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Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

"Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.

Matthew 27:11

Not all the stages set by mortal hands
And decorated long and lavishly
To evoke the flavor of exotic lands—
And yet to do it with such subtlety
That men hear nothing but heroic speech,
Envision nothing but the lovers' kiss—
Whatever heights theatric art may reach,
They'll ne'er do justice to a scene like this.
The stage, the script, the lights, and all the skill
of actors practiced till they could not err
Performed the Author-and-Director's will:
The moon paused in the path prepared for her;
The sun was silent; all the stars grew still—
And Jesus stood before the governor.

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Copyright © 2005 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Holy Week Sonnets is available from Amazon.com and other book retailers.

God's New Family | Rethinking Jesus' words, "Woman, behold thy son … behold thy Mother," an excerpt from The Seven Last Words from the Cross.

'It Is Finished' But It Is Not Over | God's work of redemption continues in the redeemed, an excerpt from Cross-Shattered Christ.

When the Giver of Eternal Life Thirsts | Meditations on Franz Joseph Haydn's The Seven Last Words of Christ.

Other Holy Week articles include:

Maundy Thursday | Part one of "The Great Reversal," a CT Classic article, by Walter Wangerin, Jr. (April 20, 2000)

Good Friday | Part two of "The Great Reversal," a CT Classic article, by Virginia Stem Owens (April 20, 2000)

Holy Saturday | Part three of "The Great Reversal," a CT Classic article, by Eugene H. Peterson (April 20, 2000)

Easter Sunday | Part four of "The Great Reversal." by Philip Yancey (April 20, 2000)

The Goodness of Good Friday | An unhappy celebration—isn't that an oxymoron? (April 17, 2003)

The Other Holy Day | In the rush toward Good Friday and Easter, don't forget Maundy Thursday. (March 22, 2002)

More Easter articles include:

Who Killed Jesus? | After centuries of censure, Jews have been relieved of general responsibility for the death of Jesus. Now who gets the blame? (Aug. 24, 2000)

The Scars of Easter | He knows the wounds of humanity. His hands prove it. By Paul Brand with Philip Yancey (April 18, 2000)

Grave Matters | Take away the Resurrection and the center of Christianity collapses. By N. T. Wright (April 6, 1998)

Jesus v. Sanhedrin | Why Jesus "lost" his trial. by Darrell L. Bock (April 6, 1998)

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March (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49