Hiya! I see you've decided to take the tour! Well, God.. ops! I mean good for you! Our first stop will be the palace of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Jerusalem. Keep your voices down, though. You'll see why later...
Via Dolorosa : The "Way of Suffering", which is the route and chain of events that Jesus took from His condemnation to His resurrection.
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.
~Acts 8:32-33~
Yo Fav! So there you are! I've been searching all over for you. You won't believe how difficult it is to get directions around here- 
Shh!! *hushed tone* Quiet! They'll hear us! 
Who? Where? *peeks round the corner* Ops! Sorry... What are we doing here anyway? 
We're eavesdropping. 
Hey... that's not very nice... Is it? 
It's part of our tour. But we're in the palace courtyard! What if we get caught?! That's why we have to be quiet! 
Ohh... 
Here they come. *takes a peek* Who? Lemme see! That's Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in these parts *points to the man on the balcony* and those guys in the white robes and big hats are the chief priests. The rest are the Jews. 
What about the guy in chains? Boy, does he look roughed up... We'll see later. Hush, it's starting ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Who is this man you bring to me at this early hour? What charges do you bring against him? 
O Pilate, this man is a criminal! If he were not, would we bring him to you? Judge him by your own law, then! (And let me get back to sleep) But we have no right to execute anyone! 
WHAT?! ops! Sorry. I mean 'what'? The poor fella hasn't even been given a fair trail and they're talking about execution?? (What a headache.) Guard! Bring the man inside! Come to think of it, he looks rather familiar... 
Let's follow them inside the palace. 
*to Jesus* Are you the king of the Jews? 
Are you asking me that because you think I'm a rebel, or was it others who told you about me? Do I look like a Jew to you? Of course it was the chief priests and the people who brought you to me. I know it's because they are jealous of you. Just what is it that you have done? If that is so, then the answer is 'Yes', it is as you say. King of the Jews... king of the- Hey! Now I recognise him! He was the one praying in the garden last night, the same man who rode into the city on a donkey with all the crowds cheering! That's him, the one they call the 'Christ'. Come along now. Pilate's going out again. 
Why do they hate him so much? What wrong has he done? Nothing. They just hate him for who he says he is. And who is that? 
The Son of God.
*to the crowds* I have questioned your Jesus and I find no basis for a charge against him! 
He is a criminal! He cannot be spared! Look, since it is my tradition to release a prisoner each Passover, why don't I give you Jesus, the 'King of the Jews'? 
No! We want Barabbas!! Give us Barabbas!! Barabbas??! That murderer and rioter?? You have to be kidding! Surely you don't want him! He'll make trouble for you! We want Barabbas!! Away with Jesus!! Then what shall I do with the one they call the 'Christ'? Crucify him!! Crucify Jesus!! !!! Crucify him?? But why?? What has he done to deserve such a death? He has blasphemed! He says he is the Son of God!! Crucify him!!! 
*thinks* Son of God?? What if he is? What will he do to me if I condemn him? *goes back to Jesus* Don't you see the charges they are bringing against you? Say something! Where do you come from?! 
... Don't you know I have the power to release or condemn you?? You'd have no power over me if God had not given it to you. Therefore the one who handed me to you is guilty of a greater sin. *comes out of palace* This man is innocent! There is no reason I should charge him! Crucify!! Crucify!!! 
Shall I crucify your king??!! We have no king but Caesar! Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar, and you're no friend of his if you let this man go!! !!! Crucify Jesus!! Kill him!! 
But... but.. what has he done?! CRUCIFY HIM!!! CRUCIFY JESUS!!! The people are mad!! They're going to riot! Pilate's starting to sweat. He'll give in any time now. CRUCIFY!!! SILENCE!!! *sits on the judge's seat and taking a basin of water, he washes his hands* Fine! You take him and crucify him! I wash my hands off this matter. I am innocent of this man's blood!! Let his blood be upon us and our children!! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Wha?? They're going to kill him just like that?? Not even a trial?! I think I'm gonna be sick... 
Hey, look!! They're flogging him and pressing thorns into his head!! I'm going to stop them- urk! 
*catching Chris by his ears* Get back here. You want to be crucified too? This has to happen. Has to? What d'you mean? 
So the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: "Like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth". What's that supposed to mean? I'll explain later. Come along now. We're running late. 
*takes one last look at Jesus being led away* But it's just not fair...
Via
Dolorosa Down the Via Dolorosa, in Jerusalem that day He was bleeding from the beating, there were stripes upon his back Down the Via Dolorosa, called 'The Way of Suffering"
adapted from the
song by Billy Sprague and Niles Borop
The Soldiers tried to clear
the narrow street
But the crowd pressed on to see
The man condemned to
die on Calvary
And
he wore a crown of thorns upon his head
And he bore with every step
The
scorn of those who cried out for his death
Lke a lamb, came
the Messiah, Christ the King
And he chose to walk that road out of his love
for you and me
Down the Via Dolorosa all the way to Calvary
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