Good Friday	Written: April 14, 2000
Single Character Play - John, Chapters 18-19

Satan - Dressed in a tuxedo.  Smoking a cigar (unlit!). Hair greased back.   Dark sunglasses.

MC:   Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great disappointment, and some alarm, that I introduce to
          you our uninvited guest.  I present . . . Satan!

Satan:	 O come now, don’t look so down in the mouth.  I know you had pinned your hope on this Jesus.  But face the facts -- he wasn’t up to doing battle with me.  He’s dead.  You hear that?  He’s dead.

I have to admit that it was a struggle.  I thought I had him in the wilderness, but there wasn’t anything I could do that would tempt Jesus away from God.  I went after his hunger, I flattered him, I even used Scripture to back up what I said.  But he hung tough.

I also thought I could get to him when he prayed in the Garden.  He prayed to have the cup pass from him.  Jesus didn’t want to die.  “He’s mine,” I thought, but then he pledged himself, not to his own want, but to the Father’s will.  Rats.

But the struggle with Jesus was worth it.  He’s dead.  And I must say that I appreciate your help, for I could have never done it without you!

Judas, you buckled rather easy for some silver.  Thanks for betraying your so-called Lord.  But you overdid it a bit when you brought so many soldiers.  Jesus wasn’t the fighting kind, nor would he have run away.  Even so, you double-crossed Jesus and got the job done.

And Peter, if I were one to render gratitude--which I am not--I would send some thanks your way.  What a superb pawn of mine you turned out to be.  You almost had me convinced that you were not one of his followers, that you didn’t know him.  You were a triple-play denier even when that rooster crowed his brains out smack-dab in the middle of your betrayal.  Well done!

I thought perhaps Jesus would slip away when a choice was presented between him and Barabbas.  But you members of the “Crucify him” mob certainly did your part.  It was a brilliant move, emancipating a dangerous criminal.  For some time I’d been trying to think of a way to get Barabbas out of prison and operating in the city again.

The result of all of your efforts I enjoyed immensely, for Jesus is dead.  I followed along as Jesus carried his cross to Golgatha.  Poor baby, he fell down a few times.  I was there when the points of the nails penetrated his wrists and feet.  I looked on as the beam was raised.  I heard when he groaned and cried out it . . . it was music to my ears.

And then he breathed his last.  I took no chances.  Just to make sure he wouldn’t gasp once more, I had a soldier stick him in the side with his spear.  Jesus didn’t even quiver.  Dead.  Dead at last. 

Even though everything didn’t go quite as I planned, overall, I’m quite satisfied with the results. This certainly has been a Good Friday for me!

Darkness has won!  I have snuffed out the Light of the World!  The world is mine!  You are mine!

Now with Jesus out of the way, my plans can be put into full swing.  My operatives will shortly initiate the next phase.
	But, ooohhh (yawning) . . . it can wait for a few days.  I’m a little tired.  Enfolding the Son of God in death took a lot out of me.  If the Creator could rest after he fashioned the world, then I can take a little nap before I refashion the world in my own image.
	
So, I’ll just take a little nap.  I’ll wait until the first day of the week.  
     And then, you will see power.  
     Then, you will see a new future for all humankind.
     Then, a new sovereign will rise!

Ha!  I can hardly wait!

Pastor Duane Pederson
First Lutheran Church, 1005 Oxford Avenue, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54703
www.First-Lutheran.org