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TV Program
There is one story that, no matter how hard the skeptics might try, will never be erased from human memory, it is the story of the crucifixion of Christ. There is something about that innocent Man hanging on a cross that forces us to deal with the ugliest side of human existence, and also forces us to contemplate the incredible love that God has for the fallen human race.
Today, on It Is Written, we will take you to the world famous Passion Play at Oberammergau, Germany, where people still stop to think about what happened to the Son of God nearly 2,000 years ago.
"It's quite unforgettable."
"We've been planning it for years. We?re all the way from Portsmouth in England."
"They are doing it so effectively that you get a great feeling of how it must have been."
"It helps you to dwell on and think more carefully about what Jesus actually did."
"It's very gripping, you know. It brings you back. You want to hear it again and again."
"It is really an experience that could happen only once in a lifetime, I think."
Oberammergau is a small town of about 5,000 people tucked away in the Alps of southern Germany. It's a place that still resonates with the art and history of the past, taking you back to a more classical period of German history.
The village takes on new life as masses of flowers bloom and attics are made ready. Shops are filled with carvings and curios, and there's an air of expectancy as everybody prepares for the world's oldest Passion Play.
Every 10 years, this town becomes the scene of a spectacle that draws half a million people from around the world to witness villagers acting out the last week of Christ's life on an open-air stage.
URSULA BURKHART, who plays the part of Mary Magdalene: "I think the play is so popular because we've done it for 350 years. And it's the whole community, the whole town which is involved. That all the people come back. If they work in the town, they come back to be part of it. And they make rehearsals next to their jobs. They don't think about money, how much they earn, it's not a thing, it's just to be together and bring this big Passion Play on stage together. The whole village, a lot of people cannot imagine that it happens. I mean, it's really exceptional. And I think that's the reason why it still works and it still functions, because all the people here want to do that."
The Passion Play at Oberammergau really is an amazing community effort. So how did it all get started?
Well, back in 1633, a terrible plague swept through this part of Europe, and people in this village were losing loved ones almost every day. So the community got together and talked about what move they should make to mitigate the suffering, and they ended up making a deal with God. If He would only spare them from the plague, they would put on an elaborate Passion Play every ten years in God's honor.
Well, the town was spared, and the people of Oberammergau have been keeping their promise for nearly 400 years.
"It's bringing the whole thing to life for us. It really is."
"I think it's absolutely wonderful and it exceeded all my expectations. It's really great."
"I love it very much, it's fun. It's great to see many people on the stage."
"For me, anyway, the whole thing comes alive."
"I really feel the interaction among the players puts it into proper time perspective. We read it very rapidly in scripture and to see it done with pauses and so forth, makes it much more realistic. We thoroughly appreciate it and we're so glad we've come again."
Now, the point of this Passion Play isn't just to put on a good bit of theater and entertain the tourists who flock here by the hundreds of thousands. It is meant to touch lives with the story of Jesus, and the actors themselves talk about how the play has changed their perspective.
URSULA: "At the time of the crucifixion, it's very, it hurts very much, very shocking. I mean, imagine there's somebody you love very much and he's in front of you, full of blood and crucified. It's just a dead person, you loved very much. It hurts and it's very much emotion. And we cry, I cry a lot. It affects you as a person very much. I think I'm not going to be the same person like I was before.
Second Director, Otto Huber, tells us how the play touches the lives of those who see it: "And I think many at Oberammergau of the audience come to Oberammergau, they have burdens in their life to carry and they need to get the perspective for their life. So they need consolation. Human beings come often again and again and again for consolation for their darkness."
Today, let's take a closer look at the crucifixion of Christ, and examine some of the forces that were so intent on destroying Him. Who exactly were these people who were so intent on killing a Man that the Bible says, "went about doing good."
Well, one of the first groups to turn against Jesus was the Sanhedrin, an important governing body in Jerusalem. In the gospel according to Mark, there is the story where Jesus is brought before His enemies, having been arrested by an unruly crowd in the middle of the night. And even though it was technically illegal to carry out those kinds of proceedings at night, the Sanhedrin began the work of finding something to condemn Jesus with.
Mark, chapter 14 and verse 55 says this (Mark 14:55):
"And the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death."
Now I hope you were paying careful attention to what we just read. It says that the Sanhedrin was actually looking for people who would testify against Jesus. They were supposed to look for ways to compassionately acquit a man on trial, but that night, they actually hired witnesses to give false evidence. They already had a guilty verdict in mind, they just wanted to justify it.
So the "witnesses" came forward, charging Jesus with all kinds of things. They said He wanted to disrupt the laws of the land, and that Jesus had spoken of destroying the temple. And what they did was to take Jesus' own words and twist them to make them fit the supposed crime.
