Stages Of Messiah - 12 Year Old

A short reader's drama (Scene 3) from Stages Of Messiah, this scene follows 12-year-old Jesus as Mary and Joseph discover He has stayed behind in the temple. Simple, reverent, and easy to stage, it invites the congregation to reflect on the early signs of Jesus’ calling and wisdom.

Stages of Messiah Series:

1. Birth
2. Dedication
3. 12-Year-Old
4. Temptation
5. Miracles

Run-Time: 3 minutes, plus song
Cast Number: 3 readers, plus optional tableau actors
Biblical Reference: Luke 2:41–52
Setting: Blank stage with 3 chairs
Props: Chairs, individual reading lights
Category: Readers Drama / Easter Season / Life of Jesus / Tableau Drama

Songs:   We recommend a portion of a relevant song to be sung by the congregation at the end of each scene. Use the suggested song or select a personal favorite. Our aim in the selection was to use older songs and hymns as a means of reintroduction.

Tableau: For each scene, there is a suggested tableau where an image is created with silent and frozen actors at Upstage, highlighted by a spotlight, or has the image on a wall in shadows or behind a scrim. 

Sample of script:

Scene III – The Boy Jesus At The Temple Luke 2:41-52

Tableau:
Boy kneeling before 2 or more adults

R1:
Consideration!

R2:
Edification:

R1:
Examination!

Narrator:
Each year, Mary and Joseph, along with their children and all dutiful members of the Jewish community, would go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover.

R1:
This mass exodus of all Jews from throughout Israel made the normally small town of Jerusalem swell to three or even four times its usual size, resulting in a temporary population of as much as 100,000.

R2:
And so it was that when Jesus was 12 years of age, Joseph and all his family joined with their neighbors in their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Narrator:
When the feast was over, all visitors left Jerusalem to return to their homes. It wasn’t until a day later Mary and Joseph became aware that Jesus had stayed behind in Jerusalem.

Want to see how the story unfolds?
Get the complete script and bring this powerful moment to your stage.