Kiwi Easter

DISCIPLE: Jesus is with us now, breathing, talking. Now we get it. This was the plan! He says: as the Father sent me, I send you. Let's go.

MARY: At the tomb again. Where's the body? Hopeless. And suddenly he's here. HE's here. Jesus. Alive. Now. It's really him! JESUS IS ALIVE!

MARY: At the tomb to prepare Jesus' body. But the stone's been moved! And the body's gone too! Just two angels saying, He is risen! Huh?

DISCIPLE: They've put a guard on the tomb. How can it have ended like this? Our Jesus a dead body. He was supposed to save us but he's dead.

DISCIPLE: We saw them take Jesus down from the cross. Put the body in a tomb, sealed with a huge stone. Gone. Hope gone. Jesus is dead.

DISCIPLE: Jesus says, It is finished. And to the God who has abandoned him, Father, I put myself in your hands. AND HE'S DEAD.

COMPLETE DARKNESS FALLS. Jesus hanging on the cross, totally alone, deserted. He cries, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

MARY: My own son dying. I cannot bear to look. He sees me, then sees his best friend. Tells us, Now he's your son, and you're his mother.

THIEF: I'm dying on a cross beside Jesus. I'm guilty, but him... Is it all true? He looks at me, says: Today you'll be with me in paradise.

CROWD: His words, Father, forgive them, they don't know what they're doing. We shout, Come down! Save yourself! Why doesn't he?

DISCIPLE: We're walking behind Jesus. He drags his cross up the hill. Now they nail him to the wood. Can't watch. How can it end like this?

CROWD: He is broken, beaten, bloody. Pilate's soldiers are hitting him, making fun of him. They give him a crown of sharp, twisted thorns.

CROWD: The governor, Pilate, tries to release Jesus. But we're with the priests now, screaming: Kill him! Crucify! We win. Death sentence.

PETER: Waiting outside. Scared. Someone says, Peter, you know him! I say, No. No way. Not me. I let Jesus down just like he said I would.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS: Jesus on trial. He's silent, until the priest asks if he's God's son. Jesus says, Yes. Guilty! We spit in his face.

DISCIPLE: What's this?! Jesus? A crowd coming with swords. Jesus calm. Judas with them, betrays Jesus with a kiss. Jesus arrested. We run.

DISCIPLE: Asleep again! Sorry Jesus. He's praying, God, not what I want, but what you want. Can't keep our eyes open…

DISCIPLE: Wake up! How could we fall asleep? Jesus is praying, asking God: is there any other way? We're praying too, not sleeping, not sl…

DISCIPLE: We've walked back to the Mount of Olives. Jesus tells us to keep watch and pray. He's praying, sweating, pleading. Struggling.

DISCIPLE: Now Jesus is saying that we're all going to desert him- rubbish! We'd go with him anywhere. Die with him, even. Whatever it takes.