Narrator 1
Hello ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. Easter Sunday is a time of rejoicing because we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. What a wonderful day it is!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Easter story, this week has also been a time of sad reflection as we have taken time out of our busy schedules to think about what our Lord went through in order to reconcile us back to God.
We respect that some of you in the audience today may not know or haven’t had sufficient time this week to think upon those moments, so before we join together with a shout of praise, we would like to take you on a quick journey that will help you to learn or remember just what Jesus did for us more than 2000 years ago.
A week ago, on a day which was named Palm Sunday, Jesus was hailed a king as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. How fickle human beings can be! How quickly did many emotions change in less than 7 days, as some of those who shouted, “Hosanna!” one minute, shouted “Kill him!” days later.
Before the Roman guards nailed him to a cross, they tortured him. Nobody who has lived on earth, has ever been able to imagine what agony Jesus suffered in those final hours of his precious life.
Narrator 2
Pieces of metal and bone
flew into the air,
then came down with a great speed.
Then an agonising moan
was all they could hear,
as his back began to bleed.
*****
The jagged edges got stuck
right inside the skin,
as dust on the ground turned red.
Then they gave a hard tug
on the bits inside him,
that were weighed down with lead.
*****
Large clumps of flesh ripped away
and fell to the ground.
The torture made him shiver.
As the blue sky turned grey,
there was an awful sound
of blood pouring like a river.
*****
With hatred, envy and scorn,
the voices all screamed,
“Yes, crucify him right now!”
Watching his dear mother mourn,
he had failed it now seemed.
He was the one to save them, but how?
*****
Thorns on his head went in deep
as they pushed them hard,
and each one burst a vein.
He watched his friends weep
as more thorns pierced his skin,
and blood poured down his face like rain.
*****
With his whole beard plucked out –
an unrecognisable face.
This seemed more than he could bear.
He cried out in anguish,
but the soldiers just laughed
and the scoffers just didn’t care.
*****
With his back torn to shreds,
They made him carry his cross,
but nobody understood,
how they expected
his broken body to carry
a heavy, splintered block of wood.
*****
His muscles dangled like string,
as they laid him down…
causing a flow of ribbon-like trails.
Then they grabbed hands and feet,
stretching them tight,
as they hammered in rusty, long nails.
*****
So, when we become angry
and emotionally charged –
we’re shocked and want to exclaim,
it is not okay
to open our mouths
and blaspheme his holy name.
*****
Christ is not a swear-word
to declare when we’re cross
and at times when things don’t go well.
Jesus suffered because
he loves us so much.
He did it to save us from Hell.
