CSI Jerusalem



CSI: Jerusalem

An Easter Drama

Synopsis: Two CSI techs are arguing over Christianity and its credibility. The skeptic is getting ready to leave for a party dressed in a Biblical costume, carrying her equipment bag. The Christian tech, working on some tests, argues that the resurrection is irrefutable evidence for Christianity. It is proof that Jesus is God and there is no other explanation for the empty tomb other than Jesus is God and He rose from the dead. The other tech shoots back that if there had been a proper CSI team on site, they would have been able to find a natural explanation for the disappearance of the body. This tech boasts that all you would have needed was one CSI and the problem would have been solved. Suddenly, an explosion or short circuit of some equipment they’re working on happens. When the smoke clears, the skeptic finds herself alone in a remote place. She has somehow been transported back in time to Easter morning. She gets her opportunity to physically examine the empty tomb and interview witnesses. What she learns does not confirm her different theories about natural explanations for the empty tomb. She is forced to acknowledge the resurrection as historical and scientific fact. Somehow her cell phone works and she is able to communicate with the Christian tech over the centuries and throughout the course of her investigation.

Cast of Characters:

Female CSI skeptic – Lydia

Christian CSI tech – Colby

Mary Magdalene – Jacquelyn

Roman soldier from tomb – Hunter

Gladius – Roman centurion from cross and the tomb – Arby

Malchus, Servant of the High Priest – Matthew

Caretaker of tombs – Samuel

Rhoda, servant girl – Danielle

Scene One: Argument between Lydia, a skeptical CSI, and Colby, Christian CSI. The skeptic is very disrespectful of Easter as a religious holiday. Dressed up for a party to mock the holiday. Argue over the reality of the resurrection. Electrical explosion and flash, then darkness.

Scene Two: Lydia finds herself alone in a barren place. Her phone rings and she is talking to Colby. She is at a loss to explain why she vanished or where she is. She sees a person in the distance and ends call to go to him (caretaker) and find out what is going on. At first she thinks the person is going to her costume party. Slowly she realizes she is back in time and that she is on the scene of the empty tomb. She calls Colby back and he urges her to investigate.

Scene Three: Skeptic CSI has empty linen wrap for a body on a table. Describes the finding to Christian. Samuel explains the customs of burial. Discuss the problems with it still being intact. Dried blood is found on inside of burial shroud.

Scene Four: Interview with Roman Soldier and then Centurion. We learn of process of sealing a tomb. Soldier presents his story on the disciples stealing the body while they were sleeping. He then calls for his superior. She hints that Jesus maybe didn’t die on cross. He becomes pretty angry over this. He knows how to kill someone and knows when they are dead; he put spear in Jesus’ side himself. She becomes intimidated and decides to tread lightly and end the interview.

Scene Five: Interview with Mary Magdalene—starts with Mary telling about her past demon possession and how Jesus had delivered her. Progresses to her trip to the tomb, its purpose, and the surprising events that followed. Ends with Lydia left questioning whether she is a delusional.

Scene Six: Interview with Malchus. Lydia is trying to learn about the disciples. Was Peter’s attack on him a symptom that they were violent and inclined to steal the body of Jesus? Discovers that Jesus healed Malchus’ ear.

Scene Seven: Discussion with caretaker. Sends her on to Rhoda. Interview with Rhoda. She tells stories of resurrection appearances to Cleopas and Disciples. This eye witness testimony stuns Lydia.

Scene Eight: We see Colby talking to Lydia from the lab. We hear his side of the conversation. He has been desperately trying to get her back but doesn’t know how or why she was sent back in time in the first place. While tinkering to repair the same piece of equipment, another explosion brings Lydia back again. Together they talk about what she has learned.

CSI: Jerusalem Script

[Lydia walks though lab in a Bible costume on her way out the door. Colby is working on some kind of lab equipment, doing some kind of test.]

|Scene One: CSI Lab in Las Vegas |

|Colby: |[Laughing at her…] Whoa!! Where are you going? You in some kind of Easter play? Not what I expected out of you, the|

| |office atheist! |

|Lydia: |Hah! You got that right! I’m going to a Blast Easter Party. We’re ripping on the fable that so many of you Jesus |

| |Freaks celebrate this year. We all dress up in historical costumes and have a great pagan time. |

|Colby: |Well, Lydia, I don’t think you should ridicule something you clearly don’t understand. |

|Lydia: |What’s to understand? You guys believe the myth that a dead guy came back from the dead and rules this messed up |

| |world from heaven. |

|Colby: |In your twisted way, you’re kind of right. But what you call a myth and fable is a solid historical event. |

|Lydia: |[Laughs at that.] Oh, really? Where’s your evidence? Here at CSI we don’t deal in make believe legends and stories.|

| |We deal with the facts, the evidence, the things we can put our hands on. |

|Colby: |Surprisingly, there are lots of historical facts that back up the resurrection of Jesus as the only logical |

| |explanation for the empty tomb that Sunday morning. |

|Lydia: |It’s easy to make those claims 2,000 years after the fact. All kinds of things could have happened. If there had |

| |been a CSI team on hand, they would have cleared up the mystery in no time. [Goes up to Colby and gets right in his|

| |face…] Why I bet all you’d need was one single CSI who knew her stuff and she could debunk this Jesus thing in 48 |

| |hours!! She could prove that the disciples stole the body or maybe Jesus hadn’t even died and he snuck out on his |

| |own! |

|[As Lydia is yelling at Colby, his piece of equipment malfunctions and |

|there is an explosion with a flash and a lot of smoke. Lights go dark. |

|When Lydia wakes up, she’s out in a barren place.] |

|Scene Two: Barren Place Out of Town |

|Lydia: |What was that? [She looks around, shaken up.] Where am I? Looks kind of like desert. I must be outside of Vegas. |

|[As she’s looking around, her cell phone in her briefcase rings. She fumbles to get it out before she misses the call. She answers. We only hear|

|her side of the conversation.] |

|Lydia: |Hello? Yeah, Colby, I’m all right. How about you? [Listens] …Where am I? I… I.. don’t know. I think I’m outside of |

| |Vegas, but I can’t see the town or anything. No roads, nothing. What happened? [Listens] Yeah, I remember the |

| |explosion, but how would I end up outside of town? [Listens] Wait, I see someone coming. I’m going to check with him. |

| |Maybe he can clear this up. Call you back. |

|[Samuel comes on stage, also dressed in Biblical costume.] |

|Lydia: |[To herself…] Must be one of my pagan friends… [To Samuel, brightly.] Hey, Dude, I’m Lydia, where’s the party?! I |

