Voices around Easter 7 - Easter Day - the High Priest tries to understand what has happened

We are back in the High Priest's study. He is there on his own, recalling his concerns of a few days ago, and wondering what the consequences of the events of Easter Day will turn out to be. 

It has turned out worse than I feared. We did have to proceed against Jesus, and we did succeed in getting Pilate to condemn him. That was quite a performance. We had to threaten the Procurator with a charge of disloyalty to Caesar. So he had to find a way to save face by releasing Barabbas instead of Jesus. So Jesus was crucified and died, and was buried. Job done. 

But it's what happened after that I'm worried about. It looks as if my spies have not been doing their job. Joseph of Arimathea is a disciple of Jesus – a secret one, but he’s come out now by asking Pilate for the body to bury. And, to my surprise, Nicodemus helped with the burial and he is one of our Council. What was he doing? How had he got to know Jesus?

Then some in the Council remembered that Jesus’ preaching suggested that he might rise from the dead in three days. Impossible, quite impossible, I know, but just to be sure we had sentries placed by the tomb and we got Pilate’s agreement.

But something quite remarkable and unexpected has happened. We don’t know exactly what. It’s now the third day since he died and the sentries are found dead, the stone rolled away from the tomb and the body is no longer there. Worse than that, Jesus’ friends have found out about it and it won’t be long before they are telling everyone. Luckily for us they are keeping quiet for now. They’re still afraid of us. There may still be time for us to put a lid on the story.

So we’ve got the spin doctors working. They’ve got a couple of lines to put out. They are tweeting already. One line is that Jesus was not really dead and has resuscitated and gone away, probably to Galilee. The other is that his friends have stolen the body. I don’t think much of either of them really, but you’ve got to go with the stories you’ve got. Firstly, the Romans are expert executioners and would not have made a mistake. And for the second story, the stone could not have been rolled away that easily. If we could produce the body and show that he is dead, that would settle matters. But that’s just it. We don’t have the body to produce. There’s a big internal inquiry about what went wrong already started. Have to be confidential, of course. Gagging order on everyone involved. But then, if you think about it, transparency in inquiries won’t become commonplace for centuries, if that!

What has happened? I have to admit to myself that I don’t know. Publicly we’ll have to stick to one of those stories – or both. But we can’t prove anything. I’m not sure his friends can either, at least not in a forensic way.

I’m stuck with a pack of what-ifs and they won’t go away. Looking at it from a more open point of view, Jesus’ teaching was inspirational, properly scriptural, challenging but sympathetic. If only he had not claimed to be the Messiah, what a lot of good he could have done - that’s what we all think.

 But what if we are wrong? What if Jesus is in some way divine, that he was so close to God that he could have been his son? What if he has risen from the dead? What if his friends see him alive again? What will they do? What will it mean? I can’t help thinking that whatever it will be, it’s going to be quite a story.

Voices around Easter 6 - The Arrest

In the next to last of these monologues we hear two views of the arrest of Jesus in the garden -from the soldiers and the disciples. Strangely enough, there are some striking similarities.

The soldiers

We set off into the darkness, not knowing what to expect. We did not have much light. We were told we were going to arrest the King of the Jews, but we no idea what that meant. If it meant that he would have his own guards there would be a fight. Fights in the dark are risky things. Torches get dropped. You can easily hit your own people. And how would we recognise the man we want? All these Galileans look the same, especially in the dark. Judas, who has called us out, knows, but how will we tell? The king, if that's what he is, won't be wearing a crown, we can be sure of that. Some people say our man is the Son of God. How can we tell that?

In the end, events took us by surprise. We did not need to search. He came to meet us and asked us who we were looking for. He looked composed, almost serene. All the people around him were hiding their faces in their cloaks, several quite terrified of us (which we are used to, of course, being part of the job) but he stood with his face uncovered. 'Yes, that's me', he said. If he is the Son of God we saw that night the Son of God surrender himself to human power.

The disciples

We had set out into the darkness, not knowing what to expect. We stood around together in the garden, full of anxiety. We had just had the Passover meal with Jesus. It was quite different from any meal we had shared before. He had begun by washing our feet. He insisted to take the task of the lowest servant, despite Peter's objections. We shared bread and wine as usual, but this time it felt completely different. There was something special about what Jesus said and did this time which we could not then understand. Then we went out to the garden. We expected Jesus to be arrested at any time that week, and some of us had weapons, but most of us were afraid for Jesus, and afraid for ourselves too. Here we were together in the dark. How would the police recognise Jesus when he came? And what if one of us got arrested too? Perhaps they wouldn't recognise him in the dark and we would be able to sneak away.

But it did not turn out like that. Events were to take us by surprise, as they did over the all those three days. When we saw the police coming, we had no doubt that Jesus would be recognised because we saw the face of our own companion Judas in the light of the lanterns. He would know Jesus, even in the dim light of the torches. But Judas did not need to do anything. Jesus came forward himself and when they said they were looking for Jesus of Nazareth, he replied 'Yes, that's me'. We could scarcely bear to look. Here was the Son of God surrendering himself to human power.

Science and Religion at Scargill

Just back from a Science and Religion weekend at Scargill House in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire.
 After working though the Test of Faith course (http://www.testoffaith.com/)  here are some of the questions we were able to discuss, if not answer!
 But the important thing is to have the discussion, not to come to final answers.
 Thanks to all the participants for the following questions and comments.

