Investiture Achievement/Skit/Mark/Act Four: Trial and Resurrection

Newscast 4, Trial coverage, resurrection

Seeya Tamarah

Hi everyone, you're watching Judea Today. I'm Seeya Tamarah.

Anna Malina

And I'm Anna Malina. Gabby Gefin is on vacation for Passover. We have more on the story we began reporting Thursday night, when Jesus was arrested.

Seeya Tamarah

That's right Anna. After Jesus was arrested, he was tried before the Sanhedrin. The charges against him were many: that he was going to destroy the temple; that he claimed to be the King of the Jews; and that he claimed indeed to be the Christ, the Son of God.

Anna Malina

Our understanding is that he made that claim in the very presence of the chief priests, and they interpreted it as blasphemy. With that, they dispensed with further witnesses.

Seeya Tamarah

The penalty for blasphemy is death, but under Roman law, the Jews do not have authority to execute a prisoner. So they took him to Pilate. Pilate clearly thought Jesus was an innocent man, and tried to release him, but nothing he did seemed to work.

Anna Malina

Apparently, Jesus wouldn't even defend himself in front of Pilate. Pilate seemed to be looking for an excuse to free him, but Jesus wouldn't even speak to him. Because it is customary for the Romans to release one prisoner during the feast, Pilate thought he could use that to free Jesus. He knew the people loved Jesus. What he didn't know what that the chief priest had somehow turned the people against him.

Seeya Tamarah

Pilate asked them if he should release Jesus, or Barabbas. To his surprise, the people asked him to release Barabbas! When he asked them what he should do with Jesus, the people shouted "Crucify Him!"

Anna Malina

And that's just what Pilate did. Jesus was handed over to the Romans to be whipped and crucified. But after the beating he had taken the night before, Jesus was too weak to carry a cross. Instead, the Romans found a man named Simon, a Cyrenian, and made him carry it.

Seeya Tamarah

They led him to Golgotha where the soldiers crucified him. Then they divided his clothing between them.

Anna Malina

Usually when criminals are crucified, it takes them several days to die. The religious leaders didn't want to have criminals hanging on a cross during the Sabbath, so they asked to have them removed from the cross and have their legs broken so they could not escape. When the soldiers went to break Jesus' legs, they found that he was already dead.

Live Reporti with a Roman Centurian

Seeya Tamarah

We go live to Judea Today live action reporter, Eliza Nitzanah in Jerusalem for more details. Eliza?

Eliza Nitzanah

Hi Seeya. I'm here this morning with Cornelius Blandus, a Roman centurian who was at the scene when Jesus died on the cross. Captain Blandus, how did you know he was dead?

Cornelius Blandus

Well, first of all, he looked pretty dead. But sometimes these prisoners just pretend to be dead so they can get away. Because of that, we hafta jab 'em with a spear to make sure.

Eliza Nitzanah

And if they flinch, then you know they're not dead?

Cornelius Blandus

Well, that's one sign. The other is that we can look at their blood. If it comes out all red, that means they're still alive. But if it has separated into blood and water, that means the heart has stopped mixing it all together inside their bodies. That means they're pretty dead.

Eliza Nitzanah

And what was the result?

Cornelius Blandus

He was dead.

Eliza Nitzanah

I understand there were some unusual events about the time he died. Can you explain?

Cornelius Blandus

You mean the earthquake?

Eliza Nitzanah

Yes. We all felt it.

Cornelius Blandus

Yup. I'd never been in one that powerful before. It was pretty bad. I heard it even tore the curtain in you guy's temple.

Eliza Nitzanah

What happened next?

Cornelius Blandus

I was pretty shaken by that. I mean, I had heard a lot of stuff about this guy before the Jews accused him of treason. Some people say he was the Son of God, and you know what?

Eliza Nitzanah

What?

Cornelius Blandus

I think he surely was.

Eliza Nitzanah

Thank you Captain. Live from Jerusalem, I'm Eliza Nitzanah for Judea Today.

News Analysis

Anna Malina

Thank you Eliza. That was not the end of the involvment of the Roman soldiers. When Jesus's friends removed his body from the cross to bury him on Friday, a detachment of soldiers was sent to guard his tomb.

Seeya Tamarah

That's right Anna. Joining us in the studio is Judea Today news analyst, Saadya Simeon to help us understand all this. Simeon, why were soldiers sent to guard the tomb of a dead man. Were you afraid he would come back to life?

Saadya Simeon

Don't be ridiculous. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Once a person dies, there is no coming back to life. When you're dead, you're dead!

Seeya Tamarah

Then why were the soldiers sent there?

Saadya Simeon

You see, this Jesus claimed he would come back to life, and we know his followers thought this too. They wouldn't want to look like they had been following a loser all this time - they would want it to look like Jesus had come back to life. We're pretty sure they would even steal his body to make everyone think he did. That deceit would be worse than all his other lies!

Seeya Tamarah

What lies?

Saadya Simeon

You know. That he was the Messiah.

Seeya Tamarah

But what if he was the Messiah?

Saadya Simeon

I'm not even going to entertain that question. This interview is OVER!

Anna Malina

(Getting a bulletin in her ear). This just in! We've been receiving reports from all over Jerusalem that Jesus has been resurrected! We're going live now to the tomb of Jesus where Tabor Haggai has this report.

Live Report, Mary Magdalene and the Resurrection

Tabor Haggai

Good morning Seeya. Even though there was a legion of soldiers here at the tomb all night and into the early parts of this morning, there are none here now. Apparently, they fled the scene when the stone rolled away during a a bright flash of light. Here comes someone now. Maybe she saw what happened. Excuse me, miss?

Mary Magdalene

Yes?

Tabor Haggai

What's your name?

Mary Magdalene

Mary, from Magdala.

Tabor Haggai

What did you see here this morning?

Mary Magdalene

(speaking excitedly) Oh, the most wonderful thing! I came here with Salome and Mary, James' mother with some spices so we could anoint Jesus' body. We were worrying about how we could move the stone, but when we got here, it had already been rolled back!

Tabor Haggai

Slow down!

Mary Magdalene

No, I'm in a hurry! We looked in the tomb, and we saw that Jesus was gone! His burial clothing was folded all nice and neat and still sitting inside. Since we didn't know what had happened, we started to cry! I saw a man I thought was the gardener, and asked him where Jesus was. I couldn't see very clearly because I had been crying so hard. And do you know what he said to me?

Tabor Haggai

What?

Mary Magdalene

He said, "Mary!" and that's when I knew it was him!

Tabor Haggai

Knew it was who?

Mary Magdalene

Jesus! He came back to life, just like he said he would! I've got to go tell the others! (runs off).

Tabor Haggai

Miss Magdalene, I think you just did. For Judea Today, I'm Tabor Haggai.

Seeya Tamarah

Wow. I guess this Jesus really was who he said he was.

Anna Malina

The Messiah! It's the only reasonable explanation! Let's go find his followers and join with them!

Seeya Tamarah

You said it girl!

Anna Malina

Amen!

Anchors get up and run off stage.

The End