Scene 12: Pontius Pilate and Claudia Meet

Mary watched her battered son as he was dragged past

See?  have punished Jesus and now I can let him go.

This is a scene is not directly from scripture, but is important in that it establishes some of the challenges Pontius Pilate was facing with the events of the day. Also, the scenes with Mary and Mary Magdalene are also based on pious traditions.

Jesus is escorted out past Mary. Mary took a step forward as the guards approached, dragging Jesus. She was silently horrified at his physical state.
Mary reached out a hand to Jesus but the guards dragged him past her.

At this point, Claudia, Pilate’s wife, was watching and was also horrified by the state of Jesus.

Pilate saw Claudia and went to comfort her.

"Claudia, I know you told me of your concerns and I have sought to have this man Jesus punished without having his death on our hands. The blood you see here is his and it is paid so that we can keep peace in Jerusalem."

But Claudia was not calmed and said, "Pontius, I told you to have nothing to do with this man. He is innocent in all that they say he has done."

Pilate briefly considered this and replied, "What is innocence, my beloved? What is truth?"

Claudia promptly said, "That man is innocent! All he has ever spoken has been truth. It is the Jews that spite him. Are you afraid to refuse their demands lest they uprise?"

You don't understand, Pontius!

Pilate scoffed and replied, "I have no need to fear the Jews and their false God, or this man Jesus and his delusions. Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Bacchus; these are the gods we answer to."

Emboldened, Claudia shook the white cloth she was holding and said, "You don’t understand...The dream I had... I am warning you. If you condemn this man; all generations from now on will recall that this righteous man suffered and died because you allowed it. Don’t you see? This trial is greater than just keeping peace between us and the Jews. That man is greater than all of us! Innocent blood is being shed. He is as pure as this cloth."

Pilate turned away and went back into his rooms.

Here are some clean cloths

Claudia gazed after him. She looked at the blood which had been shed, and noticed a commotion with guards and the crowd.

John helping Mary up to the scourging area

A Roman soldier, keeping the crowd back from the scourging area shouted, "Keep back! No one gets through. I don’t care who you are."

John stepped up to the guard and explained, "Please. This is his Mother."
Claudia, seeing Mary attempting to approach the place Jesus was scourged and blocked by the guards, intervened, "Let the woman through."
The guards stepped aside and allowed Mary and Mary Magdalene through and John quickly slipped in after them too.
Mary looked at Claudia, the Roman lady who had let her through. Claudia silently offered Mary a white cloth.
Mary and Mary Magdalene walked over to clean the blood from the floor.
Claudia watched quietly and is overcome by Mary mopping up her son’s innocent blood.

Mary and Mary Magdalene wipe up Jesus' blood