| |didn’t think we were having it so far outside of Vegas! Where are we? |

|Samuel: |[Very puzzled by her speech and what she’s saying.] Dude? Vegas? What? The only party around here is the Feast of the |

| |Unleavened Bread at the Temple. We’re outside of Jerusalem. It’s right over that hillside. I’m Samuel, the caretaker of|

| |the tombs. |

|Lydia: |[It’s her turn to be very puzzled.] Jerusalem!? I’m clear over in the Middle East?! C’mon, man, you’re kidding me! |

| |You’re all dressed up for the party, right? |

|Samuel: |No, not really. I’ve never been much of a kidder. And there’s no special clothes for the party. Perhaps I could add a |

| |prayer shawl… |

|Lydia: |You’re killing me. You really get into character for these things. Next I expect you to say that that Jesus guy was |

| |killed just the other day. |

|Samuel: |Of course, everyone knows that. He was crucified on Friday. It’s the talk of the town. Some who thought he was our |

| |Messiah are in deep mourning. The religious leaders who thought he was a heretic are celebrating. The crowds are split |

| |in two over the whole thing. The Romans are just trying to keep the peace. And I’m trying to figure out what happened |

| |with the body from Joseph’s tomb. |

|Lydia: |Wait, you’re serious. I am back in Jerusalem, not far from the tomb of Jesus and his body is missing?! Not possible! |

| |[Kind of rubbing her head in astonishment.] |

|Samuel: |Now you’re getting the picture. What’s wrong with you? Did you take a bump in the head? |

|Lydia: |No, I’m fine. I’ve got to call Colby back. [Rings Colby back on cell phone.] Colby, you’re not going to believe this. I|

| |figured out where I am. I’m outside of Jerusalem… [Listens] Yeah, I’m not kidding. [Listens] No, this is not one of my |

| |practical jokes. Wait ’til you hear the rest of it. I’m back in Roman times, when Jesus was killed. [Listens] That’s |

| |what I said. I know it sounds crazy! How do you think I feel?! [Listens] I don’t know how I have cell service. |

| |[Listens] What do you mean it’s a great opportunity? I just want to get home. [Listens] I know I made that boast, but I|

| |can’t go investigating this empty tomb thing. I have no authority here. |

|[The whole time Samuel is mystified by the cell phone and listening in on the whole conversation. At the mention of the tomb, he brightens up.] |

|Samuel: |I don’t mean to interrupt this conversation you are having with that little box, but if you could help me investigate, |

| |I’d sure appreciate it. |

|Lydia: |[Looks over her shoulder, annoyed.] |

|Samuel: |No, really, I’m at my wit’s end. I’ve never lost a body before… [He looks at her pathetically.] |

|Lydia: |Look, Colby, I’ve got to go. You’re not the only person who thinks this is a good idea. OK. OK. I’ll investigate while |

| |I’m here. [Gets emotional…] But, look. You got to figure out what happened and how to get me out of here! Got that! [To|

| |Samuel.] Well, you better take me to the empty tomb and give me a list of people who have been here since the burial. |

| |When was that? |

|Samuel: |[As they start walking off.] As I said, Jesus was killed on Friday. Joseph put him in his new tomb, barely having any |

| |time to wrap his body before sundown… |

|[Lydia and Samuel exit as lights fade.] |

|Scene Three: Makeshift Lab |

|[Lydia has set up a place to examine the grave clothes of Jesus. It is very odd; |

|the grave clothes are like an empty shell. She is on the phone again with Colby.] |

|Lydia: |Colby, you’re not going to believe this. I went to the tomb and it was empty just like you said, but there are some |

| |very strange things here. [Listens] OK, OK, I know you think there are strange things because of miracles and all, but |

| |let’s not jump on that train yet. Let’s look at the evidence. [Listens] Make fun of me all you want, but that’s how we |

| |solve every case. Let’s do this on this one. [Listens] Thanks. Here’s what I got—According to the caretaker of the |

| |tombs, the body of Jesus was put in a new tomb that was carved in the side of the hill. [Listens] Yes, I checked it out|

| |thoroughly. There are no alternate entrances, just the one opening. The only things inside of the tomb were the grave |

| |clothes themselves and a smaller linen cloth. |

|Samuel: |[Interrupting.] That was found by one of his followers. It was folded up and laid up by where the head would be. It was|

| |handled by a man named Peter and then dropped where you found it. |

|Lydia: |Did you hear that? [Listens] Good. We can’t process it like a regular crime scene. No point in looking for prints or |

| |DNA; there’s no database for comparison. No need to check for blood splatter. We know it’s not the site of his death. |

| |So, this can’t be handled like our typical case. |

| |I did get the grave clothes out of the tomb and brought them to a place where I would have better light to examine |

| |them. Now this is what’s weird. The wrappings are like a cocoon or something. They’re almost like an empty shell. |

|Samuel: |[Interrupting again.] I can explain that… |

|Lydia: |Go ahead, Samuel, my colleague can hear you. |

|Samuel: |When a person dies, we wrap the body up and soak the linens with various spices. The richer the deceased is or more |

| |important, the more spices and perfumes are used, particularly when there is time to prepare. It helps to keep down the|

| |stench of decay. Here the bare minimum was used. |

|Lydia: |That explains the hardness of the cloths, but it doesn’t explain this cocoon effect. [Now to Colby.] There’s a lot of |

| |dried blood on the inside of the wrappings. [Listens.] What’s that, Colby? Here let me put you on speaker phone… [Now |

| |we can hear Colby’s side of the conversation.] |

|Colby: |What I was saying is that this is how the Bible describes it. Here let me find that… Here, John 20:3-7—So Peter and the|

| |other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.|

| |He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, |

| |arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been |

| |around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. |

|Lydia: |But, Colby, the linen wrappings are completely undisturbed. I don’t know how they got the body out. You can’t just slip|

| |a dead body out of something like this. And I don’t see how Jesus couldn’t have wriggled free of these wrappings. |

|Samuel: |This is one of my big problems. If you were going to steal the body, wouldn’t you just take the whole thing, wrappings |

| |and all? It would take too much time to unwrap it or cut it out. |

|Lydia: |[To Samuel] Who have you talked to so far? Do we have any witnesses? |

|Samuel: |I have talked with a follower named John. He’s the one who told me that Peter had picked up the head wrapping. The only|

| |other witnesses that have been at the tomb today were the women who came early this morning and the Roman soldiers. I |

| |saw one of the women right after I learned the body was missing. |

|Lydia: |Roman soldiers? What were they doing here? |

|Colby: |The Bible says that the Jewish leaders went to Pontius Pilate to make sure that something like this didn’t happen. They|

