THE PASSION DRAMA — Lyrics

AT GETHSEMANE Jesus went with Peter and the two sons of Zebedee to a place called Gethsemane. Grief and anguish came over him. JESUS The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Tarry here and keep watch with me. (He went a little further on, threw himself face downward on the ground and prayed) JESUS My father, if it is possible; take this chalice of suffering from me! Yet not my will, but yours be done. (Then he returned to the three disciples and found them asleep) JESUS Peter, how is it that you three were not able to keep watch with me for even one hour? Keep watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (He left them and went away to pray again) JESUS My father, if this chalice of suffering cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done. (He returned once more and found the disciples asleep, they could not keep their eyes open. Again He left them, went away, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then he returned to the disciples). JESUS Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to the power of sinners. (Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs sent by the chief priests and the elders). JUDAS ISCARIOT The man I kiss is the one you arrest. (Judas went straight to Jesus). JUDAS ISCARIOT Peace be with you, Teacher (And he kissed Jesus) JESUS Would you betray the son of man with a kiss (Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward). JESUS Whom do you seek? SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS Jesus of Nazareth JESUS I am he (On hearing "I am he", they drew back and fell to the ground). JESUS Who do you seek? SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS Jesus of Nazareth JESUS I told you that I am he; so if you seek me, let these men go. This was to fulfill the word which he had spoken, "Of those whom you gave me I lost not one". (Then Simon Peter, having a sword drew it and struck the High Priest's slave and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus). JESUS Peter, put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the chalice which the Father has given me? All who live by the sword die by the sword. (After saying all these to Peter, he touched and healed Malchus' ear. The band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus while the disciples ran away). JESUS BEFORE THE COUNCIL Those who had arrested Jesus took him to the house of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the teacher of the law and the elders had gathered together. Peter followed from a distance. He went into the courtyard and sat with the guards. TWO MEN This man said, "I will tear down God's temple and build it back in three days". HIGH PRIEST Have you no answer to give to this accusation against you? (Jesus kept quiet) HIGH PRIEST In the name of the Living God I put you under oath; tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God. JESUS So you say. But I tell all of you; from this time on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right side of the Almighty and coming on the clouds of heaven. (The High Priest tore His clothes) HIGH PRIEST Blasphemy! We don't need any more witness! You have just heard his blasphemy! What do you think? ALL He is guilty and must die. (They spat in his face, beat him and slapped him) ALL Prophesy for us, Messiah guess who hit you!! PETER DENIES JESUS While Peter was sitting outside the courtyard, one of the High Priest's servant women came to him. SERVANT WOMAN You too, were with Jesus of Galilee PETER I don't know what you are talking about. (Peter went out to the entrance of the courtyard) SERVANT WOMAN 2 He was with Jesus of Nazareth PETER I swear, I don't know that man. MEN Of course, you are one of them. After all, the way you speak gives you away. PETER I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not! I don't know that man!! (Just then a cock crowed, and Peter remembered what Jesus had told him; "Before the cock crows, you will say three times you do not know me." And he went out and wept bitterly). JESUS BEFORE PILATE They led Jesus from the courtyard to the Praetorium. It was early. They themselves did not enter the Praetorium, so that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them. PILATE What accusation do you bring against this man? ALL If this man were not an evildoer, we would not have handed him over PILATE Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law. ALL It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. (Pilate entered the Praetorium again and called Jesus) PILATE Are you the king of the Jews? JESUS Do you say this of your own accord or did others say it to you about me? PILATE Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me; what have you done? JESUS My kingship is not of this world; if my kingship were of this world; my servants would fight, that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but my kingship is not from this world. PILATE So you are a king? JESUS You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. PILATE What is truth? (Pilate went out to the Jews again) PILATE I find no crime in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover; will you have me release for you the king of the Jews? (They cried out again) ALL Not this man, but Barabbas (Barabbas was a robber. Then Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and clothed him in a purple robe). SOLDIERS Hail, King of the Jews. (They struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again, and said to them.). PILATE Behold, I am bringing him out to you, that you may know that I find no crime in him. (Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe). PILATE Here is the man ALL Crucify him! Crucify him! PILATE Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no crime in him. ALL We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he has made himself the Son of God (When Pilate heard these words, he was even more afraid; he entered the Praetorium again) PILATE Where are you from? (But Jesus gave no answer) PILATE You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you? JESUS You would have no power over me unless it had been given to you from above therefore he who delivered me to you has the greater sin. (Upon this Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out). ALL If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend; anyone who makes himself a king sets himself against Caesar. (When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called THE PAVEMENT, and in Hebrew GABBATHA. Now it was the day of preparation; it was about the sixth hour. PILATE Here is your king ALL Away with him PILATE Shall I crucify your king? THE CHIEF PRIESTS We have no king but Caesar. (Pilate handed Jesus over to the Jews to be crucified. Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; it read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews") THE CHIEF PRIEST Do not write, 'The king of the Jews'; but, this man said, "I am the king of the Jews". PILATE What I have written I have written JESUS Forgive them, Father! For they don't know what they are doing (When the soldiers had crucified Jesus they took his garment and made four parts, one for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was without seam, woven from top to bottom). SOLDIERS Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be. SOLDIERS He saved others, let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one. (One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him). CRIMINAL 1 Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us CRIMINAL 2 Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? For we are receiving the due reward of our deed; but this man has done nothing wrong CRIMINAL 2 Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power. JESUS Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. NARRATOR Standing by the cross of Jesus where his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple who he loved standing near. JESUS Woman, behold your son (To his disciple). JESUS Behold, your mother (And from that hour the disciples took her to his own home. After this Jesus knowing that all was now finished). JESUS I Thirst. (A bowl of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth). (It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun's light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two). JESUS (Crying with a loud voice); Eloi, Eloi lema sabachthani? SOLDIERS He must be calling Elijah. JESUS (Crying with a loud voice again) Father into your hands I commit your spirit. JESUS It is finished. (And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the Sabbath. The Jews approached Pilate). THE JEWS We want their legs to be broken and their bodies taken away. (The soldiers broke the legs of the first and the other who had been crucified with Jesus. As they came to Jesus and saw he was dead, a soldier pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. They looked on him whom they have pierced). (After this Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, But secretly, for fear of the Jews approached Pilate). JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA May I take away the body of Jesus PILATE You may (So he came and took down his body, and laid his body in the arms of his mother. Nicodemus also came bringing mixture of Myrrh and aloes about a hundred pounds weight. They bound Jesus' body in linen clothes with the spices as it was the Jews' burial custom. In the place he was crucified there was a garden which had a new tomb, so they laid Jesus there).