SCENE 5: (Full light on stage R couch)

GIRL (slowly): So Jesus was all alone: Just One, in the darkness, against hundreds. All His friends scattered when He was arrested, just like He said they would.

BOY (snorts): Can you blame them? There wasn’t much they could do against an armed mob and a Roman cohort. Except maybe get killed.

GRANDPA: Well, Simon Peter and another disciple, probably John, followed as Jesus was brought to Annas, father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. The other disciple was known to the high priest, and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, then spoke to the doorkeeper and brought in Peter.

BOY: Is this when Peter denies Jesus?

GIRL (demands): You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? I thought we weren’t going to read about Easter, so Grandpa could!

BOY (sheepishly): I didn’t read the whole thing! Just . . . parts. (Defensively) I was curious!

GIRL (admits): So was I—but I only read parts, too. (Defensively as Boy makes a face) And saved the rest for Grandpa!

GRANDPA: Thank you, but you children should be reading yourselves, not waiting for me. Just ask Jesus to help you—He still helps those in need today, you know. Always remember that: You are never alone.

BOY (after a pause): What should we ask Him for?

GRANDPA: Whatever you need. Ask His Spirit to give you wisdom and humility, so you apply what you read, so you obey and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. That’s what I do every time I pick up this Book. (Looks at Bible) Let’s see, we were reading about Peter’s denial. . . . (Pages through, finds Mark 14:71-72) Not once, not twice, but three times Peter denied Jesus, cursing and swearing that he did not even know Jesus. And then “he began to weep.”

GIRL: I would’ve, too. Grandpa, this . . . account . . . is getting too sad.

GRANDPA: Then maybe you’d like to go upstairs with your mother and grandmother, because it gets worse fast.

GIRL (reluctantly): No . . . I’ll stay. I just liked hearing about Christmas so much: (Dreamily) the wonderful star at Jesus’ birth, the animals and everyone in the stable at Bethlehem, the shepherds and Magi coming to visit and worship Him. (Pouting) Easter started out okay, but. . . .

GRANDPA (reassuringly): It ends well. Very well. (Pats her) I’m already skipping things that happened in the middle for lack of time, but we can’t skip everything, can we?

BOY: No! What else happened?

GRANDPA (paraphrases Matthew 26:59-63): Well, while Peter was sitting in the courtyard of the high priest, “the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. Many false witnesses came forward, but Jesus kept silent until the high priest said to Him, ‘I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God’.”

GIRL: Did Jesus still keep quiet then?

GRANDPA (reads Matthew 26:64): No, He “said to him, ‘You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, AND COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN’.”

BOY (laughs): Jesus really let them have it! I guess He was just waiting to talk until He had the perfect thing to say. What did they answer?

GRANDPA (summarizes, reads Matthew 26:66-68): They said He deserved death, then “they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, ‘Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You’?”

BOY (solemnly): Then . . . they killed Him.

GRANDPA (reads/paraphrases Matthew 27:1-4): They could only judge against Him. They didn’t have the authority to kill Him, as their Roman rulers did, so in the morning, “all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus to put Him to death;  and they bound Him, and led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.” Meanwhile, Judas “felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood’. But they said, ‘What is that to us? See to that yourself’!”

DAD: They just didn’t care, did they? And these were the religious leaders? 

GRANDPA (nods): I’m afraid so.

BOY: Then what happened?

GRANDPA (paraphrases Matthew 27:14, 18-19): They accused Him before Pilate, the Roman governor. Again Jesus did not answer, not even in regard to “a single charge, so the governor was quite amazed.” Pilate knew that they had delivered up Jesus to Him “because of envy”, and he tried to release him, especially after Pilate’s own “wife sent him a message, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him’.” 

GIRL: But Pilate didn’t let Him go, did he?

GRANDPA (paraphrases Matthew 27:20-22): No, though he tried to. He gave the mob the choice of releasing Jesus or a notorious prisoner, a murderer called Barabbas. The chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes to ask for Barabbas. The same people who days earlier had shouted for Jesus’ coronation now demanded His crucifixion. “Crucify Him!” they all cried. And Pilate said, (reads 23-25): “‘Why, what evil has He done’?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, ‘Crucify Him’! When Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, ‘I am innocent of this Man’s blood; see to that yourselves’. And all the people said, ‘His blood shall be on us and on our children’!” (Pause)

DAD (soberly): And it is. (Looks at Boy and Girl, then Grandpa) His blood is on us and on our children, isn’t it?

GRANDPA (smiles gently and nods): One way or another. Jesus died for our sins. If we accept His sacrifice, His blood covers us and washes us clean. If we reject Him, our sin stands. We, like the mob, like the religious leaders and Roman rulers, even like Judas—are responsible for shedding His innocent blood . . . because we all need a Savior.

