The Recounting of Good Friday
Matthew 7:1-2
Narrator: Early (Friday) morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
John 18:29
Pilate: “What charges are you bringing against this man?”.
Luke 23:2-3, John 18:30-31
The People: (with smugness)“We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” (sarcastically) “If he were not a criminal, …we would not have handed him over to you.”
Pilate:, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
The People: (sly innocence) “But we have no right to execute anyone,”
Luke 23:4
Pilate: “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
(Luke 23:13-16) “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
Matthew 27:20
Narrator 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message:
Pilate’s Wife: (in a spooked manner) “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
Mark 15:6-8
Narrator 6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
Matthew 27:19-21
Pilate: “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
Narrator 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
Pilate: “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
Luke 23:18
The People (frenzied moblike, LOUD)“Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”
Matthew 27:22
Pilate:22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
John 19:6-7
The People: (angry mob, LOUD) “…”Crucify! Crucify!”
Pilate: “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
The People: (frustrated & LOUD)“We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
Luke 23:22
Pilate:What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
John 19:12
Narrator 12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting,
The People: (haughtily and threatening, LOUD) “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
John 19:14-16
Narrator 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
Pilate: “Here is your king,”
The People: (angry mob, LOUD) 15 “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate: “Shall I crucify your king?”
The People: (frenzied mob, like protestors )“We have no king but Caesar,” (repeat several times)
Matthew 27:24-26
Pilate: “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
The people: (frenzied mob,)“His blood is on us. (like protestors) On us and on our children!” (repeat several times)
Narrator 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Matthew 27:27-30
Narrator 27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him.
Men:(mockingly arrogant, sing-songy) “Hail, king of the Jews!” (repeat several times)
Narrator 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
Mark 15:20
Narrator 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Luke 23:32
Narrator 32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.
Matthew 27:33-34
Narrator 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
Luke 23:33
Narrator 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, (Mark 15:27-28) 27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. 28 [a]So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”
Luke 23:33-34
Narrator 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
John 19:23-25
Narrator 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
Men:(arrogantly) “Let’s not tear it, let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
Narrator 25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:19-22
Narrator 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
The People: (threatening and “Karen”-like) “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ”
Pilate: “What I have written, I have written.”
Matthew 27:39-44
Narrator 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying,
The People: (haughty and arrogant)“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!”
41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.
The People: (haughty and arrogant) 42 “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. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
Luke 23:39-43
Narrator 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:
Men:(yelling mockingly) “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
Narrator 40 But the other criminal rebuked him.
Women:(defensively angry) “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”
Narrator 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Matthew 27:45-49
Narrator 45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
The People: (with mocking anticipation) “He’s calling Elijah.”
Narrator 48 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 People:(with mocking anticipation) “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
John 19:28-30
Narrator 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Luke 23:46
Narrator 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last.
Narrator: Early (Friday) morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death. They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor.
John 18:29
Pilate: “What charges are you bringing against this man?”.
Luke 23:2-3, John 18:30-31
The People: (with smugness)“We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” (sarcastically) “If he were not a criminal, …we would not have handed him over to you.”
Pilate:, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
The People: (sly innocence) “But we have no right to execute anyone,”
Luke 23:4
Pilate: “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
(Luke 23:13-16) “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
Matthew 27:20
Narrator 19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message:
Pilate’s Wife: (in a spooked manner) “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
Mark 15:6-8
Narrator 6 Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. 7 A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. 8 The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did.
Matthew 27:19-21
Pilate: “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
Narrator 20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
Pilate: “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?”
Luke 23:18
The People (frenzied moblike, LOUD)“Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”
Matthew 27:22
Pilate:22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?”
John 19:6-7
The People: (angry mob, LOUD) “…”Crucify! Crucify!”
Pilate: “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
The People: (frustrated & LOUD)“We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God.”
Luke 23:22
Pilate:What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
John 19:12
Narrator 12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jewish leaders kept shouting,
The People: (haughtily and threatening, LOUD) “If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar.”
John 19:14-16
Narrator 14 It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon.
Pilate: “Here is your king,”
The People: (angry mob, LOUD) 15 “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate: “Shall I crucify your king?”
The People: (frenzied mob, like protestors )“We have no king but Caesar,” (repeat several times)
Matthew 27:24-26
Pilate: “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
The people: (frenzied mob,)“His blood is on us. (like protestors) On us and on our children!” (repeat several times)
Narrator 26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.
Matthew 27:27-30
Narrator 27 Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him.
Men:(mockingly arrogant, sing-songy) “Hail, king of the Jews!” (repeat several times)
Narrator 30 They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.
Mark 15:20
Narrator 20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Luke 23:32
Narrator 32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.
Matthew 27:33-34
Narrator 33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it.
Luke 23:33
Narrator 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, (Mark 15:27-28) 27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. 28 [a]So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”
Luke 23:33-34
Narrator 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
John 19:23-25
Narrator 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
Men:(arrogantly) “Let’s not tear it, let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
Narrator 25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
John 19:19-22
Narrator 19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was:
JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.
The People: (threatening and “Karen”-like) “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but, ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.” ’ ”
Pilate: “What I have written, I have written.”
Matthew 27:39-44
Narrator 39 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads 40 and saying,
The People: (haughty and arrogant)“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!”
41 In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.
The People: (haughty and arrogant) 42 “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. 43 He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
Luke 23:39-43
Narrator 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him:
Men:(yelling mockingly) “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
Narrator 40 But the other criminal rebuked him.
Women:(defensively angry) “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”
Narrator 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Matthew 27:45-49
Narrator 45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[a] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
The People: (with mocking anticipation) “He’s calling Elijah.”
Narrator 48 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 People:(with mocking anticipation) “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”
John 19:28-30
Narrator 28 Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”
Luke 23:46
Narrator 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last.