It keeps replaying in my head. The shouts of the rest of the council were so loud. What was I to do? Caiaphas asked him if he was the Messiah we’d all been waiting for. He said “yes” but they didn’t like that answer…how could they not see it? It was plain to me that this man was more than a man. He is the one the Scriptures foretold would come. How could my council-mates be so blind? It is so plain that he is the Messiah. They just weren’t looking for him.
But there he is hanging on a tree. My brothers around me shout insults at him. Are they right? If Jesus is the Messiah, why is he not saving himself from this torture?
He’s trying to say something! Maybe this is it! He’s going to save himself and us!
Wait…He bowed his head…The earth is shaking! What is he doing? The soldiers are coming now. They stabbed him with a spear. Jesus is dead! How can this be?
What are we going to do now? Jesus said he was going to fulfill all the Law and the Prophets. Oh no! THE LAW! It is nearly sundown and a Sabbath is coming. We can’t leave him up there on the Sabbath. Who will take him down? I can’t do it. My colleagues will kill me too!
Perhaps if I get permission from Pilate in secret. I bet Nicodemus will help me. I know he recognized the Kingdom of God…
…There is so much blood, how are we going to do this? The nails are driven in so tightly. His body is torn apart. So fragile. There’s one nail. And the second. Nicodemus loosened his feet while I held the body.
I am covered in blood! The Messiah’s blood is all over me. I am touching this dead body, but for some reason I don’t feel unclean. Moses told me to avoid blood; to avoid dead bodies. I will be separated from the assembly on tomorrow’s Sabbath. But everything in me is telling me to do this.
There is no time. Do we wash the body or just wrap it? The blood is everywhere! Wrap him up Nic. We’ll take him to my tomb just down the way. Roll the stone over quickly. We must get home before nightfall.
What will my family say when they see me covered in the blood of Jesus?