| |knew that Jesus predicted coming back from the dead and the religious leaders thought the disciples would try to steal |

| |the body. |

|Samuel: |That’s right. But, obviously, they weren’t very effective. Word on the street is that they’ve been paid off to keep |

| |this thing quiet. |

|Lydia: |I’ve got to talk with one of those soldiers. Where can I find them? |

|Samuel: |There’s a Roman army post right near the temple. Perhaps you can find one of the men who guarded the tomb. But I better|

| |go with you. |

|Lydia: |Why? |

|Samuel: |Well, a woman can’t really go about town asking questions like this all by herself. And you’ll need to keep your head |

| |covered in town. |

|Lydia: |Really?! How barbaric! |

|Colby: |Lydia, when in Rome do as the Romans do… |

|Samuel: |[Puzzled] But we’re not in Rome, we’re in Jerusalem. |

|Lydia: |Sorry, it’s just a saying where I come from. Bye, Colby. I’ll let you know what we find out. |

|Scene Four—Interview with Soldier and Claudius |

|Samuel: |Excuse me, were you one of the soldiers on duty at the tomb of Jesus of Nazareth? |

|Hunter: |[Looks around nervously. Answers with kind of a chip on his shoulder.] Who’s asking? |

|Samuel: |I’m Samuel, the caretaker of the tombs, and this is Lydia. We’re just trying to understand what happened out there the |

| |last two days or so. |

|Hunter: |Well, uh… Yes, I was one of the soldiers guarding the tomb. |

|Samuel: |I understand that you are part of a really elite group of soldiers… the custodia, is that right? |

|Hunter: |[Kind of puffed up by this.] Yeah, we’re pretty tough guys. You don’t want to mess with us. A group of 16 of us can |

| |fight off an army of 100 well-trained soldiers! |

|Samuel: |[Backs up a little.] I see… Well, tell me about your assignment at the tombs. |

|Hunter: |[Nervously, clearly hiding something.] Not much to tell… uh… we, uh… we just went out to this guy’s tomb and |

| |investigated it and sealed it. Then we posted a guard over it. Right in front of the stone sealing the opening. Can you|

| |imagine posting a guard over a dead person’s tomb?! [Laughs a little.] Most boring assignment I’ve ever had to go on. |

|Samuel: |So how did the body of Jesus end up disappearing? |

|Hunter: |We… uh… we believe that the disciples stole the body of Jesus while we were asleep. Yeah, that’s it… the disciples |

| |stole the body! |

|Samuel: |Oh, you were asleep? Is that acceptable when you are on night duty? |

|Hunter: |Oh, normally that’s a big no-no! Can’t do that! But this time, for some reason, our commander did not discipline us for|

| |that. |

|Samuel: |Didn’t you say you sealed the tomb? |

|Hunter: |Yeah, sure. |

|Samuel: |Like with the seal of the Roman Empire, with the seal of Caesar? |

|Hunter: |Um… Sure. What about it? |

|Samuel: |So, like what happens when that seal is broken? |

|Hunter: |No biggy. We’re just burned alive in our clothes and we… [It finally dawns on him that he should be in big trouble.] |

| |Oh, no! This can’t be good. No, no, no… [looking around to see if anyone gets it.] Oh, no, no, no! |

|Samuel: |OK, look, I won’t tell anyone, OK? I just want to know what happened. How did you know the disciples stole the body if |

| |you guys were asleep? Did they leave something behind or something? |

|Hunter: |Uh… I… uh… probably shouldn’t say anything more. I… uh… |

|Samuel: |It’s OK. You’re safe with us. |

|Hunter: |No. Maybe you should talk to my superior officer. There he is now! [Calls out. Very nervous.] Hey, Claudius, sir, these|

| |fine people need to talk to you! |

|Samuel: |[Aside to Lydia.] Uh, oh. This could get bad. Just leave the talking to me. |

|Claudius: |What’s up? How can I help you folks? |

|Samuel: |I’m sorry to disturb you, sir. I am the caretaker of the tombs and I’m just trying to find out what happened with the |

| |missing body last night, the body of Jesus? |

|Claudius: |Great. We’re looking into it’s disappearance as well. What do you need to know? |

|Samuel: |Well, first I was wondering… |

|Lydia: |[Interrupts.] I’ve got a question for you, sir. Was this Jesus of Nazareth really dead when they put him in the tomb? |

|Claudius: |Why kind of question is that? Who are you anyway? |

|Lydia: |Name is Lydia, sir. I’m just helping a little with the investigation. I asked because I was wondering if the supposed |

| |deceased could have escaped on his own. |

|Claudius: |[Loud laugh.] Look, Lydia, I don’t know where you’re from, but around here when a person gets crucified, he dies. For |

| |starters, the criminal Jesus was beaten within an inch of his life. |

|Lydia: |But I thought there was a limit of 40 lashes minus one. |

|Claudius: |[Laughs again.] The Jews have a limit. We Romans don’t. Besides this guy really bugged the soldiers, so they really let|

| |him have it. |

|Lydia: |Why did he bug them? |

|Claudius: |The guy claimed to be the king of the Jews and the crowds believed he was their “Messiah” and thought he’d overthrow |

| |the Roman army. What a joke! |

|Lydia: |OK, but how can you be sure he was dead? |

|Claudius: |[Personally offended.] Look, lady, I was in charge of that detail. I know dead when I see it. Besides, I thrust a spear|

| |into his side and water mixed with blood poured out. |

|Samuel: |What difference does that make? |

|Lydia: |It’s a sure sign of death. The clear fluid indicates that the pericardial sac filled with fluid from congestive heart |

| |failure and crushed the heart. |

|Samuel & Claudius: |Huh? |

|Lydia: |Trust me on this. OK, so he was dead. But maybe his body was already stolen before you got there. [To Samuel] Didn’t |

| |you say the tomb wasn’t guarded until Saturday evening? |

|Claudius: |[Again personally offended.] Lady, I know how to do my job. You don’t guard something unless you know the object is |

| |secure. We rolled the large stone up the groove enough that my men could thoroughly search the tomb, ID the body, and |

| |make sure there are no alternate entrances. Only then were the leather cords stretched across and the tomb was sealed. |

|Lydia: |It looks like you didn’t do your job that well. You lost the body. |

|Claudius: |Well… [Uncomfortable with the story he tells.] The unit was exhausted from a long week of potential riots. We… uh… must|

| |have fallen asleep. When we awoke, the body was gone and we’re pretty sure that the disciples did it. |

|Lydia: |Really?! What made you think it was them? How did they slip the body out of the grave clothes? Were they magicians or |

| |something? |

|Claudius: |[More offended.] I don’t know what you are implying. I don’t know how they did it! Who else has motive for this? |

