Easter Update

Imagine if there were news reporters and cameras back when Jesus was crucified.  Perhaps it would go something like this.


“This is Sarah Nose-alot reporting for WJDA News, Jerusalem.  We are here at the scene of the crucifixion of one of the nation’s most talked about individuals since John the Baptist.  Jesus of Nazareth, carpenter and noted teacher, was just crucified with two other criminals on Golgotha.  As you know, we here at WJDA are dedicated to finding the truth in all stories and there has been much speculation and many rumors out there about this individual.  Some claim he was a hoax, others claim he was the Son of God.  We are here today to get a feel of the people of Jerusalem on this historic day.” 

Looking about the crowd, her eyes light up as she notices a man walking through the streets.  Motioning for the camera man to follow, she catches up to the man and grabs the sleeve of his robe to halt his advance.

“Excuse me, aren’t you Peter?  You are one of Jesus’ so called disciples aren’t you?”

“What?  Yes, yes I am or was.”

“This is great! Sarah Nose-alot, WJDA News, can you tell our listeners your view of what has happened here today?”

“What has happened?  A great man has been wrongly accused and sent to die.  I have seen the miracles with my own eyes.  He is a man of love and compassion, not a petty criminal to be crucified.  This is all wrong.”

“Our sources told us that you were approached three different times right after this Jesus was taken into custody and were asked or accused of being one of his followers and you denied it every time.  If he was so great and innocent, why did you deny him?”

“I was scared that I would be taken too.  He knew I would do it.  He told me I would.  He knew..”  Peter mumbles as he starts to walk off down the street, talking to himself.

“Well, ok then.  Let’s head on out to Golgotha and see what is happening there with my fellow correspondent Priscilla Gossip-hound.  Priscilla?”

The scene shifts from the streets of Jerusalem to a country hill outside the city with three crosses erected and people gathered around talking and looking to the three.

“Yes, thank you Sarah.  This is Priscilla Gossip-hound reporting from Golgotha.  The scene here has been one of mixed emotions.  There are people all around crying while others are cheering.  I was lucky enough to be able to catch one of the soldiers who was there at the scene and actually took part in the crucifixion.  I have him here with me and he has agreed to talk to us here today.”

The scene pans to a Roman soldier looking subdued and contemplative, gaze downcast to the ground before him. 

“Thank you for agreeing to talk to us today.  Can you tell our listeners, in your words, about what how it was to help crucify Jesus of Nazareth?”

“Well, I was part of the small company assigned to the crucifixions today.  We all figured it was like any other crucifixion we have done over the years.  But something was different about this one.”

“Really, can you please explain what you mean by that?”

“Two of the men are your normal, everyday criminals.  But this Jesus was different.  All through the whole trial and the crucifixion, there was something about him that set him off from any other criminal we have dealt with to date.  He never became angry and his eyes were never filled with hate, only compassion.  Even after we hung him up on the cross, his story never changed.  He even looked to one of the other two and told him he was forgiven and would be with him in heaven. “

“How interesting.  Well thank you for your time, I know you are busy but is there anything else you would like to say to our listeners today?”

“Yes”  he replies as he looks into the camera.  “Truly he is the Son of God”

The camera quickly pans back to Priscilla as she tries to keep her composure from this unexpected comment from the soldier.

“Yes, well thank you again.  We have one last person we want to speak to today.  If you’ll follow me, I found her just over here earlier.  Ahh, here we go.”

Priscilla approaches two women and a man.  The women are crying as the man has his arm around one of the women.  Coming to a stop before them, Priscilla turns to face the camera and flashes her best smile while motioning to the woman who was standing in the gentle embrace of the man.

“Excuse me, excuse me please. Aren’t you Mary, the mother of Jesus?”

The woman looks up with blood red eyes, tear stains coating her face as she nods.  “Yes I am.”

“Great!  Priscilla Gossip-hound, from WJDA News Jerusalem.  Would you please tell our listeners how you feel right now?”


