And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
Mark 15:39
Well, I couldn’t really come up with a “favorite verse,” but I do have a favorite story…
The Passion Story of Jesus, after his ride into Jerusalem has been a favorite for a long time – particularly as told by the music and lyrics of “Jesus Christ Superstar” by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. I first got a copy of the musical in the late 1970’s. The lyrics amazed me, and woke in me a much better appreciation of the thoughts and feelings of the characters in the story. The disciples are created as very human people, and at first they think Jesus is going to ride into Jerusalem as a conqueror. Jesus’s human side is emphasized, too, especially in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he asks God to “take the cup away, …before I change my mind.”
The production begins with Judas singing in an angry and upset tone of voice:
My mind is clearer now.
At last all too well
I can see where we all soon will be.
If you strip away the myth from the man,
You will see where we all soon will be.
And later…
I remember when this whole thing began.
No talk of God then, we called you a man.
And believe me, my admiration for you hasn’t died.
But every word you say today
Gets twisted ’round some other way.
And they’ll hurt you if they think you’ve lied.
Right away we see the production emphasizes Jesus as a man, a person, This is one theme that gets carried all the way through the production, which at the end asks the question:
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ,
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ Superstar,
Do you think you’re what they say you are?
In my own upbringing, the human aspect of Jesus was emphasized not at all, so the end of the Passion story – the Resurrection – makes perfect sense. If Jesus does not come down in human form, there’s really no miracle at the end, so the human form aspect is very important. I did not understand that until I heard this version of the story.
God’s Peace,
David Kettner