Sermons from Seattle - Sermons

The People Vs. Jesus
A Series of Five Lenten Plays for Wednesday Nights

A legal cross examination of John, Mary Magdaline, Herod, James and Mary

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY MORSE PRESS SEATTLE, WASHINGTON ADAPTED FOR GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH DES MOINES, WASHINGTON
INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS BY PASTOR EDWARD F. MARKQUART

“Drama is one of the most powerful preaching forms of the Church. It has been for centuries. Some years ago, I conducted a survey of the Lutheran pastors here in the Pacific Northwest. In this survey, I learned that pastors who used non-traditional forms of preaching rated the category of “drama” as the most effective and emotionally vibrant form of preaching. During the past decades, I have learned that my colleagues were correct. That is, drama, when it is done well, is one of the most powerful ways to present the Gospel.

Here at Grace Lutheran Church, we have had many series of dramas through the years. Here at Grace, we emphasize the role of drama, as do many other parishes throughout the country. We know that dramas are important, especially during this season of Lent.

The series that you are going to see is entitled, THE PEOPLE VERSES JESUS OF NAZARETH. These dramas were originally published by Morse Press here in Seattle, but have been highly adapted for the life of our parish. Morse Press is no longer in business in Seattle, but these sermons/dramas are terrific and need to be used in the life of the Church.

In this series of dramas, you will find a courtroom scene, an authentic judge by the name of Judge Darrell Phillipson, who is a member of our congregation. There is a bailiff and a court reporter. There is a prosecuting attorney and a defense attorney. Into this scene and situation, we bring witnesses from the life of Jesus Christ to testify about him. The action of the drama is the questioning and cross questioning of a Biblical witness who saw the life of Jesus.

I believe that you will enjoy this series. The courtroom scenes become very realistic. The dramas are intense. Once again, you will experience the power of the Gospel as expressed through the medium of drama.”

THE SETTING

The chancel of the sanctuary has been converted to look like a courtroom. The Communion Table has become “the bench” behind which the judge sits. There is a small table for the court recorder. The pulpit serves as the witness stand. There are two long tables below and in front of “the bench,” one for the prosecuting attorney and the other for the defense attorney. There are two flags, a United States flag and a Washington State flag.

This set of dramas is very easy to enact because the dramas lend themselves to “reader theater.” That is, the scripts for the judge, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, and witness can easily be camouflaged. The judge is behind “the bench” with a script on top of the table. The witness, who stands in the pulpit, has a script before him/her. The attorneys have scripts in their legal folders. It appears that players are acting their parts, but they are actually reading their parts.

Back to Dramas

The Examination of John

(Bailiff, court reporter, attorney teams enter, each taking their place.)

BAILIFF:
All rise. Court is again in session. The honorable Darrell E. Phillipson presiding. (Judge enters and is seated.) Now continues the trial of the People versus Jesus of Nazareth. You may be seated. Are all parties ready?

Prosecuting Attorney (PA):
(Stands) Attorney for the Prosecution is ready.

Defense Attorney (DA):
(Stands) Defense Attorney is ready.

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The trial of Jesus of Nazareth is about to begin. You are the jury.You are officers of the court and as such, each of you has a vital part to play in this trial. No one here is a mere spectator. As members of the jury your duty will be to pay close attention to everything that is said, weigh the evidence -for and against Jesus of Nazareth - and pronounce the final verdict. You have an awesome responsibility. You will decide whether Jesus of Nazareth is to live or die.

Before we begin the trial, the jurors must be sworn. Please stand. (To jury) Jury, raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that you will well and truly try the case, the People versus Jesus of Nazareth and a true verdict render according to the evidence and the Law, so help you God? Answer, "I do."

JURY:
I do.

JUDGE:
You may be seated. Prosecutor, call your first witness.

PA:
I call John Zebedee to the stand.

BAILIFF:
Raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

JOHN:
I do.

PA:
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. May it please the court. Please state your full name and address.

JOHN:
John Zebedee, 314 Gamaliel Street, Capernaum, Galilee.

PA:
Were you or were you not one of the followers of Jesus of Nazareth?

JOHN:
I was.

PA:
How many of you were there?

JOHN:
Well, many people followed Jesus from place to place, but of his closest disciples there were twelve.

PA:
Tell us, how did the twelve of you get along? Did you work well together?

JOHN:
Yes, we did. We were like brothers. Oh, there were times when we would argue with each other, but for the most part the love and friendship we enjoyed with Jesus was great.

PA:
Hummmmmmmmmm. A moment ago, Mr.Zebedee, you testified that there were twelve of you. How many are there now?

JOHN:
Eleven.

PA:
So you lost one! What happened to him?

JOHN:
(angry) You know perfectly well what happened to him! I don't want to talk about it.

JUDGE:
You must answer the question.

JOHN:
His name was Judas.

PA:
Tell the court what happened.

JOHN:
(angry) He betrayed our Lord, that's what he did! He sold out to the chief priest. He led them to the Lord at the right time so they could arrest Him without the crowd interfering. Thirty pieces of silver he got to betray him. Judas always was a thief...I never did trust him. Finally, being the coward he was, he went out and killed himself.

PA:
Take it easy, calm down. (pause) So your fellowship was full of love and concern for one another.

JOHN:
Well, I said there were some exceptions.

PA:
Yes, there were, weren't there? (To Baliff) Will you please mark this as evidence? According to the 13^th chapter of your book, Mr. Zebedee, all this occurred the night before your Master was crucified. Is this true?

JOHN:
Yes, it's true!

PA:
And what were you doing?

JOHN:
We were celebrating the Passover together.

PA:
In that fellowship of love, no doubt. During the meal, He revealed to all of you that one of your group was going to betray Him. Correct?

JOHN:
Yes.

PA:
Did anyone known who it was?

JOHN:
Jesus knew. And the betrayer himself.

PA:
Anyone else?

JOHN:
Yes, I knew. Jesus told me himself.

PA:
And why did he tell you?

JOHN:
Why? I don’t know why. Maybe because I asked him.

PA:
I have a statement here from one of your colleagues. I believe his name is Matthew who said everyone was saying, “Is it I?” Why…why did he tell you?

JOHN:
I don’t know why he told me.

PA:
You don’t know? Tell me, weren’t you the closest disciple?

JOHN:
I suppose maybe that is true. My brother, Peter, and James and myself: I suppose we were the closest.

PA:
You are being a bit modest here John. Don’t you call yourself in your book the disciple whom Jesus loved?

JOHN:
Yes, I do.

PA:
Well, I see. This being true, why do you suppose that Jesus told you and your alone that Judas was going to betray him?

JOHN:
I don’t know why he told me.

PA:
I think you do. You have been boasting about this fellowship of love, this closeness in your group, but now you say that you don’t know why Jesus told you that Judas was going to betray him? I think it was because he wanted you to do something with all that love and fellowship that you are so proud of. I suggest he told you about Judas because he wanted you to help your brother.

DA:
Objection! The prosecutor is badgering the witness.

JUDGE:
Objection overruled.

PA:
If you knew that Judas was going to betray Jesus, why didn’t you do something about it?

JOHN:
What could I have done?

PA:
You could have gone out with him and talked with him. You could have gotten him to give up. You might have saved his life. You, and you alone, could have helped Judas. But what did you do about it?

JOHN:
I … I did nothing. But there was a lot going on. We were celebrating the Passover together.

PA:
So you say that you were enjoying the meal. But you did nothing to stop your brother, Judas. You were feeling so comfortable with this loving little fellowship of disciple that you were simply enjoying yourself so much, you couldn’t find time to help. Is that right? (Pause)

JUDGE:
You must answer the question.

PA:
Well, speak up, Mr. Zebedee, is that right?

JOHN:
I guess maybe you are right.

PA:
And you accuse Judas of being the betrayer and a thief. Do you think that you are any better? You who did nothing to help your brother? Who is the betrayer here? (Pause)

JUDGE:
You must answer that question.

PA:
What do you have to say? (Pause)

JOHN:
I failed him.

