The Last Temptation of Christ Monologues

The life of Jesus Christ, his journey through life as he faces the struggles all humans do, and his final temptation on the cross.

want to know who my God is? Fear. You look inside me and that's all you'll find.

Lucifer is inside me. He says to me, "You're not the Son of King David. You're not a man. You're the Son of Man. And more, the Son of God. And more than that, God." Do you want to ask me anything else?

Father, will you listen to me? Are you still there? Will you listen to a selfish, unfaithful son? I fought you when you called, I resisted! I thought of no more. I didn't want to be your son! Can you forgive me?

Brothers, my old friends! Listen to me! It's me the prophets preached about. God talked to me in the desert; he gave me a secret and told me to bring it to you. Didn't you hear me coming? I ran here to Nazareth, where I grew up, to bring you the news. The word of God is here now.

The Messiah doesn't need miracles. He is the miracle. Now he's here. Are you ready for me? I'm here to tear down everything around you, and you know what I'm going to replace it with? Something new: God. The World of God. So take your bread and give it to the poor. What difference does it matter what you own? You have gold and silver? It's going to rot, and that rot is going to eat away your heart. All of you! There will be a flood, and there will be a fire. Everything will be destroyed. But there will be a new ark riding on that fire, and I hold the keys and I open the door, and I decide who goes in and who doesn't. You're my brothers from Nazareth, and you're the first I invite on the ark. Don't wait. Don't waste your life. Come with me.

Judas, my brother, I have something to tell you. I have a terrible secret from God. You know why I came to Jerusalem?

Last night, Isaiah came to me. He had a prophecy, I saw it written. It said, "He has borne our faults; he was wounded for our transgressions, yet he opened now his mouth. Despised and rejected by all, he went forward without resisting, like a lamb led to the slaughter."

Now I finally understand! All my life-all my life, I've been followed by voices, by footsteps, by shadows. And do you know what that shadow is? The cross. I have to die on the cross, and I have to die willingly. We have to go back to the temple.

If I could touch every stone, if I could breathe on every branch, they'd get up and follow me. So what's wrong with you?

The feeling begins. Very tender, very loving. Then the pain starts. Claws slip underneath the skin and tear their way up. Just before they reach my eyes, they dig in. And I remember. First I fasted for three months. I even whipped myself before I went to sleep. At first it worked. Then the pain came back. And the voices. They call me by name. Jesus.

I didn't say death! I said love! I said love!

The pain begins. It slides up my back and just before it gets to my eyes, it digs in its claws.

Who has never sinned? Who? Which one of you people has never sinned? Whoever that is, come up here! And throw these!

In the desert, the baptist warned us, God is coming. Well, I'm telling you it's too late! He's already here. I'm here! And I'm going to baptize everybody… with fire!

Do you think that God belongs only to you? He doesn't: God's an immortal spirit who belongs to everybody! To the whole world! You think, you are special? God is not an Israelite!

God is inside every one of us. The Devil is outside of us all around us in the World. In the sick and the rich.

You think it's a blessing to know what God wants? I'll tell you what he wants! He wants to push me over!

Father, will you listen to me? Are you still there? Will you listen to a selfish, unfaithful son? I fought you when you called, I resisted! I thought of no more. I didn't want to be your son! Can you forgive me? I didn't fight hard enough. Father, give me Your hand. I want to bring salvation! Father, take me back! Make a feast! Welcome me home! I want to be Your son! I want to pay the price! I want to be crucified and rise again! I WANT TO BE THE MESSIAH!

I'm not inviting you to a celebration. I'm inviting you to a war.

This is my heart. Take it. God is inside of us. The devil is outside us, in the world all around us. We'll pick up an axe, and cut the devil's throat. We'll fight him wherever he is. In the sick… in the rich… even in the temple. I'll lead you. If you have sheep, give them away. If you have a family, leave them. I believed in love.

Now I believe in this! Who's with me?

You're thirsty for justice! For people to treat you fairly, for people to treat you with respect. What I'm telling you is, whoever's hungry for justice, they are the ones who'll be blessed. They'll be filled with bread. They'll never be hungry again. They'll have the real value, the value of love. To love, share and comfort. They'll have the courage to do the good. And you, you're mourning. Mourners will be blessed. You'll have God to comfort you. You won't need men to do it. And the meek. They're the ones who'll be blessed. And the suffering, they'll be blessed, too. And the peacemakers and the merciful and the sick, and the poor, and the outcasts, you'll all be blessed because heaven is yours! And believe me, believe me, those who are laughing now, will be crying later.

I'm sorry, but, the easiest way to make myself clear is to tell you a story. A farmer was planting in his field. Some seed fell on the ground and the birds ate it. Some seed fell on rocks and dried up. But some seed. Some seed fell on rich soil and grew into enough wheat to feed a whole nation. Can you hear me?

Let me explain something to you. What do you think heaven's like? It's like a wedding. God's the bridegroom and man's spirit's the bride. The wedding takes place in heaven and everyone's invited. God's world is big enough for everyone.

I'm the end of the old law and the beginning of the new one.

I'm throwing away the law. I have a new law and a new hope.

Father in heaven. Father on earth. The world that you've created, that we can see, is beautiful. But the world that you've created, that we can't see, is beautiful, too. I don't know. I'm sorry, Father. I don't know which is more beautiful.

Oh, please, Father. I've been with you for so long. I never asked you to choose me. I always did as you said. You made many miracles for others. You opened the Red Sea for Moses. You saved Noah. You took Elijah to heaven in a fiery chariot and now you're asking me to be crucified. Can I ask you - one last time? Do I have to die? Is there any other way? You're offering me a cup and I don't want to drink what's in it. Please, take it away. Please, stop. Please, Father. Father. Please.

Listen to me. Take this bread. Share it together. This bread is my body. Now drink this wine. Pass the cup. This wine is my blood. Do this to remember me.