The Passion

- Season 1

(2008)

Pontius Pilate, the new Roman prefect (governor) of Judea, grudgingly tolerates Jewish queerness as long as taxes flow to emperor Tiberius, especially from neighboring Syria. High priest Caiaphas wants to keep order at the Passover festival, part of his profitable exploitation regime of Jerusalem's Temple. Jezus Barabbas's terrorist murder of a tax collector makes Romans and temple eager to reassert order and authority. That may require curtailing Jezus's Gallilean disciples, as "this year's would-be messiah" challenges convention, social order and arguably the law.

Prefect Pilate worries why his mighty colleague, the governor of great Syria, is about to visit him. Jesus keeps preaching, not only to his disciples during the Passover preparations and Last Supper itself, but also in public, against the established order. Caiaphas convinces the Temple council such a revolutionary is too great a danger: Jesus must be arrested, tried and if unrepentant handed to the Romans for execution. Reluctant informer Judas is pressed to betray his master, who just foretold this and his sacrifice, by a kiss.

Jesus' ambiguous responses and ultimate declaration to be the son of God are taken as his death sentence as blasphemer. Judas commits suicide. Pilate tries to avoid pronouncing a crucifixion as Jesus denies the claim of earthly power, so he offers the people his release or that of vile murderer Jesus Barabbas. Caiaphas swings the vote, so the 'king of Iudea' is flogged and crucified besides two murderers: one repentant, the other mocking his inability to save himself.

Jesus has died on the cross. Against Caiaphas's will, but with Pilate's permission, his corps is not left to rot but buried honorably in the grave of council member Joseph of Arimatea, who always opposed his sentence. Caiaphas wonders if he made the right choice, the disciples hide, most too scared to do anything. When Chist's body is reported missing, the confusion increases. It's settled for the disciples by the resurrected master's appearances.

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