But the amazing thing is that through the accusations, Jesus kept completely silent. So finally, a frustrated high priest asked Him, "Are you the Christ?"
"I am," Jesus said.
Here is what Mark says happened next (Mark 14:63, 64):
"Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, 'What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?' And they all condemned Him to be worthy of death."
The odds were stacked against Jesus. He didn't stand a chance, because they had already crucified Him in their minds before the trial began. That was the first blow specifically designed to silence Jesus for good.
But if you read the story carefully, you will discover that it wasn't just the government at work to destroy Him. The tide of public opinion also turned against Jesus in what seems like a heartbeat. Some of the people who marveled at Jesus' miracles and were captivated by His teachings quickly changed their minds as they sensed the opinion polls shifting against Him.
According to the Bible, Jesus was taken to Pilate where a large crowd was beginning to gather. The idea was that the Roman governor would quickly rubber-stamp the death sentence and ratify the Sanhedrin's decision, but Pilate hesitated. Something about the Son of God kept him from pronouncing the verdict he had made so many times before, and he decided that a good flogging should be good enough.
But after Christ's back had been torn open by the Roman whip, the unexpected happened. Pilate turned to the crowd and said, "Do you want me to release Him?"
Now back in those days, it was customary to let one prisoner go each Passover season, and Pilate hoped they would choose Jesus. But the crowd did the unthinkable and asked for Barrabas, a man who was convicted of murder.
"So what do you want me to do with Jesus?" Pilate asked.
And then the Bible records one of the most awful moments in the history of the human race (Mark 15:13, 14):
"So they cried out again, 'Crucify Him!' Then Pilate said to them, 'Why, what evil has He done?' And they cried out more exceedingly, 'Crucify Him!"'
I know it is hard to imagine, but the thing we wanted most at that moment was to kill God's Son. And so not only did the Jewish government condemn Jesus to die, but a raging mob did, too. And symbolically in that mob, we find the whole of the human race expressing their hatred for God.
On the day of the crucifixion, the odds were stacked against Jesus. Both the government and the people wanted Him dead. But there was still one more force working against Him: the weight of the entire Roman Empire. You see, the judges were corrupt, and the people were vicious. And you would think some disciplined Roman soldiers could put a stop to the whole thing, but they didn't.
Instead, they did the easy thing. They let it happen. If executing Jesus could smooth out a tense situation in Jerusalem, then Jesus simply had to go. And more than that, the Romans found the whole thing, well, fun.
Here is what Mark says happened (Mark 15:16-18):
"They called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!"'
It was Roman soldiers who blindfolded Jesus.
It was Roman soldiers who hit Him on the head, spit on Him, and then made fun of Him.
It was Roman soldiers who put the beams of wood on Jesus' back. It was Roman soldiers who led Him to the Place of the Skull.
It was Roman soldiers who nailed Him to a cross, and lifted it up, and waited for Him to die.
It was Roman soldiers who made sure that the Sanhedrin got their man. It was Roman soldiers who made sure that the voices of the crowd prevailed.
And the might of the Roman Empire finally thrust a spear into Jesus' side.
On the cross, you see the Son of God, condemned to die by the people He created. He was crushed by the power of Rome, and left utterly alone, rejected by us for His righteousness, and seemingly rejected by heaven because of your sins.
But the thing that really draws us to the cross is that it isn't the end of the story. Jesus came back from the impossible, from death itself. Three powerful forces conspired to destroy Him, but He ended up defeating them all.
First, He took on the irresistible force of the Roman Empire. A Roman guard was posted at the entrance to the tomb where Jesus was buried, and this was a squad of really tough, disciplined soldiers. They were men who knew they would pay with their lives if a prisoner got away.
And worse than that, a Roman seal had been placed on the stone that covered the tomb, so anybody who broke that seal would have to face the wrath of Caesar himself.
In other words, the Roman Empire was making sure that the body of Jesus of Nazareth stayed exactly where they put it.
But according to Matthew, here is what happened on Sunday morning (Matthew 28:2-4):
"And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men."
That might have been the best guarded tomb in history, but Jesus walked right out of it. The seal flew off the stone, and the guards went into shock. They were so afraid, they became as stiff as corpses.
A resurrected Christ walked right past the best the Roman army had to offer. Even the most horrifying method of execution imaginable wasn't enough to stop the Son of God.
But Jesus wasn't finished yet. He had to defeat the power of the Sanhedrin. He had to let them know that they were completely powerless against God. So, when the soldiers came to tell them that the body had disappeared, they turned white as sheets. It just wasn't possible! How in the world did it happen?