PA:
You surely did. What kind of nonsense is this? You were his closest disciple, yet even you failed him. You still want to claim that he is the Messiah, the one who brings love and fellowship.

JOHN:
Yes, he is. He is the Son of God who came into this world to suffer and die for sinners like me, and to bring peace and fellowship on earth. My sins and my failure doesn’t change who he is.

PA:
I suggest that this is all one big fraud. If it is true, why didn’t you help your brother? Why did you let Judas die?

JOHN:
No. You don’t understand. It is true. I let my brother down.

PA:
No further questions. (PA is seated at the prosecutor’s table.)

DA:
Your honor. Honorable counsel. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. May it please the court. Mr. Zebedee, the prosecutor is trying to get the jury to believe that Jesus was a fraud because you, as one of his closest disciples, failed to help Judas. Do you agree with this assessment?

JOHN:
No. Not at all. I can see how she may feel this way, but she is all wrong.

DA:
All wrong? How so? (long pause)

JOHN:
If anybody…if anybody is a fraud, it is me. Not Jesus. I failed him. Or anyone else in this courtroom, for that matter.

DA:
What do you mean by that?

JOHN:
Can’t you see? Jesus doesn’t tell us just to love people. Anyone can say that. That is like telling a hunchback to stand up straight. He would if he could. But telling him to stand up straight doesn’t give him the power to do so.

DA:
And Jesus is different?

JOHN:
Yes, very dif ferent.

DA:
How is he differ rent, Mr. Zebedee?

JOHN:
Jesus didn’t tell us simply how to treat each other. Jesus taught us how to love and how to care for one another. In the stories and the parables that he told.

DA:
Is that all?

JOHN:
No. Everywhere that we went, he reached out to people. He healed and cared for people. He cared for people and they didn’t even know it. Jesus loved people and he showed us how he loved people by the way he treated them.

DA:
It sounds as if Jesus was a great teacher. What else made him so special?

JOHN:
There were many, many things that made Jesus special.

DA:
Do you remember any specific examples of that?

JOHN:
I could give many examples but the one that comes to mind most is the night that Judas betrayed him. Jesus had us all sit down, and he washed our feet. Jesus washed our feet and he told us that we must do this to each other. That is, we must be servants to one another.

DA:
It seems that Jesus was a great teacher. What else about him made him so special?

JOHN:
It is hard to explain but when we were with Jesus , there was a power and peace that filled our hearts. Oh, there were times that we disagreed with each other, but we truly loved each other with a very special kind of love. It was that power of inner peace and love that held us together like brothers.

DA:
Anything else, Mr. Zebedee?

JOHN:
Jesus didn’t always like the way that we treated each other. We didn’t always treat each other the way that he wanted us to. There were times when we fought and argued with each other and were jealous towards each other. Every time that we failed each other just like I failed Judas at a critical time in his life, Jesus was there to forgive us…and teach us to forgive one another. We failed Jesus many times, but he never failed us.

DA:
Thank you, Mr. Zebedee. No further questions.

JUDGE:
You may step down. (to Mr. Zebedee). Ms. Prosecutor, closing arguments?

JOHN:
Your honor. Honorable counsel. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. May it please the court. It is obvious from what our witness has just told us this evening is that Jesus and his followers are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. Even John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, wouldn’t lift a finger to help his brother Judas. They are all that way. They talk about love. They talk about fellowship, but they criticize, they gossip, they hurt one another. If they treat one another, how do you think they would treat outsiders? They talk one thing and they live another. They are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. Frauds. On the other hand, I don’t blame John for not getting involved with Judas. John was the smart one. Jesus is the crazy one. He is the one to blame for trying to get John and all the others to believe this garbage about loving your neighbor as yourself. Jesus…Jesus is a fraud. Jesus is a dangerous fraud. He will promise you fellowship. He will promise you life and he will give you a cross instead. Either we must crucify him or be crucified. I say, crucify him.

DA:
Your honor. Honorable counsel. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. May it please the court. What then shall we do with Jesus from Nazareth? He comes to us claiming to be the very Son of God. He comes to us as one who claims to usher in the kingdom of God right here on earth. He comes to us, claiming to give up power to truly love one another. Either this is true or Jesus is crazy. This witness, by his own admission, failed Jesus because he didn’t love and care for his brother Judas. But does that make Jesus wrong? Does that make Jesus a fraud as the prosecutor claims? It shows that John is a sinner, but it says nothing about who Jesus is. Jesus is not a fraud. Jesus went to the cross willingly to die for you and me so that we might have life and be filled with love. And he did that…why? He did that because he loved John who failed him. He did that because he loved Judas who betrayed him. He did that because he loves you and he loves me. Jesus is no fraud. We may be but Jesus isn’t. … Think about Jesus for a moment. Think about the love that he has for you. I ask for you to find Jesus of Nazareth, “Not guilty.” Set him free so that he can truly love you, so that you and I can truly love one another.

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury - this trial is not yet concluded. You have heard the testimony of but one witness. This court will reconvene next Wednesday, at 7:30 PM to consider the testimony of Mary Madgalene. ... During the intervening days, you are charged to consider carefully the testimony which you have just heard. You should discuss it among yourselves, and consider the veracity of this witness. Consider the arguments of Counsel. Determine the truth or falsity of what they say. And lastly, consider the implications of what you have heard - for yourself, and all mankind. ... Madam Bailiff, the court will be in recess.

BAILIFF:
All rise. Court will be in recess.

Back to Dramas

The Examination of Mary Magdalene

(Bailiff, court reporter, attorney teams enter, each taking their place.)

Prosecuting Attorney (PA):
(Stands) Attorney for the Prosecution is ready.

Defense Attorney (DA):
(Stands) Defense Attorney ready.

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The trial of Jesus of Nazareth is about to begin. He is charged with being a fraud, a religious fraud, with claiming to be Lord and Savior. You are the jury. You are officers of the court and as such, each of you has a vital part to play in this trial. No one here is a mere spectator. As members of the jury your duty will be to pay close attention to everything that is said, weigh the evidence -for and against Jesus of Nazareth - and pronounce the final verdict. You have an awesome responsibility. You will decide whether Jesus of Nazareth is guilty or not guilty; whether he is to live or die.

Before we begin the trial, the jurors must be sworn. Please stand. (To jury) Jury, raise your right hand.Doyou solemnly swear that you will well and truly try the case, the People versus Jesus of Nazareth and a true verdict render according to the evidence and the Law, so help you God? Answer, "I do."

JURY:
I do.

JUDGE:
Prosecutor, call your first witness.

PA:
Mary Magdalene to the stand please.

BAILIFF:
Raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

MARY:
I do.

PA:
Please tell us your name.

MARY:
I am Mary, known as Mary Magdalene - because I come from Magdala of Galilee.

PA:
Am I right in saying that you are a zealous follower of the rabbi Jesus?

MARY:
Yes, yes I am. I love Him very much.

PA:
You love Him, you say. People respect their rabbis. They follow their teachings. But you say you love Him. Tell us, Mary, why you love Him so much.

MARY:
First of all, because of what He did for me.

PA:
And what was that?

MARY:
He healed me. He gave me a new life!

PA:
A new life? Why, that's quite a claim! Let's back up a bit. What was wrong with you? What was your ailment?

MARY:
I was possessed by demons and He drove them out of me. He freed me from them!

PA:
You were possessed by demons? What does that mean? Can you describe that for us?

MARY:
Being possessed by demons was a living hell. A prison of fear and torment. Screaming inside. Panic. Haunting memories. Worries overwhelming me. My family, my friends - they tried to reach me, but I would push them away. I was lost - lost in the torment. Finally, one by one, they gave up...and left me. That's what I mean.

PA:
Isn't that just another way of saying that you were a very unstable person, that you were neurotic? That you did not have control of yourself? Doesn't that describe your sickness?

MARY:
I suppose...I suppose that's what some would say....

