Risen Today

Palm Sunday through to the resurrection, the highest of high and lowest of low periods in the entire Bible. An easily staged Easter drama, could be done as a regular drama, Reader’s Drama, or all lines could be spoken offstage.

Cast:    20+

• As available, likely 20+ (varies as many roles could be played by the same actor)
• Narrator (male)
• Narrator (woman)
• Child1  (male or female)
• Child2  (male or female)
• Peter
• Jesus
• Judas
• John
• Man1
• Man2
• Disciples (12, includes those mentioned above)
• Guard
• Simon of Cyrene
• Crowd, as available, male and female, including some children

Bible Reference:    Luke 22-24

Set:

• Scene 1 The Upper Room – bare stage
• Scene 2 Calvary – bare stage
• Scene 3 The Tomb – backdrop or set prop of tomb

Lighting:   

• spotlights or means of controlling and eliminating light

  Sound:     wireless mics if available

Song: 

• Jesus Christ Is Risen Today, written in 1739 by Charles Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist Church

SFX:       

• Rooster crowing, hammer on steel, angry crowd, happy crowd, earthquake, cloth ripping

Costumes:      likely traditional

Props:

• Water basin, towel, bread, cup for communion, cross

Special Instructions:

• actors must be told to mime (react) to the changing emotions and to act but not overact.
• As is my habit, (or my hang-up) this drama has been written to show Jesus with his back to the audience, face obscured as much as is possible by a hood. I find that showing the face of Jesus (or God) creates more problems than necessary. For those who feel otherwise Jesus can be portrayed normally. However Jesus has a substantial number of lines therefore these couldn’t be spoken offstage if Jesus’ face is seen by the audience.

  Time:   45

Sample of script:    

Scene 1 – Upper Room – bare stage

Narrator speaks in darkness

Narrator:  Having carefully researched and examined the life and death of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I believe myself to be qualified to explain his works and his relevance.
Much has been written about the birth of Jesus and I choose not to duplicate those materials. Rather it is my hope, may God give me the skill and clarity of thought, that I might draw together the final hours of the earthly life of Jesus, and his final appearance before departing this planet.
We pick up the account at that point where Jesus and his many followers were travelling to Jerusalem, there to celebrate the Passover.
Upon entering the city they were treated like conquering heroes.
Crowds pressed in upon them, waving palm branches and shouting their hallelujah praises.

SFX:  jubilant crowd

(Lights up as voices echo through the scene.)

CHILD 1:
Hosanna!

WOMAN:
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

CHILD 2:
Blessed is the King of Israel!

(Narrator steps forward as the joyous shouts fade.)

NARRATOR:
But no sooner than the triumphal shouting had passed away, rumblings of discontent began.
The Jewish leaders feared that this itinerant pastor from Nazareth might upset the fragile relationship between them and their Roman occupiers.

So Caiaphas and his underlings searched for an opportunity… and a collaborator.

WOMAN:
Judas of Kerioth, an insider among the followers of Jesus, for reasons known only to him and to God, approached the Sanhedrin, offering his services to assist in capturing Jesus.

CHILD 1: (shaken)
Judas Iscariot… and he a disciple!

CHILD 2: (with disgust)
A traitor.

(Lights slowly come up as the disciples begin to wander in from the back of the sanctuary, miming quiet conversations in small groups.)

NARRATOR:
Since it was the Passover, Jesus wished to share the Passover meal with His disciples.

Peter and John were sent ahead to prepare the scene for the gathering and to set the table for the meal.

The others followed, still euphoric from the experience of Palm Sunday, just a few days prior.

They arrived individually or in small groups, slipping through the streets to evade the watchful eyes of the Sanhedrin.

And so it was that they met in the Upper Room, there to eat… and to pray.

---

(Peter steps forward, calling the others.)

PETER:
Come, all of you, the feast has been prepared.

(The disciples move to the upper stage, sitting on the floor as the meal begins. Then, from a downstage location, Jesus enters—his hood obscuring his face, his head turned slightly upstage so his features remain unseen by the audience.)

(Jesus moves to center stage left and kneels, pouring water into a basin. Slowly, he gestures for each disciple to come forward and have their feet washed. Each disciple approaches, facing downstage slightly, allowing the audience to see their expression.)

(When it is Judas’ turn, time seems to slow. Jesus lifts His head and looks directly into Judas’ face. Judas hesitates, then looks away.)

(After the washing, the disciples return to their seats. Judas moves to the far right, noticeably separated from the others.)

---

JESUS:
I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.
For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.

But first—come, Simon Peter, that I may wash your feet.

PETER (shocked)
Master… are you going to wash my feet?

JESUS:
You don’t understand now what I am doing, Peter…
But in time, it will be clear.

PETER (offended, shaking his head)
You are not going to wash my feet. Ever!

JESUS:
If I do not wash you, Peter…
You can have no part in what I am doing.

PETER:
Then, Master—not just my feet!
Wash my hands! Wash my head!

JESUS: (smiling gently)
If you have already bathed, you only need your feet washed now—
and you are clean from head to toe.

My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene.

(His gaze shifts, landing on Judas. Judas stiffens, avoiding eye contact.)

JESUS: (softly, knowingly)
But… not every one of you.

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