[MUSIC PLAYING]
About the year A.D. 30, outside the walls of Jerusalem,
an extraordinary man named Jesus of Nazareth
was cruelly executed along with two thieves.
It was an event that would change the world,
and very few understood.
If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art
in the same condemnation?
And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward
of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
My name is John.
And indeed, it could be well said of this man Jesus,
He did nothing amiss.
I was with Him for the last years of His life.
I watched Him give sight to the blind,
heal the sick and the lame.
I was a witness as He raised the dead back to life.
[SPEAKING ARAMAIC]
Talitha cumi.
[WOMAN CRYING]
Arise.
And yet He was rejected by those who
should have rejoiced at His coming.
What think ye?
He is guilty of death.
[ALL SPEAKING]
Death!
As I and my fellow disciples followed Him
through the cities and hills of Judea,
we came to know for ourselves a miraculous truth
that the Apostle Peter expressed for us all:
Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
The Christ, the Anointed One, had the power and authority
to forgive mankind of their sins.
Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
Arise.
In our possession, we had the writings of ancient prophets
who prophesied about this Messiah, the Son of God,
but we did not fully comprehend.
For the last week of His life, I was an eyewitness.
As the prophet Zechariah foretold centuries before,
many welcomed His return to Jerusalem
as the Messiah, their King.
As we dined with Him on His last night,
He tried to warn and prepare us for His impending death.
A new commandment I give unto you,
That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends.
Ye are my friends.
Take this, and divide it among yourselves: for I say unto you,
I will not drink of the fruit of the vine
until the kingdom of God shall come.
As we left this upper room, Jesus was greatly troubled,
yet He spoke to us words of comfort.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:
not as the world giveth, give I unto you.
Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Still, we did not understand what lay ahead.
All ye shall be offended because of me this night:
for it is written, I will smite the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
Peter, James, and I followed Him further into the garden.
My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death;
tarry ye here, and watch with me.
Abba,
Father,
all things are possible unto thee;
take away this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Indeed, our spirits were willing,
but our flesh was weak, for we were heavy with sleep.
Sleepest thou?
couldest not thou watch one hour?
We did not comprehend that the Son of God, who
we saw had the power to forgive sins,
was now offering Himself as payment
for the misdeeds of all mankind.
Unaware, we slept on.
He was in great agony.
"He prayed more earnestly: and his sweat
was as it were great drops of blood falling down
to the ground."
Whom seek ye?
Jesus of Nazareth.
One of our own betrayed our Lord to the rulers of the Jews.
[KISSES CHEEK]
Master.
Ye have brought this man unto me,
as one that perverteth the people.
I have examined him before you, and find no fault
with this man touching those things whereof you accuse him.
I have sent him to Herod.
He has found that nothing worthy of death has been done.
I will therefore chastise him, and release him.
[CROWD MURMURING]
According to your custom at this time of year,
one prisoner shall be released.
Barabbas.
Free Barabbas.
[CROWD CHEERING]
What shall I do then with Jesus who is called the Christ?
Crucify him.
[CROWD CHANTING]
Crucify him!
No!
Please, spare my son!
[CROWD CHANTING]
I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
[WOMEN CRYING]
[HAMMER POUNDING]
Even in His intense suffering, as He paid the final price
for us all, His thoughts were on others.
His final request of me was to care for His beloved mother.
Behold thy mother!
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
It is finished.
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
The darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
This is the promise that He had promised us, even eternal life.
Mary.
Rabboni.
For we beheld His glory.
Because of Him, we all shall live again, for He is risen.