PA:
But you no longer consider yourself to be unstable and neurotic. Now I need to ask you, Mary: A woman with your kind of sickness often does not know she is sick. How can she know that she has been healed? And how can we know you have been healed?

MARY:
I know the truth and I am telling it. I know that I was sick and I know that now I am healed.

PA:
Alright, Mary. Thank you. Let's move on. As for this Jesus, your rabbi, when everyone else had abandoned you, he showed up and he rescued you. Is that correct?

MARY:
He healed me - yes.

PA:
He made you feel better...and so you followed him.

MARY:
Yes.....

PA:
And you were not the only one, were you? As a matter of fact, many women followed him. A number of women were very fond of Him. He must have been a very attractive man, Mary. Is this true?

MARY:
Yes, I have never known anyone like Him.

PA:
He sounds like the sort of man who would make a wonderful husband...or lover. Is that possible, Mary?

MARY:
What are you trying to say?

PA:
I'm saying that he rescued you...and you fell for him. You were in love with the rabbi Jesus. Well, weren't you?

MARY:
I never said I was in love with Him. I said I loved Him.

PA:
Well, what does that mean? Didn't you follow him everywhere he went? Weren't you thrilled when He touched you?

MARY:
Yes, I love Him. He thrills me. But not the way you mean. I love Him in a special way.

PA:
What is your special way? Do you know what people are saying about you? Do you know what kind of reputation you have? Your name stands for a prostitute. Do you know that?

MARY:
Yes! ... No! I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to make me look bad. You're trying to destroy him. Well you can't.

PA:
Please Mary, be careful now. We don't want to upset you. You are still a very emotional person, aren't you? Quite passionate. Whether about this rabbi Jesus....or.....

DA:
Objection.

JUDGE:
Sustained.

PA:
Thank you, Mary. No further questions. Your witness, counselor.

DA:
Your honor, honorable counselor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. May it please the court. Mary, we can all see what the prosecutor has been trying to do: attack your reputation, destroy your credibility by innuendos.

PA:
Objection!

JUDGE:
Sustained.

DA:
Mary, I must go back over some of those areas...but for a different purpose, believe me. May we proceed?

MARY:
Go ahead.

DA:
First, this matter of your illness, Mary - the demons. You were deeply troubled, weren't you?

MARY:
Yes, it was like being in prison for years. It was living hell. My health, my friends, my family - I lost them all.

DA:
The Prosecuting Attorney tried to show that because of your illness, your testimony is unreliable. Can you prove to us that Jesus truly healed you? That you are truly well?

MARY:
Do I look to you like a woman in torment? Ask my friends. Ask my family! Anyone who knows me well. You didn't know me before. I'm a living miracle! Sure, I get emotional. Not so much at what people said about me. I don't care anymore about that. But when people start attacking Jesus...when they twist what he did and said. I get emotional! I get angry!

DA:
You said you don't care anymore what people say about you? What about the rumors that you were a prostitute? The innuendos about you and Jesus?

MARY:
What people say about my past life doesn't make a bit of difference to me now. What matters is that I am new. Jesus healed me, he saw my living hell and freed me. He gave me back my dignity as a woman. Of course I love him. Wouldn't you love someone who gave you a new life? I love him. It's that simple.

DA:
Mary, can you explain what you mean when you say you love Jesus?

MARY:
I'll try.... At first I was just thankful...and delighted at being healed! And then as I followed him and watched him with people, I was awed...awed at his wisdom. At the way he listened to God. At the way he brought us together. And as time went on, I just got to know him. I discovered how deeply he knew me and cared for me. It is thankfulness and awe and joy. And it keeps on growing even now. That's what I mean when I say I love him.

DA:
This love...was this a special thing...between you and Jesus?

MARY:
Yes, it was a special thing between Jesus and me...and between Jesus and every other person he met. I saw it. Whether they met him on the road for a few minutes...or followed him like we did for years. Even the ones he argued with, even the ones who crucified him....He cared about each one. He saw who each person was and wanted to touch everyone of them. ... Especially those who don't understand. Those who accuse him falsely. (look/point toward prosecutor). They needed him the most!

PA:
Objection.

MARY:
I wish I could help her understand (toward prosecutor).

PA:
Objection!

JUDGE:
Sustained.

DA:
Thank you Mary. That is all.

JUDGE:
Witness, you may step down. Prosecutor, do you have any closing remarks?

PA:
Your honor, honorable counselor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, may it please the court. You have heard the testimony of Mary Magdalene, one of the most ardent followers of the rabbi Jesus. You are going to have to sift through the emotional chaff of her testimony to get at the hard kernels of fact. Mary Magdalene claims to have been healed by her rabbi. But is that true? Can we believe the testimony of a woman who has obviously been so disturbed in her past...and even now is so easily upset? She says she has been healed. But can we believe her...or her testimony? But Mary is not the one on trial here. Jesus is And there is a more important issue. Can we accept a rabbi who plays on the emotions of such a person? It happens all too often with people who are vulnerable, emotionally unstable. People who struggle for a sense of self-worth and purpose. Those vulnerable people are taken in by a powerful preacher...and used. Used by that teacher for his...or her...own purpose. The more emotional and neurotic the people, the more they cling to him...or her. No rabbi in history was ever better at that than this Jesus. Jesus is the answer for people who can't make it in the world! Anyone who is healthy, strong, well-adjusted doesn't need him. Jesus attracts the weak, the poor in spirit, the miserable side of humanity. Takes them in with this talk of love, these empty promises of healing and a few flashy tricks. And uses them to spread his fame. And they fall for it. But you - you are not like Mary, hounded by fears and memories. Don't be taken in by that misguided manipulating Jesus. You don't need him. You, the jury, can stand on your own two feet...even if Mary, poor Mary couldn't. He is a manipulator, and a fraud. I say - find him guilty. Be rid of him!

JUDGE:
Defense, do you have any closing remarks?

(The defense attorney rises and faces the jury.)

DA:
Ladies and gentlemen of the JURY: The prosecuting attorney will forgive me for saying that she wasted a bit of our time. She worked hard to establish a fact we never doubted-- that Mary was once a weak, and troubled woman who could not stand on her own feet. The prosecutor also implied that Mary was grossly immoral, although she failed to produce any evidence to substantiate this. But let's leave it in the record. It helps our case more than hers. Somehow our prosecutor has failed to see something very important here - that the Mary Magdalene of the past was a different person from the woman who stood in the witness box a few moments ago. There are two Marys: an old Mary and a new Mary, and the difference between them is like night and day. "Jesus healed me," she said. But she would not have had to say it. She radiated the healing. It was in her eyes, in her tone of voice. You the jury could see it. She is a new person. That is Jesus' doing. Our prosecuting attorney would have us imagine some sordid relationship at best; some sick manipulation at worst. But that is not what we see here, is it? Jesus has loved her in his unique way.....and now she radiates his love. Our prosecuting attorney's final accusation was that this Jesus is for the sick, the weak. That is absolutely ] true. Jesus himself said so. Who among us has never needed that healing? Who among us has never needed a physician? Mary knew she did. Let's be honest about ourselves. There are other demons that torment us - the demons of anxiety, of selfishness, of addiction. The evil that wreaks havoc to our world - the evils of violence, war, greed. Let's not waste time pointing at Mary's demons. Let's name our own. And then let's consider our options. Either we can find him guilty as a fraud - or we can turn to him. Turn to him as Mary did, and receive the healing he offers. The new life he holds out to you and to me. The choice is yours. Will you dismiss him as a fraud - or be healed? I say be healed.

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury - this trial is not yet concluded. You have heard the testimony of two witnesses. This court will reconvene next Wednesday, at 7:30 PM to consider the testimony of James. ... During the intervening days, you are charged to consider carefully the testimony which you have just heard. You should discuss it among yourselves, and consider the veracity of this witness. Consider the arguments of Counsel. Determine the truth or falsity of what they say. And lastly, consider the implications of what you have heard - for yourself, and all mankind. ... Madam Bailiff, the court will be in recess.

BAILIFF:
All rise. Court will be in recess.