| |They’re the only ones who stand to gain from it. |

|Lydia: |But I saw the tomb. The stone was nowhere near the opening. How heavy is a stone like that? Why would they move the |

| |stone that far? And if you and your men were posted in front of the tomb, how could they have gotten the stone past |

| |you? |

|Claudius: |I… I… I don’t know. [Exasperated.] But they must have. You don’t know what these guys were like. The disciples are |

| |tricky, manipulating and even violent. Just ask the servant of the high priest about that! Some are even delusional! |

|Lydia: |[On a roll.] You’re changing topics here. Back to the empty tomb. What happened out there, Claudius? What about the |

| |rumors that you were bribed to keep this quiet, huh, Claudius? |

|Claudius: |[That’s it for Claudius.] Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but no Jew is going to talk to me like that. [Moves|

| |in on her threateningly, draws his sword.] You’re poking your nose into things that are none of your business. Maybe I |

| |need to… |

|Samuel: |[Quickly intervening.] No, sir, we mean no trouble. We’re just baffled by this whole thing. Just trying to get a little|

| |help on this mystery. Sorry to bother you, sir, it won’t happen again. We were just on our way, weren’t we, Lydia? |

|Lydia: |[Begrudgingly] I guess we were. [Claudius follows them offstage looking pretty mean.] |

|Scene Five—Interview with Mary Magdalene |

|[Lights up, Samuel & Lydia talking before interview with Mary.] |

|Samuel: |Nice job, letting me do all the talking! You could have gotten us thrown in prison or worse! |

|Lydia: |I just didn’t think you were being direct enough, getting to the point. |

|Samuel: |Well, you almost got us to the point! [Pause… almost ready to pull his hair out.] I don’t know where you are from, but |

| |you just can’t treat the Romans like that. They rule over us! |

|Lydia: |I can see that. What about this next interview? What’s this Mary what’d-you-call-her like? |

|Samuel: |Mary Magdalene. Mary from Magdala—it’s where she’s from. She seemed pretty normal when I talked with her. Pretty |

| |emotional, but that’s understandable. I heard some stories about her being possessed by seven demons or something. But |

| |she seems fine now. |

|Lydia: |Demon possessed, but normal? This will be interesting. |

|Mary: |[Walks up to them.] Samuel, you said you wanted to talk with me again? |

|Samuel: |Thanks for coming. I want you to meet Lydia. She’s helping to investigate this empty tomb business with me. She’d like |

| |to ask you a couple of questions. |

|Mary: |Sure, but I already told you. Mystery solved! I’ve seen the risen Jesus! |

|Lydia: |Thanks for your faith, Mary. [Obviously skeptical.] But if you wouldn’t mind humoring me; could you start at the top |

| |for me? |

|Mary: |Sure, but what is the top? |

|Lydia: |For starters, how did you know the deceased? |

|Mary: |[Remembering…] It was in a very black time in my life. I had gotten into some things that I thought were harmless and |

| |one after another led me into deeper and deeper bondage. |

|Lydia: |How so? |

|Mary: |Soon my mind and emotions were being torn apart by evil spirits. Spirits that taunted me, told me all kinds of hateful |

| |things about my family and my self, lured me on with all kinds of temptations. I had strange visions. Soon I was |

| |isolated from everyone I knew and doing things I had never imagined. I hated myself and often thought of taking my own |

| |life. |

|Lydia: |So, how does Jesus come into all of this? |

|Mary: |[Very intense remembering all this, almost reliving it.] One day as the spirits were taunting me and I was tearing at |

| |my own flesh to use the pain to drown out the voices, Jesus entered my village. At the same time I was drawn to him, |

| |the voices started screaming in my heart. “Stay away from him! He will destroy you! He hates you, you filthy whore!” |

|Lydia: |How horrible! |

|Mary: |Jesus started coming straight for me. Almost as if He came to the village just for me. [She half acts out her struggle |

| |as to whether to run or stay.] I almost ran from Him. But there was just something in my eyes that held me there. |

| |[Almost lost in thought.] |

|Lydia: |[Softly to prod her forward in the story.] What was it, Mary? |

|Mary: |His eyes were the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen. He looked deep into my soul and asked, “What do you want, sister?” I |

| |barely whispered, “To be free, Lord,” and bowed before Him. He then spoke, loudly, firmly, completely in control, “Come|

| |out of her! Release her!” With a shriek, I collapsed to the ground unconscious. |

|Lydia: |Whoa! What had happened? |

|Mary: |When I awoke, the voices were gone, the mocking was over, the evil spirits had left and [with joy] I was free! I then |

| |became a follower of Jesus. |

|Lydia: |[Shaken by her testimony. Tries to clear her head.] So bring me up to this Friday. I understand he was executed by the |

| |Romans? |

|Mary: |Executed?! The word hardly does justice to what they did to our Messiah. They tortured Him, humiliated Him, and |

| |gruesomely murdered an innocent man. |

|Lydia: |OK. Um… what happened after he died? |

|Mary: |A group of us were there supporting His mother, also named Mary. We were there when they took His body off the cross. |

| |We followed two of the Jewish leaders who somehow had gotten control of the body. They entered the garden of the tombs |

| |hurriedly in order to bury the body before sundown, as required in our Law. |

|Lydia: |So you were actually there when they entered the tomb where Jesus was laid? |

|Mary: |Absolutely, two of us kept watch. Good thing, too. In their hurry, Jesus was barely honored by their anointing of the |

| |body. Our Messiah deserved at least twice of what they put on. Men! I’m surprised they even had the linen to properly |

| |wrap Him. We made plans to come back after the Sabbath to properly honor our Lord. |

|Lydia; |So you returned to the tomb? |

|Mary: |Yes, another group of us women, about four or five of His followers, prepared spices and cloths and loaded baskets to |

| |bring back with us on Sunday morning. It helped us grieve. It gave us something to do. We had been so powerless in this|

| |whole thing. |

|Lydia: |So what happened when you came to the tomb? |

|Mary: |Well, as we got closer, we suddenly wondered how we were to get into the tomb. The rock they used to seal the tomb was |

| |huge. We wondered if even six of us women would be strong enough to roll it uphill in its groove. |

|Lydia: |Were you able? |

|Mary: |We didn’t need to. The stone was already away from the opening of the tomb, nearly 20 feet! |

|Samuel: |[Confirming an important detail.] So that stone was moved by the time you got there? |

|Mary: |Most definitely. Almost as if thrown there. |

|Samuel: |[Wondering out loud.] How…? It took seven workmen to place it in the opening. |

|Mary: |We didn't know what to do… Then, as we stood there, a man in dazzling clothes appeared to us. He was like no other man|

