As Easter dey approach for 2026, one new audio drama wey dem title ‘The Christ‘ don enter market. The podcast, wey dem release as four-part series, na to tell the story of Jesus Christ through sound alone. Big names like David Oyelowo wey play Pontius Pilate, Paul Walter Hauser as John the Baptist, and Tom Pelphrey as Jesus himself dey inside am. Patricia Heaton dey host the show, while John Rhys-Davies handle narration.
The producers say dem wan make people hear the story in new way. Since no visual dey, dem rely on sound effects and voice acting to carry the gist. For example, when dem dey crucify Jesus, the sound effects hard. When Jesus dey heal deaf man, dem mute the sound before he shout “Ephphatha!” Small small, the drama add extra Bible verses wey no dey the original Gospel accounts, like when Jesus quote plenty part of Psalm 22 for cross.
But some creative decisions confuse people. Pilate wife dey call am “Marcus,” and only later we go hear say dem expand his name to “Marcus Pontius Pilate.” The dialogue mix modern and old English—sometimes Jesus go talk say “All right, all right,” other times he go use “thee” and “thou.” Some story parts don shift. For this version, the disciples no see Jesus for Jerusalem after resurrection; instead, dem dey fish for Galilee and dey complain say Jesus don show himself to other people but no show them.
Tom Pelphrey performance as Jesus dey warm and compassionate. Even though we no fit see am, we fit hear how he dey yarn the Beatitudes or how he dey forgive Peter. The audio format make am possible to hear Jesus thoughts when he pray for desert, with flashbacks to him childhood.
Meanwhile, for art world, one 16th-century painting by Hans Holbein the Younger still dey cause discussion. The painting wey dem call ‘The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb’ show Jesus as real corpse—no halo, no peace, just lifeless body for narrow tomb. Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky see am for 1867 and e shock am well. The painting dey important for Dostoevsky novel ‘The Idiot,’ where e hang for house of one character wey dey violent.
For the novel, the painting represent the scandal of death wey Christians dey sometimes avoid. One character wey dey sick, Ippolit, look the painting and ask how Jesus disciples fit believe say he go rise again if dem see body like that. The painting dey challenge people to face the reality of Christ death before dem talk about resurrection.
As Holy Week dey go on, many dey remember say Holy Saturday na day wey Jesus body dey for tomb. E no be just time between Friday and Sunday; e na part of the story wey show say Jesus truly die. The creeds like Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed insist say Jesus “suffered death and was buried”—no be story.
For practical side, Good Friday for April 3, 2026 no be federal holiday for US. Banks dey open, post office dey deliver mail, but some businesses like Target and Costco go close for Easter Sunday. For Oklahoma County, government offices go close for Good Friday. Easter Sunday go be April 5, 2026.
The audio drama and the Holbein painting remind us say the story of Christ dey powerful whether you dey hear am or see am. E dey challenge believers to no skip the hard parts. As Dostoevsky show, faith wey no face suffering no be strong faith. And as the new podcast dey try make us hear Jesus in new way, the old painting dey make us see am as he truly was—dead for tomb, before resurrection.
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