If the public found out that Jesus was missing, it might turn public opinion against them, so they came up with a story. Handing the soldiers a big bag of hush money, they said, 'Listen, here is what you're going to say. The disciples came by last night and stole the body while you guys were sleeping."
Now that was the best they could do, and if you think about it, there's a big hole in the story. Because how in the world would the soldiers know that's what happened if they were sleeping? And further more, what Roman soldier would ever admit to sleeping on duty? And even more than that, how would they ever explain the people who had actually seen Jesus?
The Apostle Paul actually tells us that Jesus appeared to a whole series of people right after the resurrection, and that was something those people would talk about the rest of their lives.
Here is what it says in First Corinthians 15 (1 Corinthians 15:4-7):
"He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles."
Jesus appeared in the flesh to all these people. He talked to them. He ate with them. He touched them, and they touched Him. So there was no way the Sanhedrin was going to be able to convince them that Jesus was still dead. And so in His most glorious moment, Jesus knocked a hole in the plot against Him by the rulers.
But there was still one force that had to be reckoned with. It was the voices of the angry mob that called for His execution. And Jesus tackled the court of public opinion through the preaching of His disciples.
In Acts, chapter two, Peter is standing in the courtyard of the temple, just weeks after the crucifixion. He's speaking to a large crowd that has gathered for the Day of Pentecost, and he reminds them of some of the Old Testament prophecies that predicted the Messiah.
And then he utters these words, found in Acts, chapter two and verse 22 (Acts 2:22-24):
"Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."
On this day, even though he had once failed Jesus, Peter was fearless. He stood up to the crowd and told them, 'You are responsible for the death of Jesus, but now He's alive!"
According to the Bible, the people were cut to the heart. It finally sunk in that they had killed God's Son, and so they screamed out, "What are we going to do?"
That day, about 3,000 people put their faith in Jesus Christ. A crowd that had once called for Jesus' death now called for Jesus' mercy. They became part of a growing movement that would turn the whole world upside-down for the kingdom of God.
Today, those voices are still telling the story. Jesus has conquered the grave. The Sanhedrin couldn't stop Him, the crowds couldn't stop Him, the Roman Empire couldn't stop Him, and even death couldn't stop Him.
And why did Jesus do it? The answer is very simple. He did it for you. He wanted to close the impossible gap between God and the human race. He wanted to find a way to redeem you, and restore you to the kingdom of God. And as He hung on the cross, it wasn't just the nails that held Him there: it was actually His overwhelming love for you.
And because Jesus overcame against all odds, He can offer you a better life. You might feel as if the winds of life are whipping you senseless, as if you can't possibly face another challenge or another day. But today, Jesus asks you to take heart. Even the grave couldn't stop Him, and by holding His nail-scarred hand, you can face just about anything, too.
Today, you can make a comeback. You can make a comeback from divorce. You can make a comeback from cancer. You can make a comeback from financial disaster. Even if your life is falling apart, you know you can go through the worst and come out with flying colors.
With Jesus, you can have new hope. Maybe the crowd has turned against you. Maybe the government has let you down. Maybe those who are supposed to protect you have done just the opposite. Don't forget that Jesus faced all that, too, and He promises to turn all the tables one day soon.
You see, this old world is not going to last forever. The promise of God is that He will one day personally wipe away your tears and give you a better life in a world where these things don't happen any more. And on that day, you will finally see Jesus face to face, and you'll be able to thank Him in person, for what He did at the cross for you.
I'd like to gather together today at the foot of the cross and thank God for what happened there.
Why don't we bow our heads?
PRAYER:
Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for overcoming all those obstacles for us. Thank you for conquering even death itself. We want to place our bruised lives in your hands. We want you as our hope and our future. So, we accept the gift of Christ's pardoning grace, the gift of Christ rising from the grave for us and the gift of His living a sinless life for us. Thank you for making us part of this great reversal of fortune. And thank you for making us part of your resurrected life. We know that right now, you are preparing heavenly mansions, for us. And we eagerly anticipate the day that we shall inhabit them and spend eternity with you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Scriptures Used in “Behold the Man”
"And the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death."
—Mark 14:55
"Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, 'What further need do we have of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?' And they all condemned Him to be worthy of death."
—Mark 14:63, 64
"So they cried out again, 'Crucify Him!' Then Pilate said to them, 'Why, what evil has He done?' And they cried out more exceedingly, 'Crucify Him!"'
—Mark 15:13, 14
"They called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!"'
—Mark 15:16-18
"And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men."
—Matthew 28:2-4
"He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles."
—1 Corinthians 15:4-7
"Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."
—Acts 2:22-24