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CAIAPHAS 4'1m*f RT: Caiaphas condemns Jesus for blasphemy

(RT == Readers' Theater: requires little or no memorization,
little or no rehearsal. An indefinite number of reporters are
salted throughout the audience)

CAIAPHAS -- (enters wearing highly ornamented tunic and cape
with sandals, crosses to podium) Good morning. My name is
Caiaphas. I am the High Priest of the Temple here in Jerusalem
and the chief counsel of the Sanhedrin. The reason I called this
press conference is to announce that the Sanhedrin has found
Jesus of Nazareth guilty and has handed him over to the Roman
governor to be executed.

REPORTER -- Can you be more specific? What was Jesus found
guilty of?

CAIAPHAS -- Ah, let's see. What did we end up with? Yes. I think
the final charge was blasphemy. Yes, that was it. Blasphemy.

REPORTER -- Were other charges brought against Jesus?

CAIAPHAS -- Yes, of course. The man is a menace to society.
There were many charges filed against him. But this was the only
charge that would stick.

REPORTER -- Blasphemy is the misuse of the name of God. How did
Jesus misuse the name of God?

CAIAPHAS -- He claimed to be God himself.

REPORTER -- Do you have proof that Jesus isn't God himself?

CAIAPHAS -- We don't need proof that he ISN'T God. Anybody can
CLAIM to be God. The person who claims to be God needs to
provide proof of it.

REPORTER -- During the past three years, literally thousands of
people have witnessed Jesus doing supernatural healings,
exorcisms of demons, walking on water, the feeding of a total of
9000 people with a handful of food. Isn't that proof that he is
God?

CAIAPHAS -- None of us on the Sanhedrin ever saw any of these
so-called miracles.

REPORTER -- But surely some of the witnesses to the miracles
testified on his behalf at his trial.

CAIAPHAS -- Actually, there wasn't a single witness on his
behalf at his trial. We asked Jesus to do a miracle for us, but
he refused.

REPORTER -- My newspaper is usually invited to all trials of the
Sanhedrin. But we never received notice of a trial. When was the
trial?

CAIAPHAS -- Last night.

REPORTER -- I'm sorry, did you say that the trial of Jesus was
held last night?

CAIAPHAS -- Yes.

REPORTER -- Isn't it against Jewish law to hold a trial after
dark?

CAIAPHAS -- Well, I suppose, technically, it is.

REPORTER -- Isn't there good reason for Jewish law prohibiting
trials after dark? Isn't it true that the reason why the law
prohibits trials after dark is because it's difficult to find
witnesses after dark?

CAIAPHAS -- Well, I suppose, technically, it is.

REPORTER -- Isn't it likely that, if the trial had been held
during the day, at least SOME of the thousands of witnesses to
the miracles of Jesus would have come forward to testify on his
behalf?

CAIAPHAS -- Well, I suppose it's possible.

REPORTER -- You are a Pharisee, are you not?

CAIAPHAS -- Yes. I'm proud to say that I am a Pharisee.

REPORTER -- Didn't Jesus call the Pharisees... let me quote...
(reads) "white washed tombs"?

CAIAPHAS -- Yes. He did. What of it?

REPORTER -- Isn't it likely that the reason the Sanhedrin held
the trial after dark in violation of the law was because most of
the members of the Sanhedrin are Pharisees who wanted to deny
Jesus due process in order to silence him?

CAIAPHAS -- If Jesus was really the long awaited messiah as he
claimed to be, he would have not only treated us Pharisees with
respect, but he would have announced his arrival by paying us
homage and inviting US to be his apostles instead of those hicks
from the sticks way out in Galilee.

REPORTER -- So, the reason Jesus is being executed today is
because he snubbed you?

CAIAPHAS -- Yes. No.

REPORTER -- Well, which is it?

CAIAPHAS -- Jesus is being executed because he claimed to be
God.

REPORTER -- But there was PROOF that Jesus was God.

CAIAPHAS -- WE didn't see any proof!

REPORTER -- You made sure of that by holding the trial after
dark.

CAIAPHAS -- The Sanhedrin has made its decision and the decision
is final. Jesus will be executed today! (exiting) That's all I'm
going to say.

©2007 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:
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