| |I have ever seen. Perhaps an angel? |

|Lydia: |[Skeptically, with a laugh.] Angels! What makes you think you were seeing angels? |

|Mary: |These men inside the tomb had on white clothes shining like the sun in the early dawn light. It was so bright; they had|

| |to have been angels. |

|Lydia: |Couldn’t it have been halogen lamps? |

|Samuel: |Could have been what? Halogen? All we have are oil lamps or torches. Nothing near as bright as Mary describes. |

|Lydia: |[Catching herself.] Of course, yes, what was I thinking? So what happened? |

|Mary: |[As she tells these next few lines, it is clear that she is practically reliving the event.] The man, this being, told|

| |us to go tell the others that Jesus had risen. Then the other women went to tell Peter and John. |

| |I stayed behind, I was so confused, I thought... I don't know what... but I began to weep. The angel said, “Why are you|

| |looking for the living among the dead?” |

| |I still didn't understand... [thinking of the cross] I had watched Him die... He had to be dead... I just... Takes her |

| |a moment before she can go on. Lydia waits this time.] |

| |Then another man came near and asked me, “Why are you weeping?” Thinking he was a gardener, I asked him if he knew |

| |where the body had been laid. He said my name… and I knew… it was Him... my Lord! |

| |“Rabboni” I cried and fell at His feet, holding on to Him, and worshipping. He told me to quit clinging to him and go |

| |say to the brethren for Him, “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.” Then He vanished. So I |

| |went and told them these things, but no one believed me. [Somewhat offended…] |

|Lydia: |Well, it is kind of hard to believe. |

|Mary: |Why do you say that? |

|Lydia: |Well, you already said that you have had some kind of visions in the past or experiences with evil spirits talking to |

| |you, is that right? |

|Mary: |Yes, that is true. |

|Lydia: |So how can you be sure that all this isn’t just some kind of vision or evil spirits returning to taunt you in your |

| |grief? Or maybe you were just having some kind of wishful hallucination after all the trauma you’ve been through this |

| |weekend? |

|Mary: |No, it was not like that at all. You see… [Pauses, not sure how to further explain it.] I… I… |

|Lydia: |Did any of the other women see Jesus like you did? |

|Mary: |No, they had run back to speak to the disciples. I was alone. |

|Lydia: |So, no one can corroborate your story? No one can back you up? |

|Mary: |Well, no, as I said, I was alone. |

|Lydia: |Mary, I feel for you. You have suffered a terrible loss. And now someone has stolen the body of your much-loved leader.|

| |That is doubly hard. But, look, I have worked with a lot of dead bodies and they don’t just come back to life. But we |

| |will find his body and return it so you can grieve as you obviously need to. |

|Mary: |You don’t get it, do you? I’m not grieving nor am I seeing things! I know Jesus was raised from the dead. I know it as |

| |sure as I am standing here with you now. Though none believe me, I saw what I saw with my own eyes, heard what I heard,|

| |and my hands touched my Lord, my Messiah, Jesus! [She stomps off.] |

|[Samuel and Lydia watch her go and kind of shake their heads feeling sorry for her.] |

|Lydia: |Boy, she really has herself convinced that she has seen Jesus alive. |

|Samuel: |And her statements sound so believable, if they weren’t so unbelievable! |

|Lydia: |Self-deluded people are very credible witnesses. |

|Samuel: |But she said that she even touched him! That’s quite a delusion. [Both kind of shake their heads sadly for Mary.] |

|Lydia: |Are all the disciples like her? I thought that Claudius said that they were tricky and violent even. |

|Samuel: |I’ve never heard such problems with the disciples until Thursday’s arrest. |

|Lydia: |What about that servant he was talking about? |

|Samuel: |From what I heard this servant of the High Priest was attacked by one of the disciples. |

|Lydia: |I’d like to talk with him. Can you arrange that? |

|Samuel: |I think so. [Then Samuel looks at the sky and realizes it’s getting late.] But not today, the day is almost done. Where|

| |are you staying? |

|Lydia: |Uh… I don’t really have a place to stay. My trip to Jerusalem was kind of sudden, pretty unexpected. I guess I can find|

| |an inn. But I really don’t have any of your currency… |

|Samuel: |I can’t let you do that. My wife would be glad to put you up. We don’t live too far from here. Besides, the inns are |

| |practically filled during the festival. |

|Lydia: |[Protesting…] I can’t impose like that. I… |

|Samuel: |Nonsense. You’re helping me with my investigation. If we can find this missing body, then this incident won’t go |

| |against me. How would it look for the trustee to lose bodies in his garden’s tombs? It’s the least I can do to repay |

| |you. Come with me. |

|Lydia: |Thanks, but we haven’t made much progress. |

|Samuel: |The body only disappeared this morning. Tomorrow will surely turn something up. |

|Scene Six—Interview with Malchus, Servant of the High Priest |

|[Next morning. Outside of Samuel’s home.] |

|Samuel: |Hope you had a good night’s sleep and enjoyed your breakfast. |

|Lydia: |Well, it wasn’t the Marriot, but I slept surprisingly well. First time I have ever slept on a straw mattress. |

|Samuel: |[Proudly.] That is quite a mattress, isn’t it? We do get some luxuries in my job. That was a gift from a grateful |

| |family for my care of their deceased. |

|Lydia: |[For a moment taken aback and then realize he’s serious.] Well, thanks for sharing. What about that servant guy? Can we|

| |see him today? |

|Samuel: |Yes, I sent word to the High Priest last night and heard that he is only too happy to cooperate with our investigation.|

| |He hopes we can get to the bottom of this mystery before any more rumors get out about this Jesus rising from the dead.|

| |They thought they had rid themselves of what he called, “this pest”, when Pilate finally agreed to crucify him. |

|Lydia: |So, the High Priest had it out for Jesus? |

|Samuel: |[Uncomfortable with this…] Uh… well… Let’s just say that they didn’t always see eye to eye with each other. |

|Lydia: |I see… |

|Samuel: |[Spies Malchus coming on stage. Happy to change the subject.] Oh, look, I think that’s the servant now! [Malchus is |

| |walking like one in no hurry, taking in the scenery. Calls to him.] I say, young man, over here! Are you the High |

| |Priest’s servant? [Malchus nods his head.] So the High Priest sent you? [Nods again.] Are you OK? Can you talk? |

|Malchus: |Well, sure I can. But the High Priest said not to say too much… |

|Lydia: |[Angrily. Authoritatively.] Look, are you here to cooperate with us or not?! |

|Malchus: |[Scared by this.] Yes, yes, of course I am. I’m just trying to follow instructions. That’s all. |

