I offer you profiles of 10 key players to consider as we move towards the observance and celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
Judas.
He was one of Christ’s disciples – or at least he thought he was.   He traveled with Jesus, sat under His teaching, and even participated in the last supper.  He was certainly going through the motions, but his faith wasn’t genuine.  As it played out, we find that his heart was corrupted by greed, and thinking only of his self-interests, he betrayed Jesus for a mere 30 pieces of silver.
The High Priest, Chief Priests& Elders.
These were the religious leaders of the day that had fully convinced themselves that they were right, but they were only right in their own eyes. They added layer upon layer of regulation onto their religious practice, but their traditions had become their god, and they totally missed the Messiah.   They were devious and even Pilot noticed that their hearts were twisted by envy.  They hated Jesus for what he taught so spread lies to ruin His reputation. They created false messages to incriminate Jesus and convict him of a crime he didn’t commit. Like some politicians in our day, they stirred up the mob to riot and persuade Pilot to release Barabbas. They spit on Jesus, mocked him, and hit him. They confidently enjoyed their positions of power. Real dirt bags.
Peter.
He was a disciple of Christ.  He seemed to be fully committed, telling Jesus that he would even follow him unto death, but when the pressure was on, he denied Him because of fear – or maybe he was embarrassed. Peter had a problem with that – he did something very similar at Antioch, as recorded in Galatians 2:11-14. 
Pilot.
He was the governor.  He seemed to care about justice, and obviously didn’t want anything to do with the situation, so he tried to pass the case to Herod, but that failed, so he was trapped - caught between his principles and the possibility of losing his position.  The situation was fragile and if it took a turn for the worse, his political career would be over. So, even against the advice of his wife, he caved in the 11th hour because he feared the activists – the crowd.  At the end of the day, we see that Pilot’s god was his professional career – “success in life.”
The Crowd.
This is the mob.  Much like we see these days in our own country, these are people that lack knowledge and hate truth, so they were easily stirred up by the false claims of the Pharisees. They wouldn’t listen to reason, and nothing less than blood would satisfy them - they became louder and more demanding until Pilot caved.  When given the option, they chose Barabbas over Jesus. Fueled by hate, they even acknowledged that “His blood will be on us and on our children.”  These people were fools. 
The Soldiers.
Once Pilot made his verdict, Jesus was in the custody these guys. They beat him, spit on him, ridiculed him, and mocked him as they put the crown of thorns on his head.  These guys were just Thugs, real Meat Heads, and totally clueless as they took the King of kings to the cross. 
The Bystanders.
Once Jesus was on the cross, we read that the people who passed by derided him, shook their heads at him, and reviled him.  They thought Jesus was just some kind of nut. They scoffed at His claims and took him as just another wacko deserving what he got.
The Criminal.
Two criminals were crucified with Jesus - one on his right and one on his left. While one of them mocked Jesus, the other believed in Him and asked that he be accepted, saying “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Centurion.
Like the criminal, there was a Centurian who, after seeing all of this go down, believed. The gospel writers tell us very little about this man. Only that when he saw what took place, he was “filled with awe,” then professed “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Luke’s account adds that he “praised God.”
The Women.
There were also “many women” who watched.  We read that these women followed Jesus from Galilee, and ministered to him (or took care of him).  When Jesus was being crucified, they stood by the cross. When he was put in the tomb they were there, and then bought spices so that they could anoint his body.  It was the women that the angel appeared to after the resurrection when he said, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen.”  We read that they departed from the tomb with “fear and great joy,” and ran to tell his disciples.  Jesus appeared first to one of them, Mary Magdalene, who then went and told the good news to His disciples - but we read that “they would not believe.”  (That said, now recovering from his previous blunder, we read that Peter “rose and ran” to the tomb, and when he saw it was empty, “he went home marveling at what had happened.”)
So there you have it - profiles of 10 key players in the account of Jesus’s trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. My question to you is, Like whom shall you be remembered?   Will people remember you as a Judas? Going through the motions but you’re really only concerned about your self-interests and thus betray Jesus.  Maybe you’re like the Chief Priests. You’re all about your religious practices but don’t really like the gospel message - the simple message of salvation apart from works.  You are right in your own eyes, but everyone knows your story and knows that your heart is twisted.  Maybe you’re like Peter – a real disciple of Christ but you’re often embarrassed or scared to identify with Him because you fear what others might think.  Or maybe you’re like Pilot – you have a desire to do the right thing, and you have a hunch that the story of Christ is true, but you’re more interested in success in life and covering your own 6, so you go along with the crowd. You might very well be remembered only as part of the crowd. You lack knowledge and conviction, so you just go with the flow, often choosing sin over righteousness.  Will you be remembered like the soldiers or bystanders -totally clueless and more than happy to make a mockery of the Christian faith and you scoff at the idea of a Risen Savior? Or will you be remembered as the Criminal or the Centurian? People may not know a lot about you, but one thing they will know is that you believed, and they will remember your simple profession of faith. Maybe people will remember you as a follower and servant of Christ. Like the women, you abide in Christ, and with fear and great joy, you are happy to proclaim the message of the empty tomb. 
Choose wisely – for you will be remembered.