GIRL: But . . . I wasn’t there. It wasn’t my fault—I wouldn’t have killed Him!

GRANDPA (gently paraphrases 1 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 12:2, Luke 23:34): Whether you were there or not doesn’t matter: Jesus “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God”. He died willingly: “for the joy set before Him”, He “endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Tens of thousands of angels would have rescued Him in an instant, had He said the word. But instead, as He hung nailed to the cross, struggling for each breath and suffering the worst torture known, what He did say was,“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” 

(Pause)

GIRL: I think I liked the true account of Christmas better than Easter.

GRANDPA (paraphrases Luke 23:46): Part of Easter I like better, but part is harder for me each year because I realize more and more what Jesus suffered on my behalf. He was only in His thirties when He died, and He didn’t just bear excruciating pain on the cross, He bore the scathing scorn of people who wanted Him there. He bore the unspeakable horror and filth of my sin and the sin of all His people from the beginning to the end of time. And He even bore separation from God, who turned away from all that sin. In the end, Jesus committed His Spirit to His Father and breathed His last. It was finished.

BOY: What was?

GRANDPA (reads Matthew 27:51): The whole system of temple sacrifice, for one. At the moment of Jesus’ death, “the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Through Jesus, we now had direct access to God. No longer would animals have to die as payment for sins. Jesus was the sin covering God made for Adam and Eve, clothing them after their fall into sin. Jesus was the fulfillment of the covenant God made with Abraham, establishing the people of Israel. Jesus was the Passover Lamb. He was God Himself: the perfect, final and eternal sacrifice.

GRANDMA (enters stage R to center stage, by couch): Are you done reading to the children now, dear?

GRANDPA: No! I’m just getting to the best part: the resurrection. I’m almost done, though.

GRANDMA (warning): All right, but I’m about ready to turn in. I’ll change into my night things and if you’re not upstairs by then, (waggles index finger at him) I’ll come down to get you. (Pats him, turns to children and Dad, hugs them all) Good night, everyone. (Giggles) I think I’ll also wish you all an early happy Easter!

BOY and GIRL: Happy Easter, Grandma!

GRANDMA: The Lord is risen! (Slowly exits stage R)

GRANDMA (says to Grandma as Boy and Girl look at each other, puzzled): The Lord is risen indeed! (To children) That’s something we always say in church at Easter. (Looks a bit sad)

DAD: Don’t worry, this year we’ve decided to attend the Easter service. We thought you’d like to go.

BOY: We’ll be having turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and rolls at home afterwards, too!

GIRL: And pie! Mom says I get to help her and Grandma bake, starting tomorrow.

BOY: I only want to eat.

DAD (laughs): Me, too.

GRANDPA (sad, slowly says): Well, I suppose we should wrap this up. We’ve almost read to Easter Sunday. 

(Light fades. Girl, Boy and Dad exit stage L when dark) 

GRANDPA (pages to and reads John 19:38, Mark 15:43,46):Let’s see . . . at evening, “Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews” “gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus.” “Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down” from the cross, “wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.” 

SCENE 6: (Light slowly comes up on stage L “Tomb” with weeping Girl. Boy and other disciple (John the Elder? [Dad]) enter stage R when cued; later Girl runs to Boy) 

GRANDPA (in dark reads/memorizes John 20:1-2): “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them,” 

GIRL: “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” 

GRANDPA (in darkness reads/memorizes John 20:6-18 as Boy and other disciple run to “Tomb,” peek past it on far stage L side when cued, then exit stage R when cued): Peter “And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. So the disciples went away again to their own homes. But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her,” 

GRANDPA/JUDAS or 2 male voices offstage (as Mary bends around far L background): ‘Woman, why are you weeping’?

GRANDPA: “She said to them,” 

GIRL: “‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

GRANDPA (as Jesus enters stage L by center stage): “When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her,”

JESUS: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

GRANDPA: “Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him,” 

GIRL: “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

GRANDPA: “Jesus said to her,”

JESUS (with feeling): “Mary!”

GRANDPA: “She turned and said to him in Hebrew”

GIRL (broken but joyful): “Rabboni!”

GRANDPA: “which means,” my “Teacher. Jesus said to her,”

JESUS (gently): “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God’.” (Jesus exits stage L)

(Mary runs stage R as the Other Disciple (Dad), and Peter (Boy), enter stage R; sound crew prepares to cue music)

GRANDPA: “Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples,”

GIRL (in wonder): “I have seen the Lord”

(The disciples look at her, shake heads and walk away stage R as music begins)

GIRL sings, “Just One” written by me, sung and arranged by Elanna Lund, lyrics following play

(Light fades. When dark, Girl exits stage R, takes place on couch; stage L sign flips to “Galilee”)  

GRANDPA (in darkness reads/memorizes Mark 16:11-14): “And when [the disciples] heard that He was alive, and had been seen . . . they refused to believe. . . . And after that, he appeared in a different form to two of them, while they were walking along on their way to the country. And they went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either. And afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.” 

