| This dramatic
reconstruction took place on
18th April 2003
starting in Town Hall Square, Leicester at 11.00
a.m. After his arrest and trial, Jesus is sentenced to be crucified and forced to carry his cross through the crowded streets and markets of Leicester to the Market Square in front of the Corn Exchange where he was crucified. Arrest
Trial
before Pilate
Jesus is whipped and
mocked Jesus sentenced
The
Crucifixion
Conclusion |
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After the Last Supper, Jesus and the disciples walked and talked in an olive grove in the Garden of Gethsemane outside Jerusalem (Town Hall Square). Jesus took some time to pray while the disciples rested. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" Matthew 26: 45-6 |
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Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 disciples, had secretly plotted with the Pharisees to help arrest Jesus.
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the
Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs,
sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. Matthew
26: 47 |
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Judas identifies Jesus with a kiss so that the soldiers know who to arrest. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him. Matthew 26: 48-49 |
| Jesus is brought before
the Sanhedrin, the Pharisee Council, to answer charges.
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and declared, "This fellow said, `I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.' " Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26: 59-64 |
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Jesus is led before Pontius Pilate, the Roman Procurator. Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?" But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge - to the great amazement of the governor. Mathew 27: 11-14
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Jesus is whipped. (This piece of the drama was in the form of a dance with each of the three dancers wiping their hands, covered in blood, onto Jesus' trunk in a series of stripes to the crash of the cymbals in the musical accompaniment).
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. John 19:1 |
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The soldiers mocked Jesus, dressed him in a scarlet robe and put a crown of thorns on his head.
Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 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. Matthew 27: 27-31
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Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?" Matthew 27: 15-17 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed. Matthew 27: 20 |
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Jesus is led by the soldiers through the crowd to the place where he was to be crucified. He is forced to carry a cross.
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). John 19: 16-17 |
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Weakened by the flogging, Jesus stumbles on the way (Gallowtree Gate) and a spectator is forced to continue carrying the cross. A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of
Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and
they forced him to carry the cross. Mark: 15: 21
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The soldiers offer Jesus some wine mixed with a drug to kill the pain, but he refuses it. They nail Jesus to the cross (Market Square). 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. Matthew 27: 34-36 |
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Jesus is crucified and a sign is placed above his head reading "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" in three languages. Here they crucified him, .... Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write `The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." John 19: 18-22 |
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The soldiers divide up Jesus' clothes. 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. "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. John 19:23-24 |
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Jesus cries out "Everything is done!
FATHER, I PUT MYSELF INTO YOUR HANDS!" He bows his
head and dies. 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 and the rocks split. Matthew 27: 50-51 |
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When Jesus is dead, Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for his body. It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.. Mark 15;42-46 |
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| After the
drama, the musicians and singers performed the "Harrowing from
Hell" composed by Kendal Kirkland to words by Ian Florance, and
arranged and conducted by Musical Director, Rod Iliffe. The Bishop of Leicester, Rt. Rev. Tim Stevens, gave an address and led prayers before the event ended
with the singing of "When I survey the wondrous cross",
led by John Griffin.
Many thanks to everyone involved. Check out the details of the next Good Friday production on 9th April 2004. |
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| Back to the top Back to SWORD website Home | Created by SWORD Christian Drama Group (February, 2008) |
