By Warren Judkins
The disciples take a lot of convincing that Jesus really has risen.
2 Narrators
Disciples (at least 5)
Women
Angel
A: Recipe for a resurrection.
B: Take a hole in a hill.
A: A tomb if you like.
B: That's right - a tomb.
A: With a large stone nearby.
B: Make that a very large rock.
A: Looking suspiciously like it had just been rolled away.
B: Which, in fact, was the case.
A: Go on.
B: Upon which sits an angel.
A: Very nice, isn't he...umm, she... umm...
B: Sh-he?
A: And then...
B: ...and then...
A: A party of melancholic followers of the late...
B: Or so it seemed.
A: ...Jesus of Nazareth...
B: Making helpful comments, like...
A: 'I wonder who'll roll the stone away from the tomb for us?'
A: She obviously hadn't been listening to the drama.
B: The angel was aware of this, and said...
Angel: Don't be alarmed.
Women: (Jump) Oh!
Angel: You're looking for Jesus, who was crucified, right? Well, you're looking in the wrong place. Tombs are for dead people, and Jesus, well he's not dead. He's risen! See for yourself - he's not here. But there's a message for the disciples. He's going ahead of you to Galilee. You'll meet him there, just like he told you in Mark 14:28. Okay?
A: It wasn't really okay.
B: This was all a bit much for the ladies.
(The women flee)
Angel: Was it something I said? (Exits)
A: They fled the tomb, and promptly said...
B: Nothing.
A: ...to anyone...
B: ...because they were afraid.
A: Sound familiar?
B: We move on.
A: Enter a bunch of disciples for later reference.
(Enter disciples, who cross to extreme left. Enter Mary, who lingers at right.)
B: Note their downcast nature and hopeless acting...I mean, hopeless appearance.
Disciple: Thanks very much!
A: They're mourning the death of their Lord and friend, Jesus. (Disciples freeze.)
B: Meantime, back in the garden...
(Enter Jesus)
Jesus: What's the matter?
Mary: They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know where they have put him. Sir, if you have taken him, please tell me where he is.
Jesus: (Gutsy) Mary.
Mary: Teacher! (Goes to embrace him. He takes her hands and gently drops them.)
Jesus: Hold on a moment. Go instead and give my message to the disciples, that I am returning to our Father. Go!
(Mary turns and runs to others. Jesus exits.)
A: So that's what she did.
Mary: Hey, James, Peter, Andrew!
Disciple 1: (Discouragingly) What is it?
Disciple 2: Yeah, knock next time, Mary. You half scared the life out of me.
Disciple 3: Is it something important? We're busy being miserable.
Mary: Everyone! I've seen Jesus! He's alive! He's risen! He has.
Disciple 1: Mary, that's not funny.
Mary: It's not meant to be funny. It's wonderful!
(Disciple 2 takes Mary's pulse and checks her forehead.)
Disciple 2: Are you feeling all right?
Disciple 3: Not too long out in the sun?
Mary: (breaks their hold). Come on, fellas. I'm telling you, Jesus is alive.
(Disciples 2 and 3 sit next to Mary)
Disciple 1: Now listen, Mary. We all know he was very dear to you....
Mary: He still is! He's a...
Disciple 1: Let me finish. And dear to us. But you must start to face the facts. You yourself saw him die.
Mary: (stands) And I've seen him - this morning - risen!
Disciple 3: Come on, Mary, you can't expect me to believe that!
Disciple 2: Yeah, that's overdoing it a bit.
Disciple 1: What do you mean, saw him?
Mary: I saw him. Okay!?
A: But, of course, it wasn't okay.
Disciple 1: No, it's not OK.
A: See?
Mary: He even gave me a message for you.
Disciple 2: This is getting freaky.
Disciple 3: Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my hand on his side side, I will not believe it.
A: No prizes for guessing who he is.
Disciple 1: Look, Mary, we all saw him die, and you're the only one who's seen him...ah...risen, so you say.
B: But at that moment...
(Disciples 4 and 5 burst through the door)
Disciples 4 and 5: We've seen the Lord, we've seen the Lord!!
Disciple 1: Oh crumbs!
A: Perfect timing. Direct from the road to Emmaus, Cleopas and company.
Disciple 2: Hold on, there must be some logical explanation for all this.
Disciples 4 and 5: There is! Jesus is risen!
Disciple 3: Not again! Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, and put my hand on his side, I will not believe it. (Disciples 2 and 3 push him down.)
Disciple 1: Thank you, Thomas.
Mary: Where did you see him?
Disciple 4: (Excitedly) we were on the to our home town, Emmaus, when he started to walk along with us...
Disciple 5: ...only we didn't know it was him....
Disciple 4: ...until later, when he broke the bread at our house...
Disciple 5: ...we'd asked him to stay the night with us...
Disciple 4: ...but then he just vanished!
Disciple 5: So we thought we'd better tell you...
Disciple 4 and 5: Jesus is risen!
(Dead silence. Disciples 4 and 5 look expectant, others think. Finally each crosses individually to the other side of the stage.)
Disciple 1: I can't believe it.
Disciple 2: We all saw him die.
Disciple 3: Unless I see the....
All: Thank you, Thomas.
Disciple 3: Oh. (sits)
B: And there we have the recipe for a dead faith.
A: Take a hard-hearted person... (Who us?)
B: Who hasn't met the risen Jesus ... (No, of course not)
A: And doesn't believe those who have...
B: And don't want to anyway. (Guilty looks)
A: Put them in a life with no believe...
B: A tomb if you like (Look around)
A: Like a tomb, certainly.
B: And roll a stone carefully over the entrance (Look up, mime trying to escape).
A: Well, they've made up their minds, haven't they!
B: And leave them. (They fall down, to cross-legged position.)
A: They'd die, of course.
B: Of course.
A: And some do.
B: But Jesus is into resurrection.
(Enter Jesus)
Jesus: (to all) Peace be with you!
(Disciples 4 and 5 run over and fall at his feet and sit there)
Jesus: Hello, my friends. (Places hand on their heads for a moment. Turns to others) Didn't you believe? Didn't I tell you that I'd rise from the dead? (sighs) Thomas! (Thomas stands) See my hands. Put your hand into my side, Thomas. Stop doubting, believe! (Thomas falls at his feet).
Disciple 3: My Lord and my God!
(Others finally go to Jesus)
Jesus: You believe me because you have seen me. (To audience) Happy are those who have not seen me, but believe anyway. (To the disciples) Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
(Disciples stand and are sent into the congregation, where they stay.)
A: So they went.
(Exit Jesus)
B: And they preached.
A: They baptised.
B: They healed.
A: They taught.
B: They were persecuted.
A: Some were martyred.
B: They were obedient.
A: They believed.
B: Do you?
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© Warren Judkins
All rights reserved
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies
are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged.
In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being
notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed.
He may be contacted at: jd@middleton.school.nz