Pilate & Centurion sketch

We used this sketch based on Mark 15 & 16, which someone from camp kindly wrote for us, and which someone else lightly edited, in our Family Service today.



P: You were on duty the night we crucified Jesus?
C: The man they called ‘King of the Jews’? Yes, I was there. A very strange case sir.
P: Strange? What do you mean? You did do the job properly, it was very quick. You are sure he was dead?
C: Oh yes sir, he was dead. I know my job sir.
P: Then what was strange. I have heard some disturbing reports.
C: Well sir, it started when we arrested him. We went out nice and quiet sir as the High Priests suggested – no point in stirring up the crowds at Passover time. We got him in the evening – one of his own followers showed us where to find him – nasty piece of work if you ask me. Well most blokes make a fuss when we try to arrest them, try to fight us off. But this Jesus just stood there. And sir, he seemed to be expecting us, said something about scripture being fulfilled. Not your normal criminal type at all.

P: Hmm

C: What was his crime sir?
P: Silence! Your job is to obey orders, not question them.  Claimed to be the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One.
C: Is that a crime sir?
P: Well not under Roman law, but these Jews said it was blasphemy, him claiming to be God, it seems.
C: But still not a crime?
P: No, I tried to save him. I gave him the chance to defend himself but he wouldn’t answer. Simply said yes, when I asked him if he was King of the Jews.
C: I am told that you could have freed him, Sir.
P: Silence! Yes, I tried. You know I always release on criminal at Passover time – it seems to keep the crowds happy. I thought that they’d want to save Jesus – after all, he had quite a reputation as a healer and teacher.
C: But they chose the murderer Barabbas instead.
P: Indeed. So I handed this ‘King of the Jews’ over to your men.
C: Yes sir. They mocked him, dressed him up as a king and thrust a crown of sharp thorns on his head. They hit him and spat on him as well.
P: Did he say anything?
C: Not a thing – even as the men flogged him, he stayed silent.
P: A proper flogging?
C: Oh indeed sir. Would have killed most men.
P: Well he was a criminal, what did he expect?
C: We then made him carry the cross beam through the town up the hill in that searing heat – enough to do for anyone – although he did get some help from some chap – Simon or some such name.
P: Did he say anything at all?
C: Even as we hammered the nails into his hands and feet, he did not retaliate or struggle. Not like the other two men who cursed us the whole time – from this Jesus, not a word.
P: Too weak to speak by then?
C: No sir, I don’t think so. The crowds mocked him too. They cried out you could save others, save yourself. And you know sir, I sense that if he had wanted to, he could have done just that – come down from the cross and saved himself – but he chose not to.
P: Hmm.
C: And then sir, it all went dark, the sun disappeared for 3 hours.
P: Did he try and escape?
C: No, he just stayed there. Then he called out something in Hebrew – some thought he was calling their prophet Elijah.
P: And then?
C: He just cried out once and died.
P: You didn’t need to speed things up by breaking his legs.
C: Would have done normally, but no need this time. It seems to me that he just chose to die.
P: And you were sure that he was dead?
C: Absolutely. Killing people is my job and I am good at my job
P: You know there is talk that this Jesus is still alive and that you bungled the job.
C: I know what death looks like and this man was definitely dead when we had finished with him. Anyway, I know what I would be in for if I allowed condemned men to survive – and it would not be pleasant.
P: You are not wrong there – you would have been nailed up in the same way. So what do you make of it all.
C: Well sir, after all that I have seen and heard, and after watching the way that he died, I can only say that this man was the ‘Son of GOD’