Back to Dramas

The Examination of James

(Bailiff, court reporter, attorney teams enter, each taking their place.)

Prosecuting Attorney (PA):
(Stands) Attorney for the Prosecution is ready.

Defense Attorney (DA):
(Stands) Defense Attorney is ready.

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The trial of Jesus of Nazareth is about to begin. You are the jury. You are officers of the court and as such, each of you has a vital part to play in this trial. No one here is a mere spectator. As members of the jury your duty will be to pay close attention to everything that is said, weigh the evidence -for and against Jesus of Nazareth - and pronounce the final verdict. You have an awesome responsibility. You will decide whether Jesus of Nazareth is to live or die.

JURY:
I do.

JUDGE:
Prosecutor, call your first witness.

PA:
James Bar-Joseph to the stand please.

BAILIFF:
Raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

JAMES:
I do.

PA:
Please tell the jury your full name and address.

JAMES:
I am James, son of Joseph. I live at 328 Jeptha Street, Jerusalem.

PA:
What is your connection with this Jesus of Nazareth?

JAMES:
He is my brother.

PA:
Literally? Your actual brother? You people are forever calling each other brother or sister. Were you really his brother or do you simply mean you were part of his group?

JAMES:
He is my biological brother. His mother is my mother. The Bible lists us brothers together: Jesus, James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. We also had sisters. I was the second oldest brother in our family.

PA:
So Jesus was the oldest son and you the second oldest?

JAMES:
Yes.

PA:
Is it true, that when Jesus was born, he was taken to the temple for a special ceremony and dedicated to the Lord?

JAMES:
Yes.

PA:
Were you dedicated in this way?

JAMES:
Of course not. That is only for the oldest son.

PA:
Hummmmmm...And when Jesus, your oldest brother was age 12 and clearly everybody's favorite;, wasn't there a big fuss about him being left in the temple. Wasn't he the center of attraction of all the rabbis?

JAMES:
It's true that he was in the temple teaching the rabbis, but...

PA:
And Jesus being the oldest, did he not receive the family inheritance?

JAMES:
Yes.

PA:
The family business?

JAMES:
Yes.

PA:
The family carpenter shop?

JAMES:
Yes.

PA:
And you did not receive any of these things?

JAMES:
Of course not, but ...

PA:
And as a young man, did he not become the most famous teacher in all the land? In all of Israel?

JAMES:
Yes.

PA:
And did he not have the same meager education that you had? Yet you were a "nobody" compared to your brother?

JAMES:
Yes, but....

PA:
And isn't it true that your mother Mary had some vision about Jesus just before he was born?

JAMES:
Yes.

PA:
Could you briefly tell the jury about her vision?

JAMES:
Well, you're finally going to give me a chance to speak....God told her that she was going to give birth to the Messiah, the Son of God. She told us about it only once. She made sure we heard and understood, but she never mentioned it again.

PA:
Did she ever say such grandiose things about you?

JAMES:
No, but....

PA:
Thank you. Let's see now. Jesus was the oldest son. He was the ONLY child dedicated in the temple. He was the ONLY child to entertain the rabbis as a young star in the temple. He was the ONLY child to receive the family inheritance. He was the ONLY child to publicly succeed and be totally famous throughout the entire land And he was the ONLY child that your mother had grandiose visions about. ... In other words, you James, spent your entire life playing second fiddle to your older brother. Isn't that true?

DA:
Objection.

Both lines spoken at the same time.

JAMES:
I don't see what you're driving at.

JUDGE:
Objection overruled.

JAMES:
(To the judge) I don't understand what she's getting at!

PA:
You don't? Isn't it true that as an adult you thought Jesus was nuts, that you and your brothers and sisters thought he should be put into a funny farm? A nut house?

DA:
Objection. The language is inappropriate.

JUDGE:
Sustained.

PA:
Ookkk......At the height of Jesus' popularity, isn't it true that you wanted your brother to be committed to a.....mental institution?

JAMES:
No....Yes. We just wanted to take him home so he could get a hold of himself.

PA:
Isn't it true that you were deeply jealous of your brother your whole life; and you spent your whole life trying to get rid of him so you could replace him as the number one son in the family?

DA:
Objection.

Both lines spoken at the same time.

JAMES:
No. You don't understand. You twist everything.

JUDGE:
Sustained.

PA:
Let me show you, sir. In our exhibit A, the Bible says, and I quote: "His brothers and sisters did not believe in him." ... That his friends thought he was, quote: "beside himself," "possessed by a demon." It's a fact: You wanted your brother put away, James.

JAMES:
No, that's not true.

PA:
Thank you James. Let's move on. Please tell the jury what happened on that infamous Friday?

JAMES:
My brother was killed.

PA:
Where? In what city?

JAMES:
In Jerusalem. On a cross.

PA:
And where were all of his followers?

JAMES:
They ran away.

PA:
And as time went by, who became the leader of his so-called church in Jerusalem?

JAMES:
Well, ah, ahhh....

PA:
Well, answer the question, who became the leader? Who became the number one man in the church in Jerusalem?

JAMES:
I was chosen to be the leader of the church in Jerusalem.

PA:
So you finally made it; you finally replaced Jesus, eh?

JAMES:
No. Absolutely not. No one replaces Jesus.

PA:
You couldn't get him committed when he was alive; but you finally replaced him after he died.

JAMES:
No, your twisting my thoughts.

PA:
Isn't it true, that when you were leader of the church in Jerusalem after Jesus died that even Peter, the famous rock, was under YOU?

JAMES:
No, that's not the way it was.

PA:
And isn't it true that the famous Apostle Paul, writer of half the New Testament and the greatest missionary, had to get YOUR approval as the leader of the church council in Jerusalem?

JAMES:
No. It wasn't like that at all.

PA:
And isn't it true that you became the leader of a fanatical group who sold all their property; their houses; their camels and donkeys and they shared all they had. Isn't it true that you became a cult leader of a bunch of communal fanatics who gave you all their possessions?

JAMES:
No. Absolutely not!

PA:
Let's be honest James. You spent your entire life living in the shadow of your brother. And then, when he was killed, you saw your chance ... your chance to be number one. You pretended to be his follower. You pretended to believe he was the Messiah. You moved into the church and took over their income and property. You rode into power on your dead brother's coattails.

JAMES:
That's nonsense.

PA:
Thank you. No further questions. Your witness.

DA:
Thank you. (pause) You'll have to forgive my opponent, James. She gets an idea in her head, tells it to the jury, and then tries to pretend it was you who said it.

JAMES:
I noticed.

DA:
So now let's give you your chance to tell us what you really think. Were you jealous of Jesus?

JAMES:
I guess so. Sure. What brothers don't get jealous once in a while, but that doesn't matter now.

DA:
Did you believe that Jesus was the Messiah?

JAMES:
Did I? No, I didn't. He was my brother. He had as much trouble hanging a door as I did. He hit his thumb with a hammer as often as I did. How could He be Messiah? He used to say, "A prophet is without honor....in his own home." That was sure true for us.

DA:
But didn't Mary tell you about His birth, about His being...the Son of God?

JAMES:
Yes, she told me. She made sure I heard and understood.

DA:
And did you believe her?

JAMES:
Well, yes and no. It's hard to explain. I didn't disbelieve her. But I don't think I believed her, either. I guess I just tried not to think about it. It was just too....How could it be true? He was my big brother. How could my big brother be the Messiah?

DA:
I understand. Do you believe in Him now?

JAMES:
Yes.

DA:
Why? What changed your mind?

JAMES:
He did. He finally made me see what it was all about.

DA:
When was that? The time the whole family went to get Him to bring him home to get well?

JAMES:
No. No. Later. Afterwards.

DA:
After what?

JAMES:
After he was killed. It's very difficult to explain.

DA:
After he was killed????? ... Oh, you mean....

JAMES:
Yes. Easter. The resurrection. You've heard the story....how he was raised from the dead by the power of God.

DA:
Yes, I've heard, but it seems so incredible.