|Samuel: |That’s better. Malchus, we are looking into the disappearance of the body of Jesus yesterday morning… |

|Malchus: |Well, I didn’t have anything to do with that! I was at the temple all day Saturday for the Sabbath and through the |

| |night and the next morning, cleaning up the ashes. |

|Lydia: |[Confused, to Samuel.] Ashes? |

|Samuel: |[To Lydia] From burnt offerings. [Back to Malchus] We know that. We are just trying to find out about the disciples. |

|Malchus: |Those are bad men. Word on the street is that they snuck in and stole the body of their leader. Even the High Priest |

| |told me that. |

|Samuel: |We’re not interested in the word on the street, we want to know what you have observed directly; what you have seen |

| |with your own eyes. |

|Malchus: |[Nodding his head real big.] OK, I got it. What do you want to know? |

|Lydia: |We heard you were attacked by one of the disciples. Tell us about that. |

|Malchus: |Well, I was in the crowd that came out to arrest that criminal Jesus. I was to carry a torch so the soldiers could see |

| |to their weapons. |

|Lydia: |[Impatient] And? [She starts to circle the servant as he speaks to intimidate him into full disclosure. Malchus talks |

| |and tries to keep his eye on Lydia, even as she walks behind him.] |

|Malchus: |And, as we walked into the clearing there they were: Jesus and a bunch of his followers. Jesus challenged them, “Who |

| |are you looking for?” The soldiers said “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus spoke “I am He.” in this royal voice and we all fell|

| |to our knees. [Puzzled as he remembers.] It was the strangest thing ever. Then he asked again and the soldiers spoke |

| |more respectfully. Then this Judas guy, I think he had been a follower, he stepped out from the crowd and put his arms |

| |out to take his shoulders. He said, “Rabbi,” and firmly kissed Jesus on both cheeks. The soldiers said, “That’s him! |

| |Get him!” As we all moved forward, one of Jesus’ men, a fisherman I think, he stepped out and attacked me. |

|Lydia: |He attacked you? What exactly did he do? |

|Malchus: |This guy whipped out a sword and lunged for my head. I ducked but not enough. He cut my ear off. |

|Lydia: |[Looking at him kind of funny, convinced he’s lying.] What did you say he did? |

|Malchus: |Cut my ear off. |

|Lydia: |He cut if off? |

|Malchus: |[Getting frustrated.] Yes, he cut it off! How many times do I have to tell you? |

|Lydia: |Like part way or what? |

|Malchus: |He cut it clean off! Why do you ask? |

|Lydia: |Well, I’m a little confused over this. Were you born with three ears or what? |

|Malchus: |[Confused, trying to figure out how that would work.] Three ears? Who would be born with three ears? Why would anyone |

| |be born with three ears? |

|Lydia: |[Very suspicious of his story. Believes he’s lying.] Well, you say that the fisherman guy cut off your ear. But two |

| |ears minus one ear would be one ear. How is it you still have two? |

|Malchus: |Oh! Oh! That! Well, you see this Jesus guy picked it up and put it back on. |

|Lydia: |You mean he picked it up and sewed it back on? |

|Malchus: |[Laughs at the idea.] No, he didn’t sew it back on! He just picked it up and put it on. |

|Lydia: |[Kind of behind him now. Speaks very loudly into his ear.] How well do you hear out of that ear?! |

|Malchus: |[Yells back.] I hear quite well, [Starting to be amazed.] even better than I did before. It’s almost like a… a… |

| |miracle! |

|Samuel: |[Looking at his two perfectly good ears as well.] A miracle indeed! |

|Lydia: |[Not buying it.] C’mon, you’re trying to tell you that one of Jesus’ disciples cut off your ear with a sword and then |

| |Jesus, just “poof” put it back on your head?! |

|Malchus: |Well, there was no “poof”, but that’s it. |

|Lydia: |[Changing the subject.] OK, fine. Let’s get back to the pertinent information. Tell me more about these disciples. You |

|Lydia: (continued) |said they were bad men. Claudius, the Roman commander claimed that they were violent. Was anyone else armed besides |

| |this fisherman? |

|Malchus: |Well, no, now that you mentioned it. |

|Samuel: |Did they put up any kind of a fight to stop his arrest? |

|Malchus: |No, after Jesus scolded the guy for using the sword, they all calmed down and backed away from the soldiers. |

|Lydia: |Did they strike you as brave enough to try to take on a Roman guard and steal the body of Jesus? |

|Malchus: |[Laughs.] No, honestly, to me they seemed like a bunch of cowards. Once we had Jesus, they took off running into the |

| |dark like scared little rabbits. |

|Samuel: |So, from your point of view, what do you think really happened to the body of Jesus? |

|Malchus: |[Quietly, looking around.] You know, I’ve heard the stories like I said. But they don’t add up. Roman guards never fall|

| |asleep on duty, not and live to tell about it. The disciples could never have beaten them. They could fight off a small|

| |army. It’s a mystery. But I did hear a funny rumor… |

|Samuel: |What was that? |

|Malchus: |Well, I hate to repeat it. I could get in trouble with my boss. |

|Samuel: |We will keep it to ourselves. Trust us. Go ahead. |

|Malchus: |Well, my cousin Rhoda works for the woman who hosted Jesus and the disciples this past week. She said something that |

| |sounded pretty wild to me. |

|Lydia: |What was that? |

|Malchus: |[Looking around to make sure no one else can hear him.] She said that they got some late night visitors last night and |

| |one of them was Jesus! Now isn’t that the craziest thing you’ve ever heard? |

|Lydia: |[Cutting him off.] That is wild. But we need to check it out. Where do we find your cousin? |

|Malchus: |In the city, just across the Kidron Valley, opposite the olive groves. It’s a big two-story place. They were staying in|

| |the upper room. [To Samuel.] You know the place? |

|Samuel: |I think so. But could you lead us so we know for sure? |

|Malchus: |Sure. I could also tell Rhoda to talk with you. They are all pretty freaked out. They think they’re the next ones to |

| |get arrested. |

|Lydia: |Well, let’s go. We’re burning daylight. |

|Scene Seven—Interview with Rhoda, Servant Girl at the Upper Room |

|[Lydia and Samuel are waiting together. Malchus is not with them.] |

|Lydia: |You sure we shouldn’t have stayed with Malchus? He’s been gone a pretty long time. |

|Samuel: |He said that the disciples are pretty paranoid and would get spooked if anyone showed up they didn’t know. I think it’s|

| |going to be fine. I just hope this Rhoda girl will talk to us. If this rumor is true, I’m never going to get my body |

