Tag: Nicodemus

Episode NT34 – Thomas’ Story

tale2tell original Bible Stories series – New Testament

Based on John chapter 20 verses 19 to 29

Episode NT34 – Thomas’ Story

‘I was there! I watched Him die! Me! Thomas! One of His so-called disciples!

‘You have no idea what it’s like, to watch all your dreams, all your ambitions, all your hopes being crucified on a rough cross, and then die – right before your eyes! All I wanted, all I ever hoped for – was in that man, Jesus. And now He’s dead!’

‘And what makes it worse is that I believed Him! I was there! I was right with Him when He asked us, His close followers, His disciples. He asked us who everyone was saying He was. And we told Him. Some were saying He was John the Baptist, others were saying He was a great Prophet. But then He asked us, ‘Who do you think I am?’ (P) And Peter told Him. He told Jesus what we all believed with all our hearts, that Jesus was the Messiah, the Saviour, the Son of the Living God.’

‘Why didn’t He tell us there and then that we were wrong? Why did He let us believe it if it wasn’t true? (P) All He told us was, ‘don’t tell anyone else’. But you see I did believe it, with all my heart – I believed that He was the One sent to save us, to rule the world in power. And I hoped that I might have a small role in His Kingdom, to play my part with Him as the eternal KING! But how can it be true? I watched Him die!’

‘I was standing there when the Roman soldiers came and broke the legs of the other two criminals so that they’d die more quickly. I saw them come to Jesus’ body, and seeing that He was already dead, one of them thrust his spear up into Jesus’ side. And when he pulled it out again I saw blood and water gush out.’

‘And I watched those two hypocrites, Joseph and Nicodemus, religious leaders who hadn’t said anything before! Oh, they were so brave now! Going to Pilate to ask for the body – why hadn’t they said something when He was alive? (P) But I guess it was a mercy because now I know He wasn’t who I thought He was. Because if He was, He’d still be alive.’

‘I couldn’t take it any longer as I watched them wrap His body up in a long piece of cloth, and so I ran away. All my dreams had gone to the grave with that man! I ran until I couldn’t run any more, and I wept until I had no more tears in my eyes.’ (PAUSE)

‘I couldn’t face being with anyone – it hurt too much. So I went away to be on my own. For two whole days, I kept away from the other disciples. (P) But then I thought that, as a follower of Jesus, I was a wanted man – and where else could I go?’

‘So I went back to where I knew the other disciples would be hiding. They’d be feeling as terrified as I was. Always hiding, constantly watching over your shoulder, hoping that those footsteps aren’t the footsteps of a Roman soldier coming to arrest and execute you!’

‘When I arrived at the house, it took me ages just to find the courage to give the secret knock. (P) I so didn’t want to be there, but where else could I go? Who else could understand the pain I felt inside?’

‘As I stood in the darkness, trying to build up my courage, I made a resolution. I wasn’t going to be fooled again! Not now, not ever! I’d believed He was everything, and then I’d watched Him die, and seen He was nothing. It wasn’t going to happen again! Jesus was dead, end of story!’

‘But as soon as I knocked, the door swung open and Peter grabbed my arms and pulled me inside. Something was wrong! Why didn’t he look sad? And then, he gave me a great big hug! I looked at his face in astonishment; he had the biggest smile I’d ever seen! I couldn’t believe my eyes! And then he said, ‘Isn’t God amazing Thomas?’’

‘Was he mad? How could Jesus’ death be amazing? When he saw the expression on my face, he looked closely at my swollen red eyes. ‘You haven’t heard, have you Thomas?’ he asked.’

‘‘Heard what?’ I replied angrily. ‘That you’ve lost your brain? I knew that years ago!’’

‘And then he laughed, he actually laughed. How could he laugh? ‘What?’ I shouted! ‘What haven’t I heard?’’

‘‘Thomas,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’’

‘‘What’re you talking about?’ I asked, ‘Who’s alive?’’

‘‘Jesus, He’s alive Thomas, we’ve all seen Him!’’

