The Circle of Jesus Christ

Part 1: Awakening

John the Baptist is standing in the water as Jesus looks to him from the shore. He smiles to him, recognizing his cousin and friend. Jesus wades out to him, and waits to be baptized. With dismay, John realizes what Jesus wants, feels very unworthy of baptizing the Messiah and says, “But, Lord, it should be you baptizing me.” Jesus says, “It is my father’s will.” After wrestling with some thoughts in his mind, John complies.

After Jesus comes up from the water, a light appears from heaven, a voice proclaiming: “This is my son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus leaves the water.

Part 2: Purification

Jesus sits at a table in the Upper Room, surrounded by his disciples. He holds a piece of bread in his right hand and a chalice of wine in the other. He broke the bread, saying, “This is my body that is broken for you.” In the same manner he took the cup, saying, “This is my blood that is given for you.”

They depart the Upper Room to pray in the garden. Judas returns, kissing Jesus, betraying him to the authorities for forty pieces of silver.

Jesus is then led away to face Pilate and the Jewish courts. He stands silent as he is scourged with a whip and a crown of thorns pressed hard onto his head. He is very weary, due to his body having been beaten and losing so much blood. Even then, he is forced to carry the heavy crux of the cross that he will soon be nailed to.

Part 3: Illumination

Jesus is lying on a wooden cross, his arms outstretched. The Centurion ties his arms down to the crux, then his feet to the base, making sure the ropes are secure. Then he begins to nail a spike through Jesus’ left wrist. In six blows, he finishes. Then, with six blows, he hammers another through the right wrist. Likewise a third is nailed through both feet.

He raises the cross up into a hole. The lurch is very painful for Jesus. Spectators mock him. A sign is posted above his head, reading “Jesus, King of the Jews.”

A Roman Soldier, sympathetic to Jesus’ pain, thrusts a spear through his side, fulfilling the prophecy that no bone of the Messiah’s shall be broken (the priests were going to have his body ripped apart by horses if he did not die by sundown).

The sky suddenly darkens with clouds followed by flashes of thunder and lightning. Jesus cries out, “Father, father, why have you forsaken me?” and then dies. The Centurion, seeing this, says, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

Part 4: -

Jesus’ body is taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb, a stone covering the door. Two Roman soldiers are placed to guard against Jesus’ followers and enemies. After three days, the ground shakes and the stone mysteriously begins to move, opening the tomb. In fright the guards run for their lives. Then everything was suddenly still again.

Mary of Magdalene comes to the tomb to anoint the body with oil, as is the custom. She finds the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. She begins to walk around the garden, finds someone who she assumes is the gardener, and asks him where the body has been moved to.

He smiles at her and turns her head. “Mary,” he says and she recognizes the voice. She turns around but he is gone.