WERE YOU THERE

April 3, 2015

Good Friday 

Scripture Reading Mark 14:55–65

Monologue (Someone who gave false witness) Okay, so I don’t know exactly what he said, but he certainly said something about the temple. We all heard him, even though we were at the back, and it was a bit hard to decipher because the crowd was a bit testy by that stage. They were bickering and belly-aching about him and they were definitely talking about what it was that he said about the temple.  So, when I was asked by the chief priest what I’d heard, I told them what I’d heard, that he had said something about destroying the temple. Well, that’s what they said they’d heard, and they just needed a couple of witnesses to say what they’d heard and since I was there and had heard it, I told them what I’d heard. As true as I’m standing here, that’s what I heard.

Scripture Reading Mark 14:66–72

Monologue (Servant) I don’t like people who
lie. And I don’t like people who accuse me of lying. I am not a liar. I know he
was one of them, one of those who followed Jesus. I have seen him with Jesus,
not just hanging around, as so many do, but right at Jesus’ side, like he was
one of the brotherhood. But he lied and, as I said, I don’t like liars – so
that’s why I pushed the point. You just shouldn’t lie. And when he started
cursing, well, I don’t like cursing either. You shouldn’t curse, or swear a
false oath, it’s sinful.

Scripture Reading Mark 15:1–15

Monologue
(Barabbas) Mind-blowing. Implausible! Incredible! Bizarre. This whole situation is inconceivable. I stand here a free man. I should be hanging at the crossroads, yet another man has taken my place. We are not so different, Jesus of Nazareth and me, we both speak against the Roman invaders, we both long for a future when our people will be free, but I have done something that warrants my arrest and punishment; from what I have heard of Jesus, murder and anarchy are not his style. He seems more like the prophet who would win the people over with words of tenderness and love. But obviously they hate him for it.

Scripture Reading Mark 15:16–20

Monologue (A soldier) This is not my land and these are not my people. I owe them no loyalty. I am a soldier of the Imperial Roman Army and my loyalty is to Caesar and the Empire.  So, do not think I have any sympathy for a two-bit rebel from this tiny back alley of a nation, and do not think I care about his fate. He has committed treason by declaring to be a God, a King, and his punishment is death by crucifixion. No questions need to be asked. The process is clear.

Scripture Reading Mark 15:21–32

Monologue  (A passerby) I was just passing and noticed something was up, and just couldn’t stop myself from going to see what the ruckus was about. I didn’t know him, the guy on the cross. Well I’d heard gossip about him, the strange things that had been happening around Galilee – lame people walking, blind people seeing, and something totally unbelievable about a dead man leaving his grave. No offence meant, but Galileans can be unreliable with the truth, so I didn’t take much notice. But he’d obviously done something bad, this crowd was really riled up.  They were shouting abuse and ridiculing him. Telling him to come down from the cross, demanding that he save himself. It was quite a spectacle, all that fury and passion flying around was infectious, I found myself joining in. I left feeling quite virtu­ous, like I’d done my bit to get rid of a public nuisance.

Scripture Reading Mark 15:33–37

Scripture Reading Mark 15:38–39

Music  “Love Melts Fear” by The Kahn Brothers