Jesus of Nazareth Page #4

---

And yet you come to me.

Let it be so.

We must fulfil all righteousness.

(John) Lord, Eternal Father,...

..I hear your voice.

This is my beloved son,...

..in whom I am well pleased.

You are born to a new life

through your repentance...

..and the Lord pours his blessings on you.

The Lord rejoices in repentant hearts.

This water cleanses.

Andrew? Philip?

Behold...

..the Lamb of God,...

..who takes unto himself...

..the sins of the world.

It is him you must follow now. Not me.

He must increase,...

..as I must decrease.

What's happening?

They're the guards of King Herod,

come to arrest the prophet!

Go!

Go on!

John, save yourself!

Come with us, please!

Leave him! He's a prophet!

You cannot arrest him!

He's a man sent by God!

My time is over.

(hammering)

- Quick!

- What's going on? Why are you running?

He's back. Where's Mary? I must tell her.

Mary! Mary! Oh, hurry, hurry!

Mary! Mary!

Mary!

Mary, your son is back.

He's at the synagogue.

He went straight to the synagogue.

I saw him.

He's back! Oh!

And now our reading from the prophets.

The prophet Isaiah.

Who is our reader?

- Ah, yes.

- It's my turn today, Rabbi.

The spirit of the Lord is upon me...

..because he hath anointed me

to give good tidings to the poor.

He has sent me

to heal the broken-hearted,...

..to preach deliverance to the captives,...

..to give sight to the blind.

To set at liberty them that are bruised.

To proclaim the acceptable year

of the Lord.

(men) Amen.

Today...

..in your hearing...

..the Scriptures...

..are fulfilled.

(man repeats) The Scriptures are fulfilled.

Did he say fulfilled?

But... how can he dare

to say such a thing?

What do you mean?

The prophecy you have read can only be

fulfilled by the coming of the Messiah.

- (men) Yes!

- By the coming of the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God

comes not in a way foreseen by men.

Repent... and believe the good news.

The kingdom of heaven,...

..behold,...

..is suddenly upon you.

What?!

This man is mad.

(uproar)

(man) Blasphemer!

Blessed is he who is not ashamed of me!

Take this man out!

Don't let him touch the Scriptures!

Clear him out!

Today,...

..in our hearing,...

..the Scriptures... are fulfilled.

Go away! Go away!

Never come back to Nazareth!

Don't let him go! Blasphemer!

Stone him! Put him to death!

- Stone him to death!

- Blasphemer!

That's what he deserves!

The Law states clearly - stone him!

Don't let him go!

Master!

Master!

Master!

We were told

to make ourselves known to you.

I am Andrew of Capernaum.

A fisherman by trade.

But your follower now, if you'll take me.

This is Philip.

We were sent by John the Prophet.

The Baptist.

He has just been imprisoned

by King Herod Antipas.

Andrew.

Philip.

Come with me.

Come on!

- Tell me, when was John arrested?

- As soon as he returned to Galilee.

He had to return.

So many people were waiting for him...

(Andrew) There it is: the Sea of Galilee,

and Capernaum, where I was born.

It's a town of fishermen, but it also has

the greatest synagogue in Israel.

You can stay at my brother's house.

He's a good man.

Simon Peter.

(Jesus) The Commandments

God gave to Moses so long ago...

..must not remain dead stone

for the reverence of unthinking minds.

Dead stone?

The tablets of the Law? Dead stone?!

- What do you mean?

- Stone is what the Law is written on.

But the Law itself is alive.

And living things are constantly changing.

- But our Law is eternal.

- You cannot change the Law of Moses!

That's right, the Law is here.

A man is made of flesh and blood,

and he changes.

Doesn't he remain the same man?

God wants to write the Law

on your hearts.

Rabbi, you said you have come here

to give us the good news.

Is this it? The good news?

That the Law is living like a man?

The good news I bring you is this:

Your captivity is over.

(man) What does that mean,

our captivity is over? What captivity?

Captivity in sin.

God fulfils the promise he made

to our people Israel...

..and reconciles himself to man.

God is coming to you.

To all of you.

Even the most wretched.

Do not shut the door in his face.

Aaargh...!

The devil's in him!

(boy rants and raves)

(man) He's possessed by the devil!

Listen to me! Not to him!

Aaargh!

Hold him down! He's possessed!

Rabbi, the demon has tried to throw him

into fire and into water to destroy him!

If you can do anything, have mercy!

Help my poor faith.

(boy still ranting and raving)

Hold him!

Watch out!

Aaargh!

Watch out!

(Jesus) Satan!

Aaargh!

Satan!

(rants uncontrollably)

Leave... him!

(gasps)

(woman whispers) The spirit has gone.

Father...

Oh, my son! My son!

Oh!

Praised be the Lord.

(woman) It's all right! He's all right!

Yes, we're all fishermen in our family.

Andrew here knows us well.

But I was sent off to learn.

All you were fit for, perhaps!

And what have you learnt?

Oh, that two and two make four,

sometimes,...

..that most people seem to be here

to be pushed about,...

..that getting on is a fine thing,...

..that birth is the beginning of death.

But there must be something more

for man between birth and death.

Today, when I heard you preaching,

I began to understand.

It gave me hope.

Through your words,

the old Scriptures seem to become alive.

That's what we want.

We want the Law to be alive,...

..written in our hearts, not carved in stone.

What is your name?

John. Son of Zebedee.

John.

Stay with us.

(man shouts) Back!

Back!

Keep back, you idiot!

- Why don't you let us in!

- There's my brother now. Simon Peter.

And there's my brother - James.

He's shouting again. Angry as usual.

If anyone's drunk, it's you, you sponge!

He doesn't mean it. He's a good man.

What's the matter? Poor catch?

Poor catch? Nothing!

The only things we catch these days

are Roman taxes,...

..and while we're out sweating,

working our hands raw on the nets,...

..the stinking tax gatherers take half

and give it to the Romans!

Bloodsuckers!

Go, brother.

Go and tell that leech, that two-faced

tax collector of ours, Matthew,...

..that if he wants more money out of me,

to put some fish in the lake.

Simon, this is the man I told you about.

The man John spoke of. John the Baptist.

What? Another holy man?

Are you another of those

that tell us to be patient,...

..and promise us

better times will be ahead?

What about now?

What about our children?

Who will fill their bellies?

A lot of talk these days,

while we all starve.

Find a holy man who can put an end

to that, then maybe I'll listen.

Go out again.

- I shall come with you.

- We've just pulled in!

Get the nets off the boat.

Please, Simon, do as he says.

- Why do you listen to these people?

- He's different, Simon. Please!

Give me that!

Please!

What are you staring at?

Come.

You can preach to the fish.

- Cast off. We're going out again.

- I knew he'd do it.

Come on, John.

He sends us out again,

and we catch all these fish!

Rate this script:3.8 / 4 votes