Summaries

Synopsis

A young, timid new inmate, Eshua, is dragged into Jerusalem death row, by one of the Roman guards that have taken over the city. He is placed with the insane soldier Theophilius (who is rumored to have murdered his own men) and one cell over from Barabbas.

Barabbas tells Eshua that he, too, was caught during the last raid on the Roman garrisons. He was placed in a cell alone because he is known for leading people to riot. Barabbas believes that all the other rebels either ran away or died in the attack. He assures Eshua that they will eventually win back the city. Theophilius and the guard taunt them. Eshua is terrified.

Just outside their barred windows, the prisoners hear a large crowd calling for Jesus. Two Sanhedrin elders - Caiaphus and Joseph - are nervous about the attention Jesus is drawing, fearing that the Romans will start killing rioters. The Sanhedrin plan to get Jesus out of the city.

Another rebel, Yaari, sneaks into the prison and brings the inmates the traditional food to celebrate Passover. Barabbas warns him to be careful, but Yaari has trouble taking anything seriously.

Jesus' followers, Peter, Thomas, and John, are scared that he will be killed in Jerusalem. He tells them he knows what will happen, but that it is necessary to make Heaven available to everyone.

Meanwhile, Parthena tells her husband, Roman governor Pontius Pilate, she wants to leave Jerusalem before Passover. She tells him of her prophetic dream, where he killed a god and made another god angry. Pilate humors her but does not really listen. The Sanhedrin visit Pilate, and ask him to consider their plan to remove Jesus from Jerusalem.

The plan is to reintroduce an old Passover custom: to release one death row prisoner, in memory of the day God's angel "passed over" the Jewish firstborn in Egypt and saved them from death. The Sanhedrin will get Jesus into death row, and the crowd will ask to release him; that should scare Jesus away from Jerusalem forever. Pilate asks what will happen if the crowd chooses someone else. Caiaphus assures him that "your hands will be clean" if that should occur.

Pilate brings all the death row inmates before the crowd. People boo him. Pilate says they should be grateful for his lenient governorship, and offers them the chance to release a prisoner. Many say "Jesus", but Yaari convinces the crowd to ask for Barabbas instead, because Barabbas will help free the city.

Pilate is dumbfounded. He tells the people that Jesus did nothing worthy of death, at least according to Roman laws, and he will release him instead. From the middle of the crowd, Caiaphus calls out that Jesus should be crucified. Joseph hears this and is horrified that this was Caiaphus' plan all along. The crowd is angry that Pilate is going back on his word, and demands that Jesus be put to death. Barabbas is released.

Yaari and Barabbas watch Jesus being crucified. Yaari is worried that Barabbas might get put back into prison just so he can't rebel again, but Barabbas wants to see what the "Messiah" will do; if he will fight his way out and start the revolution promised in the prophecy.

The guards make fun of Jesus and beat him mercilessly. The captain of the guard, Avitus, is somewhat nervous about Jesus getting free - which would mean Avitus would be crucified in his place - so he orders that Jesus be nailed to the cross so he cannot escape. Jesus is put on the cross next to Theophilius, who yells at him to free everyone and prove he is the Messiah. Another crucified prisoner defends Jesus, and says Jesus is the only one there who does not deserve his fate. Yaari is stunned to see that this third prisoner is his best friend Eshua. After admitting his crimes, Eshua asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus promises Eshua that he will see Paradise before the day ends.

Jesus dies, and the crowd runs from a sudden thunderstorm and earthquake. Barabbas calls to Jesus' body, "Why would anyone do this?" Back in the governor's palace, Parthena tries to comfort a crazed Pilate, who has been scrubbing his hands for hours, screaming to a thundering heaven that he is innocent of Jesus' blood. Ironically, his hands are so raw they fill the water bowl with blood.

Jesus' mother, Mary, is heartbroken that she was not even allowed to wash the blood off her son's body, but the Sanhedrin and the Romans are even more worried with Jesus dead. Joseph makes a great sacrifice so that Jesus can have a proper burial - humiliating himself to atone for his part in Jesus' death. Yaari and Barabbas discuss taking the body away to spark a revolution, but that is impossible with an entire unit of armed Roman guards standing watch over the tomb. The stone sealing the tomb is so heavy it takes all the soldiers a whole day to move it. Mary Magdalene, overhearing their talk, begs them to leave the body where it is, so that she can come every day to mourn it.

That night, two faceless angels float down from the sky and easily move the stone in seconds. The guards scatter, terrified. In the morning, the angels tell Mary, John, Peter, and Mary Magdalene that Jesus is alive. They run to tell the other followers - all except Mary Magdalene, who has "heard enough pretty stories" and sits down to cry. Jesus finds her there, and tells her to go assure everyone that he really is alive.

Barabbas and Yaari plan to leave town. Yaari has been disturbed by Eshua's acceptance of Jesus, and by his death; Barabbas has been pondering why the Romans used a particularly wasteful torture (and is told, by Yaari, the horrifying answer). But before they can go, they are held back by a crowd going *into* Jerusalem. Yaari asks two children where everyone is going, and the children reply that several dead people have risen from their graves. Yaari thinks this is "hogwash", but Barabbas runs to see for himself.

Barabbas sees Jesus, who talks to him about Barabbas' father - another rabbi (teacher). Jesus tries to answer the question Barabbas asked earlier, about why he would choose to die for another, but Barabbas cannot accept the answer.

Yaari sees Eshua, who tells him all about heaven, and about seeing his mother and sister who died years ago. Yaari refuses to believe that Eshua actually died, and tries to get him to leave the city, but Eshua insists he can't stay on Earth after seeing the wonders he's seen, and fades away. He tells Yaari that "love is the road home".

Jesus tells the gathered crowd that he would send his spirit to stay with them, and to tell his story to whoever would listen; he then rises into heaven. Caiaphus arrives with Roman guards, and tells them that Jesus' followers are drunk and telling the crowd "nonsense". Peter says "we are all witnesses, hundreds of us".

Caiaphus says God wouldn't care about children, or drunkards, or thieves. If anyone were going to witness holy miracles, it would be him, because he has spent his entire life studying God. Joseph confronts Caiaphus, and tells him that he, too, has spent his life studying, but it meant nothing without love. He says that he needed to admit that he needed God, and that nothing else would save him.

Peter and Thomas tell their stories to Caiaphus, and Peter quotes Jesus: "Any who call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Barabbas breaks down and insists that he can never be saved, because he was supposed to die instead of Jesus. The others surround him and tell him what Jesus tried to say from the beginning: everyone is the same, no better no worse, and he died for all of them. Barabbas accepts Jesus' sacrifice, and so does Yaari.