Jesus and the Passion
As you will see Jesus defies description in so many ways. There is no simple response for who he is or what he says about himself. He lived most of his life in an obscure village in first-century Israel. And worked as a carpenter until he was thirty. He was also a man who spent three years of his life publicly teaching people about the kingdom of God. In so doing he attracted passionate attention that has continued for over two thousand years.
He described himself as God in unmistakable claims that were both controversial and undeniable. Controversial because such claims were in violation of the Jewish law. Undeniable because they were accompanied by spectacular miracles. Jesus turned water into wine and multiplied bread to feed multitudes of starving people. He gave blind men sight and enabled crippled beggars to walk again. Distraught women saw their children raised from the dead, tormented people received peace and sinners received forgiveness, released from guilt and despair.
Because of these claims, many people suspected and hated Jesus. They saw this display of the kingdom of God as a threat to the existing political and religious regimes. One of his companions, Judas, betrayed him to his enemies. Although innocent, both the Roman governors and Jewish religious leaders condemned him to death.
When he was dead, he was placed in a borrowed grave. His friends and followers fled in fear of a similar fate. But that wasn’t the end of the story. What follows is an account of the defeat of death, the chance of new life and the hope of resurrection. It is a story that is still being told in free performances all around the UK today.
