Category: Lent and Easter

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Matthew 23: 37 NKJV

Jesus loved the people of Jerusalem and longed to protect them. But they refused. Palm Sunday’s adoration by the masses accelerated animosity from the religious leaders. Within days, Jesus was arrested, falsely accused, and crucified.

Normally, we gather together to remember the events of Palm Sunday and Easter corporately with marvelous music, services of somber reflection, productions that dramatize this incredible story, and festive banners and flowers coupled with joyous alleluias.

Social distancing is disrupting our ability to get together physically. Should we just let Easter go by in silence? Or is the message of suffering and resurrection needed more this year than ever?

Many churches are doing their best to stay connected via virtual technology and drive-in services, but we still experience a need for participation and community. The stay-at-home directives turn the focus to families and neighbors to find creative ways to share the incredible truth of Easter within the home or in small groups where people can keep their distance.

Alpha Star Drama wants to help! Listen to audio previews and download Easter scripts for FREE at www.AlphaStarDrama.com. Invite family members or a few neighbors to get involved by reading or acting out one or more of the dramas to experience the story through the eyes of the Bible characters who are speaking. Talk about why they acted as they did. Discuss how you might have reacted if faced with similar circumstances. Look up the story in the Bible to get a broader view of what happened and why. Encourage one another to choose a character and role play the events. Ask God to help you gain a deeper understanding of what Easter is all about. In the process, you may build family bonds and a vital relationship with the risen Christ.

The global pandemic that’s engulfing us is scary. In The Jerusalem Post, Joel C. Rosenberg, former aide to several American and Israeli leaders, reports that “Millions of Americans say Coronavirus is a ‘wake-up call’ from God.”

Jesus’ grief over Jerusalem pointed to Calvary, but it was surrounded by His teaching about signs of His return and the end of the age. Let’s do whatever we can to help people understand Biblical truth and bring them to faith in Jesus Christ, the One who conquered death in order to give us eternal life.

Have you ever wondered how Peter could have slept through the cosmic struggle his Master faced in Gethsemane or how he could have denied knowing Jesus at the hour of Jesus’ greatest need?

I used to ask those questions, but then life started throwing perplexing situations my way. Oops! Sometimes it’s tough to figure out what’s happening while it’s happening, especially when roused from a deep sleep.

That’s how it was the night Judas led soldiers into the quiet grove of gnarled olive trees where Jesus often prayed. Peter woke up facing an angry mob brandishing clubs and swords as they descended on Jesus and the disciples.

Peter grabbed a sword and sliced off Malchus’s ear! But whom did Jesus rebuke? Not the soldiers or the Jewish officials, but Peter! Was that why Peter hung back as Jesus was seized and taken to the high priest’s house? Was that why he was careful to keep his distance and sit with the guards in the courtyard? Was that why he insisted he didn’t even know the Nazarene when servant girls and bystanders said, “You were with Jesus”?

It’s a sobering story.

So why is it in the Bible? Are we to act like Peter? Of course not. But will we face similar situations? Perhaps. First Corinthians 10:11 tells us the stories in Scripture are examples to help us avoid being tripped up by the struggles and surprises of life.

How about you and the people you know? Do you face perplexing situations? If so, you’ll find that first-person drama sketches from the Bible are remarkably relevant as they bring the stories to life in ways that not only clarify the events but also capture hearts.

To assist you in doing this, AlphaStar Drama is featuring four FREE scripts that shed light on Jesus’ death and resurrection from our Lent and Easter section:

• PETER THE PERPLEXED: Experience the troubling events that led to Jesus’ crucifixion through the eyes of one of His closest disciples.
• PUZZLED AT PASSOVER: Encounter Martha’s confusion as she puzzles over the irony of rejecting the One who miraculously brought Lazarus, her brother, back to life.
• MARY MAGDALENE AT THE TOMB: Live through the grief and the joy of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection through Mary’s eyes.
• INNOCENT! THAT MAN WAS INNOCENT! Gain a fresh appreciation for Jesus’ crucifixion by viewing it through the eyes of Pilate and his wife, Claudia.

It’s my prayer that you’ll use one or more of these scripts to make Easter 2015 one of eternal significance for those in your community or congregation.

HAPPY EASTER!

It’s been a busy month of writing and recording new drama sketches for the period leading up to Easter. But what a privilege to spend time researching and imagining what it was like for those who lived through it!

What I’ve discovered as I’ve focused on writing drama sketches about those who peopled the stories is that it’s easy to read the story and self-righteously ask:

• How could Jesus’ disciples and friends have missed Jesus’ warnings that he was headed the cross?
• How could the crowds shout “Hosanna!” on Sunday and “Crucify Him!” on Friday?
• How could the religious leaders connive to crucify the Messiah whom they should have welcomed?
• How could Pilate condemn a man he called innocent?

Oh, it’s easy to see their faults. But incredibly, when I go back to the first century and put myself in their place, I begin to understand why they did what they did. After all, they didn’t know that Easter was coming!

If I’m honest, I have to admit that, like Martha, I’m often puzzled about why God does what He does. Like Pilate, I sometimes cave under pressure and justify myself for doing it. Or, like Mary Magdalene, I find myself failing to recognize the risen Lord even when he’s right beside me.

I hope you’ll not only listen to the free audio link for “Father, Forgive Them,” but that you’ll also read through the other scripts as if you were the person living through the various events. I think you’ll be richer for it. I know I am!

And, of course, if you have the opportunity, turn them into live drama for your church or small group. It could make an eternal difference!