JAMES:
It is incredible. Almost unbelievable...But I saw him. He also appeared to others. To Mary...Peter...to the eleven. Then to 500 people. They all saw him. The all experienced him.

DA:
He actually appeared to you?

JAMES:
Yes, to me, his brother, of all people. To me who thought he was crazy. To me who didn't believe. To me his own flesh and blood who had doubted him.

DA:
What was it like? To see your dead brother alive again?

JAMES:
Incomprehensible. I can't put it into words. It was Jesus but he was changed. He seemed like a light. A bright light. ... A presence. A divine presence. ... He was alive, speaking to me, talking to me.

DA:
What did he say?

JAMES:
That He loved me.

DA:
That's it? Didn't you already know that? He was your brother, wasn't He? Brothers are to love one another.

JAMES:
No, no. It was more than that. Different from that. Finally, he got through to me. This amazing love – for me, for everybody!

DA:
Well, there are a lot of very loving people around, and that hardly explains.....

JAMES:
No, no, you still don't understand me. That's not your fault - I just can't seem to get it across to people. Somehow it wasn't just His love. It was God's love! The God of love! The Spirit of love! Yet still my brother! ... I can't put it into words.

DA:
What did you do then?

JAMES:
I went and joined the others. Told them what had happened.

DA:
And then you went back home?

JAMES:
To Nazareth? No, no. How could I do that? I had to join them. In Jerusalem.

DA:
Why?

JAMES:
How could I not join them. I saw him. I experienced him. I believed him....and these people in Jerusalem did too. They became my new family, my new brothers and sisters.

DA:
Now I am confused. Could you tell the jury what he meant about brothers and sisters?

JAMES:
Let me explain it the way he did. One time, the crowd said to him: "Your brothers are outside, waiting to talk to you," and Jesus replied: "My brothers and sisters are those who do the will of God. Those who do God's will are my family!"

DA:
Yes, that seems to be the topic of your book, the one in the New Testament?

JAMES:
Yes, James. The book of James. That's the one I wrote. All the way through my book, I keep on saying, my brothers and sisters...my brothers and sisters...my brothers and sisters. I must use that phrase 20 times in my book. We are to love each other as brothers and sisters, as a new family in Christ.

DA:
Simply, clearly, what is it that you want the jury to know about your brother?

JAMES:
He lives. ... I saw him face to face. First Mary saw him, then Peter, then the 11, then 500, and then he appeared to me. I want you to know: He truly rose from the dead and He lives today in his family, the church. Wherever there is love in God's family, there you will find the spirit of my brother, the spirit of our Lord.

DA:
And what should this jury do with Jesus of Nazareth?

JAMES:
Love him. Love one another. Be God's family.

DA:
Thank you, sir. Thank you very much. You may step down. (pause while James is seated)

JUDGE:
Prosecutor, you may make your closing statements.

PA:
It is difficult for us, in this day and age, to understand a system that is so obviously unjust. A system that grants such great advantage to one brother over another, just because he is first born. But it is not difficult to understand the immense jealousy and rivalry - yes, sibling rivalry, that, that situation would provoke. So it is not difficult to understand James and the jealousy that drove him throughout his life. And it is not difficult to understand the gruesome fact that he took advantage of his brother's gruesome death to win what he could not win during his brother's lifetime: power, prestige...and wealth. Yes, we can understand all too well....What a base, hollow victory. And what a base, hollow man. The intriguing thing is the way he engineered his rise to power. And this is our true concern –the way he has fabricated and milked this resurrection tale. "Oh but it wasn't just I! There were others too!" James protests. Right - an hysterical woman, eleven grief-crazed friends, other followers - who couldn't afford to let the world know that their Messiah was a failure. A fraud. Please, don't let me hear that you, my good people, are tempted to believe this resurrection lie. Really! A dead man reappearing? Walking around? It sounds like the stuff of wishful thinking! Fairy tales! Nightmares. Nightmares indeed! It is a nightmare when good people bet their lives on a lie. A fraud. And that it is - a fraud. I say, find him guilty.

Thank you, your honor.

(A second version of a speech by the PA:

It is so clear about James, this so-called brother of Jesus. He played second fiddle to Jesus his whole life. He spent his entire life in Jesus' shadow. James was driven by jealousy...jealous of Jesus the oldest brother, jealous of Jesus' fame, jealous of Jesus' inheritance, jealous of his mother's special love. ... James didn't believe in his brother but wanted to get rid of him and so he tried to have him committed. ... And so, when Jesus was killed, James saw his chance. He then claimed to have seen his brother raised from the dead. As Jesus' oldest living brother, he inherited his brother's fanatical following. He got what he wanted: to be number one. What a scam. ... How could you the jury believe James .)

DA:
Your Honor, Honorable Counselor, Ladies and Gentlemen of the JURY: You have just heard the testimony of James, the brother of Jesus. He knew Jesus as well as anyone. He grew up with Jesus. They worked together, played together, went to school together. Yes, like a lot people, James didn't understand Jesus at first. But then came the event that changed not only James' life but the life of Mary, Peter, Paul and hundreds of others. That event was the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This story of the resurrection of Jesus is so incredible. For James to even admit that he saw Jesus after he was crucified is incredible. Either James is mentally disturbed or he takes us to be pure fools. If James was only after money and praise for himself as the prosecutor claims, he certainly would not have admitted that he saw and spoke with a person who had been killed three days earlier. James is not interested in his own glory. It's the glory of his brother, Jesus that he wants you to understand. James didn't rise from the dead. Jesus did. And it was that event that changed the world. It changed James, Mary, Paul, Peter, and hundreds of others and it can change you and me.

Now, I ask you to take those words to heart and find Jesus not guilty.

(A second version of a concluding speech by the PA:)

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. James, the brother of Jesus, has no reason to lie about his brother. He knew Jesus as well as anyone. He grew up with Jesus. They worked together, played together, went to school together. From an early age, James knew that there was something very special about Jesus. ... Yes, like a lot of people, he misunderstood Jesus for awhile and thought Jesus may have been "beside himself." It wasn't until after the resurrection that he believed his brother was the Messiah. Like Mary, Peter, Paul and hundreds of others, he saw the risen Christ and everything changed. Like Peter and Paul, he became a leader in the church. Like all the followers, he found a new family of love in Christ's community....where people truly love and care for each other. ... James' testimony about Jesus of Nazareth is true.)

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury - this trial is not yet concluded. You have heard the testimony of four witnesses. This court will reconvene next Wednesday, at 7:30 PM to consider the testimony of, Herod. ... During the intervening days, you are charged to consider carefully the testimony which you have just heard. You should discuss it among yourselves, and consider the veracity of this witness. Consider the arguments of Counsel. Determine the truth or falsity of what they say. And lastly, consider the implications of what you have heard - for yourself, and all mankind. ... Madam Bailiff, the court will be in recess.

BAILIFF:
All rise. Court will be in recess.

BAILIFF:
Raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

HEROD:
I am Herod Antipas. My father was Herod the Great, King of Judea. My grandfather was Antipater, procurator of Judea before him.

PA:
Herod. Herod, the Great. It was your father then who did his best to rid the world of this Jesus while He was still an infant in Bethlehem?

HEROD:
The old man was crazy. I could tell you even worse stories than that. But it wasn't any of my doing. I wasn't like him. He took it all too seriously.

PA:
That certainly wasn't your style, was it? Our records aren't extensive, but those we do have show that you have a reputation for being...carefree. Might I say - something of a pleasure seeker. Is that true?

HEROD:
You bet! You only go around once, you know. I just didn't want to spend my life being hassled!

PA:
Well, no one can blame you for that. Could you tell the jury, what life was like for you?

HEROD:
Oh, we had a ball. We could do anything we wanted. We had the theater, concerts and plays. We had sports - lots of sports. And parties! You wouldn't believe the parties! Almost every night. Music! Wine! And women! We lived the good life.

PA:
You were the governor, weren't you? What about work? Did you enjoy that? Didn't you have duties to carry through? Responsibilities?

