to all nations, beginning with Jerusalem.  He left them with a promise that He would return.