Jesus... the message
 
What do you think of Christianity? That was the question we put to people on the streets of Cheltenham. They came up with some very different answers!
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It soon became obvious that most people did not even know the basic story of Jesus. How would you answer someone who came up to you on the street and asked you, ‘What is Easter all about?’
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My name is Richard Cleaves. I am a committed Christian and I helped to write the script and direct the Cheltenham Passion Play. If you asked me questions like that … what happened on Good Friday? What is the story of Jesus all about? … I’d have to say that it’s a powerful story that really can make a world of difference in people’s lives today.
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What’s so special about Jesus? For me it has to be the teaching of Jesus. It’s so exciting! If only people would take it seriously and care for each other what a difference it would make. What impresses me so much is that Jesus didn’t just teach fine words – he really did live up to them!
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I had the opportunity to put a number of questions to Matt Medhurst who played the part of Jesus in our Passion Play. I began by asking him that very question: what do you think about the story of Jesus?
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For Matt and for many Christians it is the sheer horror of the death of Jesus that makes it in a strange way so important. When people ask me, what is Easter and resurrection all about? I cannot begin to answer that that question without thinking of the awful suffering Jesus went through on the way to his death.
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As Minister of Highbury Congregational Church in Cheltenham I often share with people in sad times of bereavement. In a Funeral service I talk a lot about Christ’s victory over death. People sometimes put me on the spot … it’s all very well speaking of Christ’s triumph over death, but what exactly is resurrection?
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On Easter Sunday morning Matt had joined a group of council gardeners, wearing their luminous, yellow jackets. He went on to play the part of the risen Jesus. I put it to Matt, What was it like on the first Easter Sunday, the very day of resurrection?
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Matt’s portrayal of Jesus was very powerful. Many people found it most moving. I asked Matt: What was it like to play the part of Jesus in a Passion Play on the streets of your own town?
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By taking the story of Jesus on to the streets of our town we were trying to encourage people on the street to seek Christ as well. On the street we asked people one of the biggest questions of all … Do you believe in life after death?
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That was a question Matt had difficulty with when I first got to know him. When I had first asked him to play the part of Jesus he had been unwilling to take it on. His father had only just died after a big battle with cancer. Matt felt as if God had abandoned him. Listening to Matt tell of his experiences made me want to ask the question How did playing the part of Jesus affect you at a very personal level?
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If you asked me what’s at the heart of the Christian faith? I suppose I would have to come back to the cross of Christ. The fact that Jesus experienced that feeling of being abandoned by God is one of those things that makes the cross of Christ such an important part of my Christian faith.
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We took the story of Jesus on to the streets of our town. And it touched the lives of many people. But it is not just a story. With Christians down through the ages and all over the world I believe Jesus Christ is real and that he really does make a difference in my life and in the lives of many, many people. I asked Wendy Dawson who played the part of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to tell her husband, Keith’s story. Wendy is joined by her vicar, Ted Crofton, who played the part of Annas, a Religious leader in the Passion Play.
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It is a wonderful story. It makes you think about Jesus and the Christian faith. But for me … and for many people … it really is more than a story. The final question is one that has made a world of difference to many people … it’s one that no one else can answer … it’s down to you, where do you stand? Do you believe in Jesus Christ?

If you would like to find out more and receive a copy of Luke’s Gospel why not write to The Christian Enquiry Agency, JTTF FREEPOST SE5940 London SE1 7YX Phone 0207 6200718.

 
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