Narrator

In the judgment hall of Pilot, the Roman governor, Christ stands bound as a prisoner.  About him are the guard of soldiers and the hall is filling quickly with spectators.  Just outside are the judges of the Sanhedrin, priests, rulers, elders and the mob.
After condemning Jesus, the counsel of the Sanhedrin had come to Pilot to have the sentence executed.  But these Jewish officials would not enter the Roman judgment hall.  According to their ceremonial law, the act would have defiled them and they would not have been able to participate in the Passover ceremony.  In their blindness, they didn’t see that murderous hatred had defiled their hearts already.  They couldn’t see that Christ was the real Passover lamb; and because they rejected him, the Passover had already lost its meaning for them.

  When Jesus was brought into the judgment hall, Pilot stared at him but his eyes weren’t friendly at all.  He’d been called out of bed and he was determined to do his work as quickly as possible.  The act of waking him from sleep prepared Pilot to be as severe as possible.  As he approached Jesus from behind, he prepared his roughest expression.  He prepared himself to be cruel but he was surprised by the nobility he saw in the master’s presence.  It wasn’t bold defiance that Jesus exuded but it was divinity.  Through this tortured and beaten exterior, divinity still shined through.  Pilot found no fear when moved to the side of Jesus to look in his face.  Pilot was impressed so he asked-  

Pilot

(with anger toward the audience) Who is this man and why have you brought him here?!!!

Narrator

The Jews couldn’t answer because they new their charges were false.  The last thing that they wanted was a public trial.  When there was no answer, Pilot asked again.

Pilot

What are you accusing this man of?

Narrator

Pilot had already heard from his wife that Jesus was innocent.  He thought that by pressing the issue, the Sanhedrin would be happy to release him after a severe flogging.  But no priest dare put himself in harms way so one of their supporters shouted from the crowd.

Voice

If he wasn’t guilty, we wouldn’t have brought him to you!  When the counsel brings you man they deem worthy of death, they don’t have to give a reason.

Narrator

Can you see priests standing there- eager to hurry their sentence along before the truth about Jesus healing and the feeding the multitudes could come out?  They wanted quick execution so they calculated the time and the place that would put the most pressure on Pilot. (pause)  And it would have worked- except that Pilot knew that Jesus was not guilty.   

Pilot

If your judgment is sufficient, why bring him to me?  Take him and judge him according to your law!

Voice

We’ve already sentenced him.

Pilot

What is your sentence?!!!

Voice

(very slow and wicked) It is death.  But our laws don’t allow us to put a man to death.

Pilot

And I will not put a man to death without a charge! 

Narrator

Pilot was not a just man.  In fact, he was weak.  But even in his weakness, he had the Pharisees in a dilemma.  They couldn’t afford to let it be known that their true problems with Jesus were religious.  So, they brought forth all of their false witnesses to accuse him of the things that they were guilty of.

Voice 2

We heard this fellow causing an uprising by teaching Jews not to pay taxes to Caesar!  I heard him say that he himself was king.

Narrator

(building up emotion) All three charges were lies but the priests were willing to commit perjury in order to kill God’s son.  But Pilot could see through the plot so he turned to Jesus and asked!

Pilot

Are you the king of the Jews?