HEROD:
Oh, sure. But you hire flunkies to do things like that. You sign a few papers now and again, but that was about it. Besides, Herodias took care of most of that stuff for me.

HEROD:
Sure. My wife. Did you ever see her? A classy woman, let me tell you. We really lived it up.

HEROD:
You bet. Salome. What a beauty - like her mother and then some. And could she dance! MMM-MMM!

PA:
The two of them gave you some grief about a wild, roving preacher - John, the Baptist – didn't they?

PA:
I withdraw the question, your Honor. Tell us, Herod, about this Jesus of Nazareth.

PA:
When He was on trial the first time, Pilate sent Him over to you, did he not? Why?

HEROD:
Because he didn't know what to do with Him. Good old Pontius Pilate - always in trouble for one thing or another. Sour and grumpy, always working, day and night. When Jesus came before him Pilate didn't know what to do with him, so he had Him sent to me. Jesus came from Galilee, you know, my territory? So He was technically my problem. There I was in Jerusalem at that time, so Pilate tried to pawn off his problem onto me.

HEROD:
I had heard about him, you know. Word gets around. I really wanted to hear what he had to say. They said he was the Son of God. Well, a man like that should have something to say about life, after all.

HEROD:
Ha! He said nothing! He stood there like a sheep! What a wash-out. (To jury) Why wouldn't he talk? God's Son! I wanted to KNOW! ....wanted someone to tell me what life really meant. He wouldn't TALK! BLAST HIM!! (Then to attorney) Nothing - zip - zero. Wouldn't even do one of those magic tricks he was famous for.

HEROD:
Sure. We heard he had turned water into wine. What fun that might have been.

HEROD:
I think he was just too religious. If there's one thing that's gonna ruin a man's fun in life it's religion - makes a person too serious.

HEROD:
Are you kidding? Look what he was. A common criminal! His own religious leaders were spitting out the worst kind of lies and venom at him. He was one miserable person! So I sent him back to Pilate and that little bugger had him crucified. So, of course that proved he wasn't God's Son. People like that only make life miserable.

HEROD:
FOR-GET him! Get rid of him! Believe me, life is too short. Life is for living - living it up!

DA:
Thank you. Governor, you've given the jury the impression that you really enjoyed life.

DA:
I'm glad for you. You had everything going for you: power, position, wealth, luxury, a good wife...your wife, I take it, shared this good life with you?

DA:
No, not Herodias. I said your wife. Delia, the daughter of Aretas, the King of the Arabs.

HEROD:
Half-brother! And she divorced him and married me. It was all perfectly legal.

DA:
Legal doesn't mean moral, or right, does it. That's what John, the Baptist kept saying to you.

HEROD:
Leave him out of this! I told that other lawyer and I'll tell you: I am not on trial here! Jesus is!

HEROD:
It was one of those things. I didn't really want to, you know? But Herodias got kind of uptight about her and well....

DA:
Herodias insisted. I see. (puzzled) But if she was a good woman, and she loved you, why did you....

HEROD:
(angry) Because she was too good. Good, wholesome. Who wants a wholesome wife? I wanted excitement, fun. And Herodias, well, she really knew how to throw a party!

HEROD:
Oh...taking care of things for me. You know, seeing ambassadors, handling complaints, overseeing my ministers. Stuff like that. She kinda ran things for me. A great gal. She'd snap her fingers and people would jump.

HEROD:
At first I did everything, of course. But she was so critical. "Why did you do that? Why not this way?" Got to be a real nag. So I figured since she had such a knack for it, let her do it.

DA:
I'm getting quite a picture of Herodias here. First she seduced you. Then she walked out on her own husband and children and persuaded you to get rid of the woman you loved. Next you let her move into your office and take over your job. And you really enjoyed your life with Herodias.

DA:
You don't enjoy life, Herod. You run away from it, and then try to pretend you're having fun. You let yourself be controlled by an evil woman. You let her train you like a seal. You jumped through hoops. Your life was miserable. Why don't you admit it?

DA:
John brought down the wrath of God upon you for taking your brother's wife. Didn't he accuse you of living in sin?

HEROD:
(getting distraught) I don't know. How am I supposed to know what God thinks? (to Judge) How can I answer these questions?

HEROD:
John, that wild devil, tormented me for months. I slapped him in prison to shut him up, and he screamed at me from the dungeon. Sometimes I could hear him screaming right in the middle of a party. Finally, I took off his head to shut him up.

HEROD:
Blast you. Yes, she used Salome to seduce me, but I was the one who did it! I killed him! They brought his head to me on a platter. (Out of control) God, I'll never forget it. Now he screams at me in my dreams. I'll never be rid of him. Never!

DA:
(after pause) I think you owe it to this jury to admit that your life was not truly as pleasurable as you make it sound.

DA:
(Continuing, in a badgering style) Your drunken orgies were a smokescreen, a false front you put up to avoid facing the black pit in which you were living. Isn't that right?

HEROD:
(pauses...think...finally in agony) Shutting the mouth of that blood head!

DA:
And you want this jury to convict the one person who can bring you that love?

JUDGE:
You may step down, Governor. You may summarize, Counselor. (Indicating Prosecutor)

PA:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of the JURY: We have with us this evening a man of substantive importance. Not like our previous witnesses. This is Herod. Herod, a man of culture and wealth, governor of Galilee.

Clearly he rose to the demands, and with his wife, fulfilled his responsibilities in very complex times. And he exceeded the demands, refusing to get bogged down in difficulties. No - he went beyond, to pursue the arts and sports. He was a great host, entertained lavishly. All in all, he sought to find the joy in living. To live life to the fullest. Sure he made some mistakes along the way. A few compromises. Don't we all? He was only human! What do you expect? But the way he handled it was the mark of a true man of action. He didn't let it stop him, he carried on. He looked at his options...and kept on going. He knew, as we all do, that you only go around once. If you don't take care of yourself, who will? Life is for living! - not hassling, moping, regretting, second-guessing. No, he was a true man of action.

As for the final questions of the defense - the sermon I should say! I am glad you saw it. The way he dug into our witness' weak spot. Poured salt into an old wound and made our witness squirm. Dredged up an old mistake, and rubbed our witness' nose in it. Yes, I'm glad you saw it. Not because of what it shows about Herod. But because of what it shows about Jesus' followers and how they operate. And you know where they learned it – from Jesus himself. Some Savior. He finds the weak spot in your life. The blot in your past. (We all have them, we're only human!) And then He goes to work. Keeps bringing it up.. Laying a guilt trip on you. Rubbing salt on the raw spot until you squirm in pain. Does he bother to look at the fact that you're only human? No! Does he bother to look at all the good? No! All the pleasure you've found? No! In fat, he blots it all out with his holier- than-thou guilt! And then....then when he sees you're really miserable, he says he's got the answer, he offers you forgiveness. Offers to be your Savior. HA! What kind of Savior is that? Making you miserable, just so you need him. When you've been doing perfectly fine on your own. And as for being your Savior, it's a trick. He offers you abundant life, he says, but read the fine print. He gives you the cross. What kind of Savior is that? He knocks you down from the good life...then picks you up and hands you the cross. He is a fraud, I say. A dangerous one. What kind of Savior would hand his people a cross? The choice is clear: between the good life and the cross. I say, find him guilty.

DA:
Your Honor, Honorable Counselor, ladies and gentlemen of the JURY: I ask you to weigh carefully what is being said here. My opponent is trying to convince you that Herod lived the "good life." That his life was filled with joy and happiness. But what is true joy and happiness? Is joy found in having everything you want. Is it found at wild parties, or sports events? The prosecutor is confusing instant gratification of the flesh with true and lasting joy. There is nothing wrong with having a good time but let's not confuse having a good time with a life filled with joy.

Herod's lifestyle is a prime example of what happens to a person when true joy and instant gratification get confused. Herod's fun and happiness came at the expense of others. It doesn't matter who you have to walk on as long as you get what you want. That's the attitude. What is the end result of this kind of life? You have seen it in this witness. He is a tormented man, tormented not by Jesus of Nazareth as the prosecutor would have us believe but by his own conscience. Herod, like you and me, has a desperate need to be loved and forgiven. What Herod doesn't understand is that it is only through love and forgiveness that we will ever find true joy. And that love and forgiveness can only come through Jesus. Jesus said it himself, "I come not to condemn the world but to save the world." The Prosecutor would have us believe that Jesus comes to take away our joy. The truth is that Jesus is the only one who can give us true joy. The choice is yours. You can live a life of superficial fun and happiness or you can allow Jesus to fill your life with love, forgiveness, and lasting joy. Herod's whole life was a fraud but Jesus is not. I ask you to find him not guilty.

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen of the Jury - this trial is not yet concluded. You have heard the testimony of but three witnesses. This court will reconvene next Wednesday, at 7:30 PM to consider the testimony of Mary, the mother of Jesus. ... During the intervening days, you are charged to consider carefully the testimony which you have just heard. You should discuss it among yourselves, and consider the veracity of this witness. Consider the arguments of Counsel. Determine the truth or falsity of what they say. And lastly, consider the implications of what you have heard - for yourself, and all mankind. ... Madam Bailiff, the court will be in recess.

JUDGE:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The trial of Jesus of Nazareth is about to begin. You are the jury. You are officers of the court and as such, each of you has a vital part to play in this trial. No one here is a mere spectator. As members of the jury your duty will be to pay close attention to everything that is said, weigh the evidence -for and against Jesus of Nazareth - and pronounce the final verdict. You have an awesome responsibility. You will decide whether Jesus of Nazareth is to live or die.

BAILIFF:
Raise your right hand. Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

PA:
Please tell the jury...your full name and your relationship to Jesus of Nazareth.

PA:
Thank you Mary. It is an honor to have you with us this evening. I'd like to begin my making sure that our jury has some basic facts. Mary, tell us a little bit about yourself...your family background, your life before you were married.

MARY:
My parents were good people, kind, faithful. We were poor, but we always managed to tithe and to keep the holy days. That was very important to us. My father chose an older man - Joseph - for my husband, and Joseph was a good choice. He was a carpenter, a good man.

MARY:
I was 14. I was engaged to Joseph, getting ready to be married. I was scared, of course, but looking forward to it - to having a family and all.

PA:
And as the story goes, Mary, you became pregnant, didn't you? Would you please tell the jury - by whom?

PA:
Let's make sure we have that in the record. Did you hear that, good jury? By God. Can you explain that Mary?

MARY:
No, I can't explain it. I don't understand it. But I'll tell you how it happened. One morning I was in the stable where we keep our animals. The animals suddenly stirred as though they were frightened. Then the brightest light I'd ever seen filled the place where I was standing. And then I saw the angel of the Lord. The angel told me I would conceive and bear a son. That he would be called Immanuel....God with us.

MARY:
Well, I was afraid and shocked. I had no husband. "A child...yes, maybe....after Joseph and I are married." But then the angel told me I was part of God's plan. The Holy Spirit would come to me and I would conceive. It happened just as the angel said it would. I got pregnant.

PA:
Truly, Mary? In all my days in court I have heard many explanations...excuses for unexpected pregnancies. But never have I heard anyone claim that she was pregnant by God! I want the jury to make note of that. Let's move on. There were other unusual things about Jesus' birth weren't there?

MARY:
Yes! Angels spoke to others too, not just to me. They spoke to Elizabeth and Zechariah. To Joseph, several times, in dreams. They filled the sky and sang to the shepherds the night Jesus was born. And there were the kings who came later, with gifts...gifts of more wealth than I ever imagined. And all because of my son. No, God's Son. Not because of me.

PA:
Imagine that Mary. Imagine that. What an incredible story you tell us. It's beyond a person's wildest imagination. But maybe it's not beyond the imagination - the fantasies – of a poor, young peasant girl. A poor, scared young peasant girl. Tell me, Mary, what usually happened to a girl when she became pregnant outside of marriage? What happened to her engagement? Her life? Her family?

MARY:
It was a disgrace, the worst disgrace a girl could bring on her family. The engagement was broken. Her father would buy her back but with a penalty that sometimes ruined the entire family. The child would grow up lost....with no family name. And if she and the man had been found together having sex....she could be killed.

PA:
Isn't it convenient then, that this was not any ordinary child, but the Son of God. That his father was not just some nameless man in the night, but God. Imagine that! And all those wonderful stories about angels and kings. Why they certainly prove that this was no ordinary birth! Isn't that convenient, Mary...for you! It saved your life, didn't it?

PA:
Oh? We'll let the jury decide what they think of this....virgin birth, complete with angels! Let's move on. Let's leap to when Jesus was an adult. There is an incident in John's book, I'd like to ask about. A wedding in Cana. Would you please tell the jury about that?

MARY:
Oh it was a wonderful celebration! A beautiful wedding! And the party was delightful – singing, dancing, food and wine. I was helping of course. There was so much to be done – there were so many more people than they ever expected!

MARY:
And....I asked Jesus to help us. I didn't know where we could get more wine at that hour. So I called for him.

PA:
Do you think he might have been annoyed that you'd asked? It was your idea, not his, wasn't it! Mary, were you trying to show him off? You know, a proud mother trying to show off her son's special gifts.

PA:
Alright...let's move on. That was only the beginning, wasn't it Mary. There were many stories recorded about him here in the Gospels. Let's see, he healed the blind man. He fed He fed 5000! It gets better and better, doesn't it! You must have been very proud of him!

MARY:
I was. People flocked to Jesus. They followed him everywhere. They seemed to need and then hold on to the words he spoke. It was amazing to me. What he said was so wise. He had wisdom beyond his years. I was very proud of him. It was as though he could bring wholeness out of brokenness, beauty out of ugliness...not just wine out of water!

PA:
Mary, was it always a joy being Jesus' mother? Were you always proud of him?

PA:
What about the time when you and your sons and daughters went to find him, to bring him home when he was "beside himself." When he said, "This is not my mother. These are not my brothers." It must have made your heart ache when he wouldn't even recognize you as his mother.

PA:
Were you proud of him when he ate with tax collectors? When he befriended prostitutes? He even chose them for his closest friends! Weren't you horrified?

PA:
Were you proud of him when he broke the Jewish laws? Laws about the Sabbath and fasting. Mary, those traditions were so dear to you! You were always so careful. Were you proud of him then?

PA:
And were you proud of him when he was arrested? When they hauled him away as a common criminal?

PA:
And were you proud of him then, Mary? They didn't kill him. You know that. He was crucified. As a common criminal. As the lowest common criminal.

MARY:
No. No...that's not the way it was. He wasn't a criminal. He was doing what he needed to do. He was doing what God called him to do! He was the Messiah!

PA:
He was! Your crucified son? The son you were so proud of? Oh...the power of a mother's love. Mary, do you live in a world of dreams...a mother's dreams of angels and kings? ...No. No. He was a son who broke his mother's heart. He was no Messiah.

DA:
Mary, I'm sure some of these events are painful to recall but we do want to get at the truth about your son. May we continue?

DA:
You have already told the court that there were many small actions or events in Jesus' childhood that you noticed as being special. Were there any particular ones that convinced you that your son was the Messiah?

MARY:
No, not one particular event. It was many things put together. From the beginning I understood that Jesus was set apart by God but I didn't fully comprehend what that meant until time went on.

MARY:
No! I was not married to Joseph yet. The angel told me that the Holy Spirit would come upon me and I would have a son.

DA:
Mary, if the child you were carrying was not Joseph's, why did Joseph marry you?

MARY:
He was going to leave me. But then an angel appeared to him too and told him about Jesus.

MARY:
It was a miracle. Any of you who have seen the birth of a child understand. It occurred in Bethlehem in a stable. I gave birth to a beautiful child. I was holding him when Joseph told me shepherds had come down from the hills searching for us. He said angels had told them to come to worship the little baby. And then...later came the kings...magnificent kings...telling us about the great stars and of prophecies fulfilled. And they bowed down to worship my little one. How did they know? How did they all know? It was a part of God's plan. And I began to more fully understand.