| |back. |

|Lydia: |Look, Samuel, if this rumor is true, that’s not going to matter. Everything changes if Jesus came back from the dead. |

| |If he can beat death, he’s a lot more than just your people’s Messiah. [Shakes off the thought. Talking to herself.] |

| |What am I thinking? This thing just can’t be true. Can’t be. |

|[Rhoda walks onto stage.] |

|Samuel: |Excuse me, I think this is her. |

|Rhoda: |[Looking around cautiously.] Are you the ones Malchus told me to talk to? |

|Samuel: |Yes, thank you. What happened to Malchus? |

|Rhoda: |He didn’t think it wise that we were seen together. We kind of serve opposite camps in Jerusalem. |

|Samuel: |I understand. It’s been quite a weekend, hasn’t it? |

|Rhoda: |Boy, I’ll say. And it was all so peaceful on Thursday evening. |

|Lydia: |What was going on then? |

|Rhoda: |My mistress welcomed into her home Jesus and his followers, so that they would have a place to share Passover together.|

| |I got to serve them. But it seemed like kind of a grim time, not like Passover at all. |

|Samuel: |Oh, how so? |

|Rhoda: |Jesus was taking about some pretty heavy things. Someone would betray him. He was leaving them. He would be killed. All|

| |of that. It was pretty upsetting to the disciples. Then he did something pretty weird at the end of the meal. |

|Samuel: |What was that? The Passover meal is pretty well laid out. |

|Rhoda: |I know, but Jesus changed some things. He took bread and said, “This is my body. Eat this in remembrance of me.” Then |

| |he took the third cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood for the forgiveness of sins. Drink this in |

| |remembrance of me.” Isn’t that strange? |

|Samuel: |It’s more than strange. That’s offensive. |

|Lydia: |Why’s that? |

|Samuel: |As Jews, we never drink blood. We don’t even eat meat unless the blood is drained out when an animal is slaughtered. |

|Rhoda: |[Nodding…] It gave me the shivers. [Kind of gives another shiver.] But then all the men left. They headed out across |

| |the valley to a place that they often used for prayer. Seemed like a pretty normal night, but… |

|Samuel: |But what? |

|Rhoda: |We had cleaned up after the meal, moved the tables, and pretty much had the upper room set up for them to come back and|

| |sleep. Then suddenly, the first disciple came running back out of breath and in shock. “It’s happening! It’s happening!|

| |Just like he said!” “What’s happening?” I asked. “Jesus has been arrested,” he explained. “They took him away. Everyone|

| |has run away. Lock up the place, keep the women inside, and don’t tell anyone we have been here.” And then he |

| |disappeared into the dark. |

|Lydia: |And that was Thursday night? |

|Rhoda: |Yes, and Friday was even worse. It was barely sun up when we heard that Jesus had already been convicted by our Supreme|

| |Court and taken to Pilate for |

|Rhoda: |execution. Next thing we heard is that Jesus had been terribly beaten by the Roman soldiers and was going to be taken |

|(continued) |to the Place of the Skull to be crucified. Crucified! [She shudders.] |

| |I stayed here, but a number of the women went with his mother Mary to see what they could do. That afternoon it was |

| |like the whole world was coming apart. A strange darkness came over the city, almost pitch black. There was an |

| |earthquake just before the darkness was lifted. I heard that the veil in the temple was torn, top to bottom. My cousin |

| |Malchus saw it himself. |

| |We all did. [Turning to Samuel] Didn’t you, sir? |

|Lydia: |[Amazed that all of the Bible stories she’d ever heard had really happened.] Really, you saw the darkness yourself and |

| |felt the earthquake. |

|Samuel: |Well, yes, I did. It was very weird.. |

|Lydia: |What happened next? |

|Rhoda: |The only ones to return to the house that night were the women. First, several with Mary the mother of Jesus, then the |

| |rest with Mary Magdalene. |

|Samuel: |[To Lydia] That backs up part of Mary’s story. |

|Rhoda: |On Saturday, the disciples trickled back to the house; trying to be sure they weren’t seen. |

|Lydia: |Were they there then on Saturday night? |

|Rhoda: |I think so, all but one. Judas. |

|Lydia: |Did they stay in all night? |

|Rhoda: |I believe so. I was up several times to keep a fire burning so I would have a cooking fire in the morning. Every time I|

| |did that, I saw them. Most were sleeping. A couple were sick with worry and grief and talked through the night with one|

| |lamp burning low. |

|Lydia: |And they didn’t go out as a group? |

|Rhoda: |Oh, no. If they had, it would have awakened me. I’m a very light sleeper. |

|Samuel: |What about the next morning? On Sunday? |

|Rhoda: |Mary Magdalene and some others woke me up as they prepared to leave. They had prepared spices for Jesus. They left |

| |before daybreak so they could attend to him as soon as it was light. I barred the door after they left. |

|Samuel: |[Again to Lydia…] That backs up another part… |

|Rhoda: |I fell back to sleep only to be awakened right after dawn with pounding on the door and loud whispering, “Peter! John! |

| |Wake up! Something has happened. His body is gone!” Peter and John raced to the tomb. Sure enough the body was gone, |

| |though the grave clothes were still there. Mary Magdalene returned soon after with a wild story that she had seen |

| |Jesus. |

| |All afternoon they argued as to what had happened. Several left town, certain that the religious leaders were going to |

| |hunt them down and pin this crime on them. It was chaos. They had gone from mourning to confusion. The only common |

| |thread was the fear that was so thick you could cut it with a knife. They kept the door barred all the time, unless |

| |someone they knew came to the door. |

|Lydia: |OK, Rhoda, that’s all very good. But what about the rumor your cousin told us about? He said you had some late night |

| |visitors last night. |

|Rhoda: |Oh, of course! That’s the most important part! It was about three hours after supper, long after dark, when suddenly |

| |there was a quiet tapping at the door and an excited whisper, “Peter! John! Wake up, it’s true. Just like Mary said!” |

| |They opened the door and it was Cleopas, one of the men who had left town. He related this strange story about seeing |

| |Jesus as they were walking out of town, but not knowing it was him. He said that Jesus taught them from our holy |

| |writings, stopped to stay with them, and over dinner blessed the bread. At that, they recognized him and then Jesus |

| |disappeared! |

| |As some of the disciples were arguing with him as to whether it was really Jesus, suddenly, there he was right in the |

| |middle of them! |

|Lydia: |Who was in the middle of them? This man who had left town? |

|Rhoda: |No! It was Jesus! Somehow he got in the room even though it was locked and barred. Jesus himself was there. When |

| |everyone freaked out (they were sure they were seeing a ghost), he calmed them down and showed them the scars in his |

