Luke 22:14-23:56 (The Message)
1: The Upper Room
Requires readers for
Narrator
Jesus
Peter
disciples (at least two)
Narrator: 14-16When it was time, Jesus sat down, all the apostles with him. He said,
Jesus:"You’ve no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. It’s the last one I’ll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God."
Narrator: 17-18Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said,
Jesus: "Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives."
Narrator:Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
Jesus:"This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory."
Narrator:20He did the same with the cup after supper, saying,
Jesus:"This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.
21-22"Do you realize that the hand of the one who is betraying me is at this moment on this table? It’s true that the Son of Man is going down a path already marked out—no surprises there. But for the one who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man, this is doomsday."
Narrator: 23They immediately became suspicious of each other and began quizzing one another, wondering who might be about to do this.
24-26Within minutes they were bickering over who of them would end up the greatest. But Jesus intervened:
Jesus:"Kings like to throw their weight around and people in authority like to give themselves fancy titles. It’s not going to be that way with you. Let the senior among you become like the junior; let the leader act the part of the servant.
27-30"Who would you rather be: the one who eats the dinner or the one who serves the dinner? You’d rather eat and be served, right? But I’ve taken my place among you as the one who serves. And you’ve stuck with me through thick and thin. Now I confer on you the responsibility that God conferred on me, so you can eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and be strengthened as you take up responsibilities among the congregations of God’s people.
31-32"Simon, stay on your toes. Satan has tried his best to separate all of you from me, like chaff from wheat. Simon, I’ve prayed for you in particular that you not give in or give out. When you have come through the time of testing, turn to your companions and give them a fresh start."
Peter: 33"Master, I’m ready for anything with you. I’d go to jail for you. I’d die for you!"
Jesus:"I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Peter, but before the rooster crows you will have three times denied that you know me."
Narrator: 35Then Jesus said,
Jesus:"When I sent you out and told you to travel light, to take only the bare necessities, did you get along all right?"
Disciples: "Certainly! We got along just fine."
Jesus: 36-37"This is different. Get ready for trouble. Look to what you’ll need; there are difficult times ahead. Pawn your coat and get a sword. What was written in Scripture, ‘He was lumped in with the criminals,’ gets its final meaning in me. Everything written about me is now coming to a conclusion."
Disciple: 38"Look, Master, we have two swords!"
Jesus: "Enough of that; no more sword talk!"
Scene 2: Garden of Gethsemane
Requires readers for
Narrator
Jesus
Disciples (at least two)
Narrator: 39-40Leaving there, he went, as he so often did, to Mount Olives. The disciples followed him. When they arrived at the place, Jesus said,
Jesus: "Pray that you don’t give in to temptation."
Narrator: 41-44He pulled away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,
Jesus:"Father, remove this cup from me. But please, not what I want. What do you want?"
Narrator:At once an angel from heaven was at his side, strengthening him. Jesus prayed on all the harder. Sweat, wrung from him like drops of blood, poured off his face.
45-46He got up from prayer, went back to the disciples and found them asleep, drugged by grief. He said,
Jesus: "What business do you have sleeping? Get up. Pray so you won’t give in to temptation."
Narrator: 47-48No sooner were the words out of his mouth than a crowd showed up, Judas, the one from the Twelve, in the lead. He came right up to Jesus to kiss him. Jesus challenged him:
Jesus: "Judas, you would betray the Son of Man with a kiss?"
Narrator: 49-50When those with him realized what was happening, they asked,
Disciples:"Master, shall we fight?"
Narrator:One of them took a swing at the Chief Priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.
51Jesus: "Let them be. Even in this."
Narrator:Then, touching the servant’s ear, he healed him.
52-53Jesus spoke to those who had come as spectators—high priests, Temple police, religion leaders:
Jesus:"What is this, jumping me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I’ve been with you in the Temple and you’ve not so much as lifted a hand against me. But do it your way—it’s a dark night, a dark hour."
Narrator: 54-56Arresting Jesus, they marched him off and took him into the house of the Chief Priest.
Scene 3: At the Chief Priest’s House
Requires readers for
Narrator
Maid
Peter
2 men
Narrator: Peter followed, but at a safe distance. In the middle of the courtyard some people had started a fire and were sitting around it, trying to keep warm. One of the serving maids sitting at the fire noticed him, then took a second look and said,
Maid: "This man was with him!"
Narrator: Peter denied it,
Peter: "Woman, I don’t even know him."
Narrator: 58A short time later, someone else noticed him.
Man 1:"You’re one of them."
Peter: "Man, I am not."