MARY:
No, there was a difference. From the time he was 12 years old he was going his own way. No, it was God's way. He knew very early in his life that his call was from God. I just supported him.

DA:
Wasn't there a time when you and your other sons tried to talk Jesus into coming home with you?

MARY:
Yes. It was early in his ministry. He was preaching and teaching in all the villages, and people were coming to him in droves. I was worried. He wasn't getting enough sleep. He wasn't eating right. He just wasn't taking care of himself. I was worried about him.

MARY:
No. He didn't even come to talk to me. I was so hurt. I just wanted to take care of him. I didn't understand.

MARY:
What he was doing with his life. But then...I looked around at all the people. There were some who were so sick; you just can't imagine. They had to be carried. Some were blind, some crippled. They all came to him to be healed. I watched him from a distance. He would look at each one as though he knew their pains and sorrows. He touched them so tenderly. And they would walk away healed, with faces that seemed to glow. Jesus loved them into a new wholeness. It was so...amazing.

MARY:
No. I brought him up in the traditional faith, reading the scriptures, keeping the Sabbath, obeying the laws. No. It wasn't me. It was God who gave him the power to do what he did.

DA:
Mary, I want to ask you some questions about the crucifixion. It must have been terrible watching your son die on the cross.

MARY:
There was a hint. A long time ago when we took Jesus to the temple for a special dedication, an old man by the name of Simeon looked right at me and said, "And a sword will pierce through your soul." I didn't know what it meant then, but now I do. I loved my son. When Jesus died, my heart was pierced.

DA:
Was there anything else at the cross, Mary, that helped to convince you that your son really was the Messiah?

MARY:
I was standing at the cross with John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, and Jesus looked down from the cross and said, "Mother, behold your son; John, behold your mother." Even while he hung, on the cross, dying, Jesus was concerned that we take care of each other. That's just the way Jesus was - always taking care of others, telling us to love one another and to take good care of each other.

DA:
Mary, I want you to try to imagine something: What if Jesus had not been your son. What if he had been born in another place and time. Can you imagine that?

DA:
Would you have a faith that trusted him with your very life? In other words, Mary, would your experience of Jesus be enough to convince you that he was, indeed, your Savior?

DA:
Mary, would you please tell the jury why you would love and trust Jesus that much....even if he were not your son.

MARY:
There on the cross when he died, I fully understood for the first time how Jesus was part of a greater plan and how I was a part of that plan too. I saw how much God loved me – enough to send a son, enough to let him suffer and even die for me and my sins. At that moment the veil was finally lifted from my eyes. Jesus was no longer only my son; he was God's Son; and he was dying for me, for you, for all of us. I believed.

MARY:
After his resurrection, all I could think was.....the evidence is so clear. Now it's time to believe

JUDGE:
You may step down, Mary. You may summarize, Counselor. (Indicating Prosecutor)

PA:
Your honor. Honorable Counselor. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of the jury. May it please the court. Truly, there is nothing more sacred nor beautiful than a mother’s love. Or more essential. A mother’s love is as essential to us as the air we breath, as the water we drink. Truly, Mary has been blessed with an abundance of a mother’s love for her son. We have seen it. We have seen that fierce protective love with which she defends her son, this son of questionable heritage. She also has an imaginative and creative love which we she was crafted these wonderful tales that she has told us. Tales of angels speaking and dancing in the heavens. A tale of a virgin birth. Wouldn’t we all love to believe those? Wouldn’t we? But I must ask you people of the JURY: do you? Do you believe those tales? Really? I do believe. I believe and I have seen the power of a mother’s love to drive a poor and scared and unwed peasant girl to lie, to fantasize, to do whatever she must do to protect the life of her child, as Mary did. O, I have seen and I do believe the power of a mother’ hopes and dreams, to color all that she sees of her child’s life. Even to make her son’s grizzly and horrible death by crucifixion into some heroic victory, as Mary has. I have seen and I do believe the power of a mother’s memory to sift through the ordinary stuff of life and to pick what is brightest and best of her child’s life. And then to tell those stories over and over and over again through the years as the truth and the whole truth, as Mary has. I have seen and I do believe that we have learned more about Mary than we have about her son. We have learned little about the son who was crucified as a rabble rouser and a fraud. We have learned little about the son who broke the heart of his mother and the hopes of his people.

So what of this Jesus? We are near the end of our case. He claims to be the Lord and Savior of all. He claims to be the Lord and Savior of all yet the questions hang in the air even today. If Jesus was the Messiah, why did he die? If Jesus is Lord of all, why are those who do not know him? If Jesus is Savior of the world, why has he not changed our world? The questions hang in the air even today. The proof that we have received from our witnesses in this trial is not convincing. For we have heard from them the tall tales. We have seen in them only the rag tag examples of lives of followers, followers who cling to him for life. But is that enough? Is that enough to hang a life on? Is that enough to bet your life on? I say, No, it is not. I say that he is a fraud. Yes, a fraud. I say we must find him guilty.

DA:
Your honor. Counselor. Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen of the jury. In the beginning, the prosecutor said that she wanted you to have the facts. Now you do. It has been difficult for this witness to recall some of the events surrounding the life and especially the death of her son. But she did so with an unusual kind of peace. Rather than expressing anger as she spoke, she revealed an acceptance of the events surrounding the life and death of her son. An acceptance that the life and death of her son was in fact a part of God's plan. Mary is a simple peasant woman. She does not know all the fancy words to describe and explain the actions of her son nor the events leading up to his birth. She simply told us what happened. Mary is not the kind of woman to make up stories. She is an honest woman, a loving mother, a devout person. She is simply telling us the truth. Mary believed everything God told her which helped her to better understand what was happening to her son. She heard, she trusted, she believed. A simple faith, yet strong. What's the matter with you? Are we too sophisticated and intellectual to accept the simple truth by faith. No, the mysterious circumstances surrounding Jesus birth, the many miracles he did cannot be explained scientifically. They must be seen through the eyes of faith. Mary is an example of that kind of faith. Will we learn from her and come to know Jesus for who He truly is or will we find him guilty as a fraud? We have heard the simple truth. Now we need to find Jesus simply not guilty. You have now heard the testimony of several witnesses and they all agree. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the Savior of the world. What more do we need? As Mary said, the evidence is so very clear. Now, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is time to believe.

JUDGE:
Thank you, council. Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen. You have heard all five of the witnesses at this point in time. You have all of the evidence. It is now time for you to make your decision. I will give to you jury your instructions, instructions on the law. You must determine the facts that you find in this case. Applying that law to the facts, you must make your decision. As jurors, it is your duty to determine all of the facts in this case from the evidence produced here in this courtroom. The evidence that you are to consider consists of the testimony of the witnesses that you have heard. Also, your own personal experiences and the experiences and wisdom of those you know and those you love. You are to use all of your senses. You must examine your own knowledge, your own conscience, and your own heart. The counsels remarks, their arguments, their statements: these are all intended to help you understand the evidence applied to the law. But the statements of counsel are not evidence and you should disregard any statement or remark that they made if those statements are not supported by the evidence or by the law. Remember that you are officers of the court. You are under oath. You are bound to act impartially and with an honest and earnest desire to declare a proper verdict. Throughout your deliberations and your thinking about all of this, you must not let either prejudice or sympathy influence your decision. Jesus of Nazareth is charged with the crime of fraud, otherwise known as the crime of lying. Specifically, he has been charged with lying about two particular facts. One, that he is the Son of God. And two, that he is the Savior, the Savior from your sins. To convict Jesus Christ of those crimes as alleged, you must find that each has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt. If you find that it has been proven in that manner, then it is your duty to return a verdict of guilty. But, if on the other hand, if after weighing all of the evidence that you have heard, if you have a reasonable doubt as to either of those elements, then it is your duty to return a verdict of not guilty.

BALIFF:
(Knocks with a wooden hammer three times.) Will all rise? The court is adjourned.