‘‘You’re mad!’ I shouted, ‘I saw His body cold and lifeless on that cross. I saw them stick a spear in His side. I watched them take His dead body down from the cross.’ And then with tears streaming down my face. ‘What kind of cruel trick are you trying to play on me?’’

‘The others were all looking at me, all of them with that same … smile … or whatever, on their faces. And then they were all talking at once! ‘It’s true Thomas! We’ve seen Him Thomas. He came into this very room Thomas. Jesus stood here with US Thomas. God’s raised Him back to life Thomas.’’

‘‘Shut up! Shut up! Shut up all of you! He’s dead, don’t you understand. Dead bodies don’t come back to life. You’re all mad!’’

‘Somehow they really believed that God had raised Jesus back to life and that He’d appeared to them in that very room, and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ And shown them His hands and His side!’

‘But I wasn’t going to be taken in, not again. That man had already shattered my heart. I’d thought He was the Saviour of the World, but then He’d died the death of a criminal. No, I wasn’t going to be taken in again! Not now, not by Him, not by anyone!’

‘And so I shouted back at them all. ‘Listen – Unless I see Him standing before me, with the nail marks in His hands, and the spear mark in His side. – And, I can put my own fingers where those nails went, and I can put my fist in that hold left by the spear – I WILL NOT BELIEVE IT!’ And then I ran out.’ (PAUSE)

‘One of the most uncomfortable weeks of my life followed that day. Jesus was dead and gone, my so-called friends had been taken over by some kind of madness, and I didn’t know what to do!’

‘I tried to keep away from them. But after a week, I had to go back for some reason or other, and there they were, just as full of it as before. (P) When they let me in, they locked the door behind me and started telling me all those lies again. But I wasn’t having any of it … until that is, I – I heard His voice.’

‘When I turned to look, there He was, just as I’d remembered Him. He wasn’t a ghost, He wasn’t a vision, He wasn’t some imagining of my mind. He was real. And the others were smiling so much I thought their faces would burst open! But He was looking at me – this … this … I – I couldn’t get the words out before He started talking to me.’

‘‘Thomas,’ He said again. And then He held out His hands so I could see the marks left by the nails. ‘Put your finger here Thomas.’ And He pointed to the holes in His hands. And – and then He pulled His robe to one side and I saw the hole where the Roman soldier had thrust his spear. ‘Thomas. Reach out your fist, and put it in my side.’ I didn’t move. I didn’t have to, because I knew it was true – He was alive. ‘Stop doubting Thomas,’ He said, ‘and believe.’’

‘But I didn’t doubt. Not when I saw Him, face to face, the same Jesus who I’d known and loved these past three years. And so I did the only thing I could, I fell to my knees and I worshipped Him and said, ‘My Lord and my God.’’ (PAUSE)

‘Then He spoke to me again, ‘You believe because you’ve seen me, Thomas. But there is a greater blessing for those who haven’t seen me and yet believe I’m alive.’’

Episode NT33 – The Empty Tomb

tale2tell original Bible Stories series – New Testament

Based on John chapter 20 verses 1 to 18

The Empty Tomb

For those who loved Jesus, who followed Him, who believed that He was the Son of God, the Saviour that’d been promised for so many years, that Friday had been the darkest day of their lives. And it had been made all the more dark because they hadn’t understood or believed what Jesus Himself had told them – that He had to suffer at the hands of sinful men, that He would be crucified, that He would die and be buried but, most importantly of all, that He would rise once again to life.

And so, those who were brave enough had watched His cruel death, the agonised hours nailed to a cross. They’d seen the darkness covering the land and heard Jesus’ cries as He gave up His life. And when He’d died they’d watched a Roman soldier walk up to Him with a spear and thrust it up into His dead body. And as the soldier pulled out his spear, they’d watched a sudden flow of what looked like blood and water from the wound.