The man becomes angry as he speaks.  “How she feels?  Are you kidding me?  Go away you vultures.” 

Mary shakes her head slightly as she softly speaks.  Her voice cracks from her crying but it does not slow her down from speaking her mind.

“It’s ok John.  Miss, do you have children?”

“Yes, I have a little boy, why?”

“How would you feel if you raised him, knowing he was special and had a special calling in his life?  You watched him grow to become a great man, one filled with love and compassion for everyone he came across, regardless of who they were, where they were from, or what they did.  Watched him perform miracles only one from the Almighty God could perform such as turning water to wine, healing the sick and raising the dead.  Then you watched as he was wrongly accused, so much that even Pilot could not find fault in him for the crimes he was supposed to have committed, and hear the crowd scream for his crucifixion instead of a well known criminal.  Then watch helpless as he is nailed to unforgiving wood and hung up to die a slow, painful death knowing he is innocent.  How would you feel?  He only wanted to help others, show them the way to an eternal life with One who loves and created them.  How would you feel?”

“Oh, well I.. umm.. I.  Wait,”  Priscilla looks relieved as she reaches up to touch the ear piece in her left ear.  “We are being told that Jesus is talking.  Quick Matt, get a shot of the cross.”

The camera pans to the cross hanging between two others.  The man suspended there was wearing a crown of thorns pushed harshly down to his brows.  Looking up to the Heavens, he calls out.  “Father forgive them, they know not what they do!”

Looking around, Priscilla could see some people go quiet before crying harder while others continued to ridicule and make fun of him.  After a few moments, the man spoke one last time..”It is finished.”  Then he closed his eyes and went limp. 

The camera pans back to Priscilla as she stands there quiet a moment and then looks to the lens before speaking.

“Well, it would appear Jesus of Nazareth has died.  This is Priscilla Gossip-hound reporting for WJDA News, Jerusalem.”

The scene fades to black.  Three days later, regular programming is interrupted by a late breaking story.

“This is Priscilla Gossip-hound reporting for WJDA News, Jerusalem.  We are here at the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth which is now empty.  There are some that claim that this Jesus has risen from the dead while others claim that his followers have taken the body and hid it so they could claim he rose from the dead and continue the illusion that this Jesus was more than just a carpenter but the Son of God.  We are here with the woman who first found the tomb empty.  Please Ma’am, would you tell our listeners your name and what you saw when you arrived at the tomb today?”

“Yes, my name is Mary and I was coming to the tomb like I have every day since he was laid to rest and found the large stone covering the entrance rolled to the side and the tomb was empty.  I could not help but cry out that someone had taken his body but then I saw a person above the tomb who told me that his body wasn’t taken but that he had risen from the dead.”

“Did you recognize this person?”

“No, I have never seen this person before.  So when I heard that, I went to the disciples and told them what I had found and heard and seen.”

“And what did they say?”

“A couple of them came running to the tomb to see for their self.”

“I see, well thank you for your time.”  Priscilla replies before looking to the camera.  “We are now going to my fellow correspondent, Sarah Nose-alot who is standing by with one of Jesus’ disciples..Sarah.”

The scene fades to Sarah standing in a room with a man right next to her. 

“Thank you Priscilla.  This is Sarah Nose-alot here with Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples.  Thomas is one of the men who claim that Jesus appeared to them here in this room today.”

“He was here, I didn’t believe it at first myself but it’s true,  It was him.”

“And what makes you believe it was Jesus?”

“I saw the nail scars in his hands and feet.”  Looks directly into the camera and says.  “He’s risen, he’s alive!”

“I see, right well thank you for your time Thomas.”  Sarah interrupts as the camera turns toward her.  Giving her best smile she prepares to close her segment.  “There appears to be a consensus among those in this room that Jesus of Nazareth has risen from the dead and that is the reason his tomb is empty.  If this is true, then he truly must be the Son of God as was claimed before his death.  This is Sarah Nose-alot reporting for WJDA News Jerusalem.”


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