| |hands and feet. Several even placed their hands in the spear wound on his side! |

| |When some still could not believe it, Jesus asked for some fish and he ate right in front of them. He said, “A ghost |

| |does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” Then he disappeared. |

| |I was in shock. I could scarcely believe it. I thought maybe I had been dreaming, but they all talked about what they |

| |had seen, how they had touched him. It was true! Jesus isn’t dead anymore! He’s alive! |

|Lydia: |[Also, kind of in shock. Repeats her last words.] He’s alive?! |

|Samuel: |Oh, great! Now I’ll never get that body back in its crypt. |

|Lydia: |Wake up, man! If this is true, who’s going to complain? This will be the least of your concerns. This will change |

| |everything. |

|Rhoda: |Yes, that’s what the disciples said. This changes everything. Speaking of the disciples, I need to get back. There’s |

| |nearly twenty guests at our house and a lot of work to care for them. |

|Samuel: |Yes, that’s understandable. Thank you for making time for us. [Rhoda exits.] |

|Lydia: |[Shaking her head, trying to grasp this.] He’s alive? Everything that Colby said is true? It just can’t be, but the |

| |evidence is undeniable. C’mon, I need to get back to your house so I can report to Colby. He’s never going to believe |

| |this. |

|Scene Eight—Back in the Present Day Lab. |

|[Colby is trying to fix the equipment when the phone rings.] |

|Colby: |Lydia, is that you? I have been so worried about you. Let me put you on speaker so I can keep working on this thing. |

|Lydia: |[Hear her voice over the speaker.] Yes, Colby, it’s me! You were right to worry. I got cross wise with a Roman soldier |

| |and almost blew the whole investigation. |

|Colby: |Oh, yes, the investigation. What did you find out? Did you find the body of Jesus? |

|Lydia: |No, not exactly. [Teasing him a little.] All we found were starry-eyed religious freaks who were hallucinating. The |

| |body was never stolen from the tomb. |

|Colby: |What?! [Disappointed, a little shaken.] You mean it was there all the time? But… But… I thought you had the empty grave|

| |clothes? |

|Lydia: |Calm down, calm down; keep your lab coat on. I’m just playing with you. I said it was not stolen. We proved it was not |

| |stolen. I also proved that Jesus really died. He was dead dead, not “mostly dead” as they say in Princess Bride. The |

| |Roman torture is gruesome. But on top of that, I spoke to a witness who saw blood and clear fluid pour out of a wound |

| |in his side. |

|Colby: |[Excited.] That’s right. I remember that, the Apostle John witnessed that, too. It’s in the Bible! |

|Lydia: |So, clearly he was dead. The same witness puts the body of Jesus in the tomb before the Roman soldiers sealed it up. |

| |Another witness can alibi out the disciples. They never left the home they were staying in, at least not in any numbers|

| |to overtake the guards or to slip in and move the stone aside to steal the body away. So that theory is dead. By the |

| |way, did I tell you what was odd about the stone? |

|Colby: |No, what about it? |

|Lydia: |Well, it wasn’t just rolled uphill in its slot enough to allow egress to the tomb. It was moved quite a distance from |

| |the tomb. Almost 20 feet. There are no marks to indicate it was rolled there. It was almost like it was thrown. No one |

| |here can explain what forces could move that stone that far. It’s almost supernatural. |

|Colby: |Almost? C’mon, Lydia, don’t tell me you’re becoming a believer on me? |

|Lydia: |Let’s not get carried away. I’m just saying that all those questioned by us saw the stone’s resting place and saw no |

| |visible means for it to get there. But that’s not all. Uh… hold on a second, Colby. Samuel, the caretaker of the tombs |

| |is here. [Pause…] What’s that? You talked to the owner of the tomb and he is not upset over the empty tomb? [Pause |

| |again.] Hold on, let me put this on speaker so Colby can hear you. OK, go ahead. |

|Samuel: |I talked with Joseph, the man who buried Jesus in his new tomb, and he said that he won’t be needing the tomb for now. |

| |Just to close it up until he is ready to use it. He accepted the results of our investigation. He is excited to hear |

| |that people have seen Jesus alive. Then he went off muttering to himself, “He is risen; just as he said. Doesn’t that |

| |beat all?” So I’m in the clear, Lydia, thanks to you. But I haven’t told the High Priest or the Romans yet. I figure |

| |I’ll let Jesus or his disciples do that. |

|Lydia: |Colby, did you hear that? |

|Colby: |You bet I did. [Suddenly there’s another flash bang. Next thing you know, both Lydia and Colby are on the ground in the|

| |lab. Colby groans.] |

|Lydia: |[She gets up. She’s no worse for the wear, since she was not in the explosion itself.] I’m back! I can’t believe it, |

| |I’m back! Did I ever really leave? Was all this just a dream? |

|Colby: |[Stands up, still shaken.] Trust me, it was no dream. The first explosion closed down the lab for almost two days. But |

| |how did this thing send you back in time or bring you back? |

|Lydia: |I don’t know, but I’m sure glad it did on both accounts. You were right; the evidence is really solid for the |

| |resurrection of Jesus. I think He really did come back from the dead. There were actually eye witnesses to that effect.|

|Colby: |Lydia, this is what I’ve been trying to tell you all along. And many of the eye witnesses were later killed for their |

| |testimony that they had seen Jesus with their own eyes. |

|Lydia: |It’s too bad that I missed my party. I’ve got so much to tell my friends! |

|Colby: |Now that you accept the resurrection, do you understand the cross? |

|Lydia: |That’s still a mystery to me. Why did Jesus let them do that? If He was God, why didn’t He stop them? …just because He |

| |wanted to prove He could come back from the grave or something? |

|Colby: |No, He had to die on the cross to take away our sins and the punishment that we deserved for those sins. Jesus gave His|

| |life in our place, so that when we trust in Jesus and His death, we won’t have to face God’s anger. Instead we would be|

| |washed clean and able to come straight to God. |

|Lydia: |So, that’s why Jesus is the only way. He’s the only one who can remove our sin. Otherwise, it would always be there |

| |blocking us from God. |

|Colby: |Jesus died on that cross out of love. He loved us so much, He died for our sins. And each of us can come to grips with |

| |this and trust in His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. |

|Lydia: |I get it. The whole thing is clear. But I can’t wait to get out of this costume and back into my own clothes. |

|Colby: |Wait, aren’t you going to help me clean up this mess? |

|Lydia: |I’ll be back in a minute. Besides, I didn’t make it blow up… [Runs off laughing.] |

|Colby: |[Watches her run off.] Boy, there’s a changed attitude. Who would have ever thought that was possible? [Lights out.] |

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