Having wondered what on earth would happen to Jesus now that He was dead, it was a surprise to them that Joseph from Arimathea had taken Jesus’ body down from the cross. And it was even more of a shock when Nicodemus, the man who’d once visited Jesus at night had helped Joseph take Jesus’ body down and quickly prepare it for burial. Some of the women had watched as the two men wrapped Jesus’ body in a long linen cloth with spices, and put another cloth over His head, to keep His mouth shut in death. Mary Magdalene had watched as the two men placed the body in an unused tomb that was in a garden close to Skull Hill, the place where Jesus had been crucified. They used that grave because they needed to get Jesus buried before the Sabbath started that evening and no more work could be done.

As evening arrived Mary went home, her eyes swollen from crying. But as she walked home she made a decision: Nothing could be done the next day as it was a Sabbath and Jesus wouldn’t have wanted her to break the Sabbath day rules, but after the Sabbath, on the Sunday, she was free to do what needed to be done. Jesus’ burial had been a rushed job, it hadn’t been done properly, the least she could do was make sure He was buried properly! He’d died the death of a common criminal, He’d died in shame, under the curse of God because He’d been hung on a tree! But now, in death, the least she could do was make sure His body was treated properly.

That was why Mary Magdalene was up so early that Sunday morning while it was still dark! She was determined to see that Jesus had a decent burial, the way things should be done! How she was going to move the massive stone Joseph and Nicodemus had rolled in front of the cave-like tomb, she hadn’t thought through! How she was going to cope with the smell of a dead body now into its third day, she had no idea, but cope she would! This was no ordinary person, this was Jesus, and she owed Him everything. (P) But as she approached the tomb, she looked in horror, unable to believe her eyes; the stone had already been moved! Jesus’ body had gone! What was she going to do? Someone had taken the body! Leaving the spices she’d brought with her where she’d dropped them, Mary turned and ran, running to the only people she could think of to help, His disciples, Peter and John.

‘Hold on,’ Peter shouted as he got up to answer the hammering on the door. And when he opened it there was Mary – and one look at tear-stained face told him something was seriously wrong.

‘It’s Jesus,’ Mary managed to get out between her heartbroken sobs. ‘They’ve taken His body away and I don’t know where they’ve put it!’

This set Peter’s head spinning. Why take the body? Was this some kind of attempt to discredit Jesus even more? But as these thoughts flashed through his mind, both he and John found themselves running as fast as their legs could carry them, running to see what’d happened to Jesus.

John was a little faster than Peter and arrived first. But he didn’t go in; instead, bending down and looking inside, he saw the linen cloth Jesus had been wrapped in – just lying there. Then Peter arrived and went straight inside and he too saw the linen cloth and the other cloth that’d been used to cover Jesus’ head – folded up and lying separately to one side. John followed Peter in while Mary waited outside, and when he saw the two linen clothes, he started to believe, to believe what Jesus had said, that He’d rise from the dead! (P)

There was nothing more to be done now, the body had gone and Jesus wasn’t there. So leaving the empty tomb, Peter and John walked passed the distraught Mary Magdalene, leaving her by the tomb side, and headed home.

What was she going to do now? Mary had no idea. But as she wept she stooped once again to look inside. But what she saw, instead of the body of Jesus, were two angels dressed in white and sitting at the head and the foot of where Jesus’ body had been. ‘Why are you crying?’ one of them asked her.

‘Because they’ve taken my Lord away and I don’t know where they’ve put Him.’ she answered.

As she said this, something caught her eye and, turning around, she saw someone standing close by. With her eyes so full of tears she had no idea who it was. ‘Why are you crying?’ the person asked. ‘Who’re you looking for?’

Thinking this must the gardener, Mary replied, ‘Sir, if you’ve taken Him away, tell me where you’ve put Him, and I’ll go and get Him.’

But then something made her stop, as she turned back towards the tomb to take a closer look. It was something that was impossible, but it was true. It was the sound of her name – spoken as she’d heard it said many times before, spoken as only one person could, spoken by Jesus! ‘Mary.’