Science and God and without God or religion

When we get rid of the religious mumbo-jumbo and accept what science proves, what is left?

Knowledge/science is expanding but will never fill God space (God lies outside of science).

Is it necessarily ‘good’ or ‘right’ to seek final answers? Or should we often simply ‘believe’ (the religious appeal?

Is religion an accident of birth and a solace?

Should we be exploring the concept of ‘Godless Christianity’ (as advocated by Spong and others)? Would a Godless Christianity be compatible with science?

God and creation

 I am content to accept the big bang. I am content to accept that Jesus Christ is the Lord of planet earth, but the whole universe? Come on!

Science discovers what God knew already.

God is the creator of everything; science explains how he did it.

Science can reveal the greatness of the Creator God. In my experience of the human body and the way it works, I cannot conceive it all happened by accident.

The universe is so wonderful; I can’t believe it came about by chance.

I have a problem with the predatory nature of animals. All life is precious to me and to God. Kill or be killed in God’s world?

Genetics

The science of human genetics appears to move on rapidly but the Christian Church lags behind in its commentary on these developments. Should it be more outspoken and pro-active?

Is there a possibility that genetic science could ultimately lead to immortality? Could this affect perception of religion?

Voices around Easter 5 - Walking to the Garden

 John is walking with Jesus and the others to the garden after sharing the last supper. He's trying to make sense of that occasion whilst being concerned about what is going on around them, and feeling very, very tired ...

It’s a very dark night tonight, much more than the last few evenings when we have walked out of Jerusalem to the garden. Today we could hardly see the Kidron brook as we came down the hill. We’re all unusually quiet too. This evening together was different and I guess we’re all trying to work out what it means. Jesus had a lot to say. It may be that he is going away – don’t know where to. That’s a real worry. Without him around I don’t think we would know what to do. But he is, he said, going to send us another companion, comforter, advocate. I’d love to know what he meant. I’ll have to ask him once the Passover festival is over. That is assuming that nothing serious happens in the meantime. Maybe I’ll write some notes of what he said tomorrow when it’s light. Never know when they might come in useful.

Yes, he did have a lot to say. He had a lot on his mind, a lot he wanted to get off his chest to us. It was different tonight. It was not just what he said. He’s often talked to us twelve and tried to explain what was going on and how it fits with the scriptures, so we’re used to all that. Tonight it was what he did as well, and how he did it. I was close to him all the time, so I know how it all happened. It all started when he wrapped a towel round his waist and knelt down and washed our feet. Kneeling down! A teacher like Jesus shouldn’t kneel down, even to his friends. Putting it mildly, washing dusty smelly Middle Eastern feet is not the nicest thing to do. As he did it he looked at each one of us in the eye. It was a loving penetrating look, saying ‘See what I am doing. This is how you should treat each other.’ Peter could not keep quiet. He was not having anything of it and he refused to let Jesus wash his feet. Jesus quietly told Peter that if he wanted to be his friend, then he had to have his feet washed. So Peter, quick and impulsive as ever, said that Jesus should not only wash his feet, but all over as well. Rather over the top. I know what he meant, but I think the rest of us groaned quietly to ourselves. There’s Peter, going to extremes again, we thought.

Then Judas left. I don’t think he’s come back to join us. Hard to tell in the dark and to recognise all the faces. He probably went to get some more provisions, since we’d all eaten quite a lot. But, - now I remember - just around the time that Judas left there was talk about someone betraying Jesus. We don’t know who that might be or what kind of betrayal Jesus had in mind. But it added a touch of unease to the atmosphere. Yes, Jesus had a few quiet words with Judas and then Judas went out.

Then the most remarkable thing of all. Jesus took the bread, as he always did. He blessed it and told us to take it and eat it saying ‘this my body’. And with the cup of wine too – ‘this my blood. Do this in remembrance of me’. He looked at us. He looked at the bread and the wine and as he did it he seemed to, I don’t quite know how to put it, he seemed to fill them with his own self, so that they all appeared to be joined together as one. And as we passed the bread and wine to each other we sensed that we were all sharing in something unique. How can I describe it? I don’t know. It had a solemn mysterious and timeless feeling. Jesus had put himself into the bread and the wine, and we all shared it together. I don’t think anyone will ever explain completely what happened at that moment. You can’t always explain special occasions. You just have to have been there.

Actions speak louder than words. Jesus said many things this evening, but by washing our feet and sharing the bread and wine with us he made the meal more intimate than I could ever have imagined. But one of the things he said is playing around in my head right now. It’s exactly how we felt. ‘My peace I give you. My peace I leave with you. Peace that the world cannot give’. Yes, and although it’s dark and although we shared an imprecise sense of foreboding, those words bring back exactly how it felt at the meal in the upper room tonight.

But here we are at the garden. I’m exhausted. I really need some sleep. It’s still really dark here, but I think I know the path. Ouch! Where did that boulder come from? Just a minute. What’s that? I’m looking back over the brook to Jerusalem. Usually we can see some lights from windows in the walls and towers, but I think I saw some other lights moving outside the walls. Have we been watched? Are we being followed? The lights are a long way away at the moment … and now we’re in the garden I can’t see Jerusalem for the trees. Jesus is asking us to follow him into the garden to pray, so I’ll join the others. … I’ll sit down here. … I can hardly keep my eyes open. … Once I get comfortable, I’ll probably fall …..