SCENE 7: (Full light on Jesus stage L “Galilee”)

GRANDPA (in darkness reads/memorize Matthew 28:18): “And Jesus came up” to the eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee “and spoke to them, saying,”

JESUS (faces congregation, says Matthew 28:18-20): “‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age’.”

(Light fades; when dark, Jesus exits stage L by center stage) 

GRANDPA (reads/memorizes in darkness Mark 16:19): “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.” 

SCENE 8: (Full light on stage R couch)

GIRL: Wow! So that’s what really happened!

BOY (happily): Jesus went right back to heaven, right back where He came from!

GRANDPA: And someday, He’ll come again. 

GIRL (quotes slowly): “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Smiles) What great last words! I bet the disciples loved hearing Him say that. It even makes me feel like . . . like you said, Grandpa: I’ll never really be alone again. (Pauses) What did the disciples do after Jesus left?

GRANDPA (paraphrases/reads Luke 24:50-53): Well, Jesus lifted up His hands and was blessing them as “He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God.”

BOY: Is that . . . the whole account of Easter?

GRANDPA (smiles): The Bible has four entire books in it about Easter: the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. As it says in the last verse of John, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” (Sighs) Maybe in heaven we’ll hear the rest. (Closes Bible)

GRANDMA (enters stage R in a robe and slippers, stands to far L of scene): A closed Bible? Then I take it your reading is done.

GIRL: For now. (Smiles at Grandpa) Thanks, Grandpa. Can we read about Easter again tomorrow? I have some questions. . . .

BOY: I’d rather hear it again tonight! 

GRANDPA (laughs)

BOY: But anytime is fine. Thanks for reading, Grandpa.

DAD (stands up, shaking head): I have to hand it to you, Pop. When you read, I almost feel. . . .  

BOY (excited): Like you’re right there, living it?

DAD (in wonder): Yes. 

GRANDPA (shakes head): It’s not the reader. It’s the words: The Bible is God’s word. Here, you take it. (hands Bible to Dad) Good night, all! I love you.

BOY and GIRL (return farewells as Grandpa and Grandma exit stage R)

MOM (offstage talks to them, says goodnight and enters stage R, sits down on couch in Grandpa’s place): Well, the night is still young. I made some popcorn and hot chocolate for us. Grandma and Grandpa don’t want any, but if we’re quiet, there’s no need for the party to end.

BOY, GIRL, DAD (improvise): Sounds good! Great! Thanks! etc.

MOM: Oh, and Grandma set out a chewable vitamin C for each of you.

BOY, GIRL, DAD (groan, protest good-naturedly)

MOM: I’ll go get it, then . . . maybe we can all do something quiet together, like play a board game? Or watch a movie? You seemed so cozy down here, I hated to miss out. But it was good to spend time one-on-one with Grandma, too.

(Boy and Girl exchange looks)

DAD: Do you need any help getting the snacks, honey? I mean, besides the vitamin C.

MOM: I’ll just bring everything in on a tray—including the vitamin C. It won’t hurt, you know. Grandma’s just trying to take care of us.

DAD: All right. And when you come back, maybe . . . maybe instead of a game or movie, you’d like to . . . hear me read? (holds up Bible hopefully)

GIRL (excited): About Easter?

MOM (surprised): A Bible story? Sure.

BOY (gently): Not a story, Mom: a true account—of how Easter really happened.

(Light down)

JUST ONE

VERSE 1: A single star lit up the sky the night that He was born,

It still went on shining even after Christmas morn.

Magi thought the King they sought would reign in great Jerusalem,

but starlight shone on one poor home of the Child in Bethlehem

CHORUS: JUST ONE, against the darkness,

JUST ONE, when only One could stand alone.

(JUST ONE Jesus, JUST ONE Jesus)

Just and sinless, only Jesus deserved His father’s throne,

JUST ONE could do what needed to be done.

JUST ONE gave us hope when there was none.

VERSE 2: It seemed a quiet thirty years to those who couldn’t see

the miracle inside Him of divine humility.

But when His light outshone the night, it offended blinded eyes.

They hung Him up, discounting what was history’s crowning sacrifice:

BRIDGE: Shame, death, pain, sin were hurled at Him, all temptations known to man.

JUST ONE stayed true, so now when you, alone, face more than you can stand

REPRISE: He’ll help JUST ONE against the darkness.

He’ll help JUST ONE, when one has to stand alone.

(JUST ONE Jesus, JUST ONE Jesus)

Just and sinless, only Jesus, deserves His father’s throne

He’ll help JUST ONE. Do what must be done!

He’ll help JUST ONE. You are not alone.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org