Spinning round to see who’d spoken it, she realised it was the stranger – the stranger was Jesus! ‘Teacher!’ she said and rushed to embrace Him. He was alive and He was speaking to her, in the same way, He’d always spoken to her before, that smile in His eyes …

‘Don’t cling to me,’ He told Mary, ‘because before too long I’ll be going to be with the Father. But for now, I want you to go and find the disciples and tell that that I’ll be going up to be with My Father and your Father, to be with My God and your God.’

And so, tearing herself away from Jesus, Mary Magdalene ran and found the disciples telling them, ‘I’ve seen the Lord – He’s alive!’ And passed on His message.

Episode NT7 – A Visit at Night

tale2tell original Bible Stories series – New Testament

Based on John chapter 3 verses 1 to 21

A visit at Night

Jesus was a popular man, people wanted to – just be around Him! So it was hard for the serious religious leader to find the time and place to meet with Him. And what if you were one of THE top religious leaders? What would people think if you spent a long time debating religious matters in full view of all the ordinary non-religious types? That would never do. So Nicodemus decided the best time for him to go and see Jesus would be at night!

Nicodemus didn’t know what to expect as he made his way through the deserted streets. The cool night air made him pull his cloak tighter around his shoulders. Who was Jesus? God was certainly working through Him, and, He was a good teach – even though He’d never been to any religious schools.

Shortly after knocking on the door, Nicodemus found himself standing before the smiling Jesus. He cleared his throat and started to speak, ‘Teacher, we realise that God has sent you to teach us. That much is obvious from the miracles that you’ve done…’

But before he could say anything else, Jesus replied. ‘I’m going to tell you something that’s absolutely true! Unless you’re born again, you can never see God’s Kingdom.’

Born again? What was Jesus talking about? How could anyone be born twice – it didn’t make any sense! ‘What’re talking about?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘How can an old man get back inside his mother to be born a second time?’

But Jesus wasn’t talking about being born a second time from your mother. He was talking about becoming something new – becoming a child of God and having the right to be part of God’s Kingdom! So He said, ‘the truth is this. No one can enter God’s Kingdom – unless they’ve been born of water and the Spirit. You see, human beings can only reproduce human beings, but the Holy Spirit gives an entirely new life to people – directly from heaven. That’s what I was talking about when I said, you must be born again. (P)

All this was a bit much for Nicodemus, ‘But what do you mean?’ he asked.

‘Don’t you understand?’ Jesus replied. ‘If anyone should understand it’s you, you’re a top Jewish teacher?’

And then Jesus started to talk about something that happened many years earlier when Moses was alive. (P) One time in the wilderness, the Israelites angered God with their moaning. To punish them, God sent poisonous snakes that killed many. Then, the people cried out to God to forgive them and save them. So God told Moses to make a large bronze model of a poisonous snake and put it on a pole so that everyone could see it. And God promised that if anyone who’d been bitten by a poisonous snake – looked up at the bronze snake – they’d recover and be saved from certain death.

‘You see,’ Jesus continued, ‘as Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole (He was talking about His crucifixion yet to come) and everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.’

Ah! Eternal life? So being born again was the same as having eternal life – and it all came through believing in Jesus! Like in the wilderness with those poisonous snakes. Everyone who looked to the bronze snake on a pole had their lives saved because they believed what God’d told them. And now Jesus was saying that when anyone looked to Him, believing what He said – they’d have eternal life! (P) But why would God want to do this when we’re all so bad?

‘God loves the people of this world so much,’ Jesus carried on. ‘That He gave the most important thing He had to save them, His Son, so that everyone who believes in God’s Son won’t perish, instead they’ll get eternal life!’

‘You see, everyone who trusts God’s Son won’t have to face God’s judgement. But, those who don’t trust him have already been judged – because they won’t believe in the only Son of God.’

As Nicodemus went back out into the cold night air after talking with Jesus, I wonder what he’d made of it all? But one thing he must have learnt was that he needed to born again. Not from his own mother, but from the Spirit of God. He’d thought he was safe, right with God because he was an Israelite, and not only that, but one of their top religious leaders. But now he knew that wasn’t enough, because – no matter how religious he was, if he wasn’t born again by the Spirit of God – he didn’t belong to God.