Narrator: 59About an hour later, someone else spoke up, really adamant:
Man 2:"He’s got to have been with him! He’s got ‘Galilean’ written all over him."
Peter: "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
Narrator:At that very moment, the last word hardly off his lips, a rooster crowed. Just then, the Master turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered what the Master had said to him:
Jesus:"Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."
Narrator:Peter went out and cried and cried and cried.
Scene 4: The trial of Jesus
Requires readers for
Narrator
Jesus
Soldier
Pilate
Priests (can also serve as Crowd)
Narrator: 63-65The men in charge of Jesus began poking fun at him, slapping him around. They put a blindfold on him and taunted,
Soldier:"Who hit you that time?"
Narrator:They were having a grand time with him.
66-67When it was morning, the religious leaders of the people and the high priests and scholars all got together and brought him before their High Council. They demanded,
Priest 1:"Are you the Messiah?"
Narrator: 67-69Jesus answered,
Jesus: "If I said yes, you wouldn’t believe me. If I asked what you meant by your question, you wouldn’t answer me. So here’s what I have to say: From here on the Son of Man takes his place at God’s right hand, the place of power."
70Priest 2:"So you admit your claim to be the Son of God?"
Jesus:"You’re the ones who keep saying it."
Narrator: 71But they had made up their minds,
Priest 3: "Why do we need any more evidence? We’ve all heard him as good as say it himself."
Narrator: 1-2Then they all took Jesus to Pilate and began to bring up charges against him. They said,
Priest 1:"We found this man undermining our law and order, forbidding taxes to be paid to Caesar, setting himself up as Messiah-King."
Pilate: "Is this true that you’re ‘King of the Jews’?"
Jesus: "Those are your words, not mine."
Narrator: 4Pilate told the high priests and the accompanying crowd,
Pilate: "I find nothing wrong here. He seems harmless enough to me."
Narrator: 5But they were vehement.
Priest 1:"He’s stirring up unrest among the people with his teaching.
Priest 2: He’s disturbing the peace everywhere, starting in Galilee and now all through Judea.
Priest 3:He’s a dangerous man, endangering the peace."
Narrator: 6-7When Pilate heard that, he asked,
Pilate:"Oh. So he’s a Galilean?"
Narrator:Realizing that Galileans came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days.
8-10Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long time to see him, he’d heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something spectacular. He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn’t answer—not one word. But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their piece, strident and shrill in their accusations.
11-12Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in, taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance.
13-16Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and said,
Pilate: "You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It’s clear that he’s done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go."
Narrator:18-20At that, the crowd went wild:
Crowd: "Kill him! Give us Barabbas!"
Narrator: (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again. 21But the crowd kept shouting back,
Crowd: "Crucify! Crucify him!"
Narrator: 22Pilate tried a third time.
Pilate:"But for what crime? I’ve found nothing in him deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go."
Narrator: 23-25But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave Jesus to the Temple authorities to do whatever they wanted.
Scene 5: The Cross
Requires readers for
Narrator
Jesus
Soldier
2 criminals
Crowd members
Narrator: 26-31As they led him off, they made Simon, a man from Cyrene who happened to be coming in from the countryside, carry the cross behind Jesus. A huge crowd of people followed, along with women weeping and carrying on. At one point Jesus turned to the women and said,
Jesus:"Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me. Cry for yourselves and for your children. The time is coming when they’ll say, ‘Lucky the women who never conceived! Lucky the wombs that never gave birth! Lucky the breasts that never gave milk!’ Then they’ll start calling to the mountains, ‘Fall down on us!’ calling to the hills, ‘Cover us up!’ If people do these things to a live, green tree, can you imagine what they’ll do with deadwood?"
Narrator: 32Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.
33When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left. 34-35And Jesus prayed,
Jesus: "Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing."
Narrator: Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting,
Crowd: "He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen One—ha!"
Narrator: 36-37The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine:
Soldier: "So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!"
Narrator: 38Printed over him was a sign: “This is the King of the Jews.” 39One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him:
Criminal 1: "Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!"
Narrator: 40-41But the other one made him shut up:
Criminal 2: "Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same as him. We deserve this, but not him—he did nothing to deserve this."
Narrator:42Then the second criminal said,
Criminal 2: "Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom."
Jesus: "Don’t worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise."
Narrator: 44-46By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly,
Jesus: "Father, I place my life in your hands!"
Narrator:Then he breathed his last. 47When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God:
Soldier: "This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!"
Narrator:48-49All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.
50-54There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath, the Sabbath just about to begin.
55-56The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded.