Debra writes, "My Easter presentation started with the skit, and followed with a Passover Seder. It is interactive with the students and was initially done for our 4th grade worship class (hence the hymns). However, I encourage you to adapt it to suit your class and resources." Your sister, in His service and love.

Debra Halleck- 4th Grade -Worship Hill Country Bible Church - Austin, Texas

 

Narrator Introduction: 
Christ lived only 33 years. During that time he changed many lives. Raised the dead, healed the sick, made the blind to see, and much more. As Christians we celebrate Christ's death, not as an ending, but as a beginning! 

Scripture: 
These things Jesus spoke; and lifting His eyes to heaven He said, "Father the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son may glorify Thee." John17:1a

Prayer: 
Father You gave Christ authority over all mankind so that through Him we may know everlasting life. Father through His life, death and resurrection Christ glorified You. He showed us who God is; we have our understanding of You by witnessing Christ's life. He begged for our lives as He prayed in Gethsemane, as was your plan at the beginning of time. And as is Your loving-kindness you gave us to Him. Father as Christ prayed we pray. Keep us Father not for ourselves, but on behalf of Your Son. Sanctify us in Your word; Make us one with Christ that we may be one with You.

Hymn: "I Have Decided"

Jesus: 
Arise, let us be going; behold the one who betrays me is at hand."
[Mark 14:42]

Narrator: 
A rooster crows, my world is waking up. I wondered; was Peter aware of his world the morning they lead his master away? At that terrible time was he fully focused on Christ? As he followed the soldiers who took Christ, did he see them? Or only the head and retreating back of His Lord? When they arrived at Caiaphas' house did he strain to make sense of the angry words flung at Christ? Or did the early morning chorus of birds distract him? When he heard the sound of a hand striking a face, followed by the sounds of heavy blows, did he wince? Did his heart shatter when the soldiers lead Christ out of Caiaphas' house barely recognizable because of those blows? Or did he simply stare into the fire in front of him unable to look as his master was lead past?

Woman: 
"You, you too were with Jesus the Nazarene!"

Peter: 
"I neither know, nor understand what you say."

Narrator: 
In the back of Peter's mind did he hear the words of Christ struggling to rise to his consciousness? 

Scripture: 
"A cock crowed once"

Woman: 
"You are one of them. I can tell by your clothes and accent."

Peter: 
"No! I am not!"

Woman: 
"Surely you are. You too are Galilean."

Peter: 
"I tell you I AM NOT! I do not know of what you speak!"

Scripture: 
"And immediately a cock crowed a second time and Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him 'Before the cock crows twice you will deny me three times' And he began to weep. Mark 14:72

Hymn: 

Narrator: 
Now it is important to realize, I am not judging Peter. Heaven knows I couldn't stand that trial. This only comes to my mind because I believe the world has forgotten the meaning of Easter.

"Jesus is the reason for the season"

A phrase touted at Christmas, but for one moment look at Easter. 

The first Easter began with the Passover meal. There would have been the Passover Lamb, a sacrifice for salvation, hard-boiled eggs, representing regular festival sacrifice, green veggies symbolic of spring, bitter herbs recalling the bitterness of slavery, Haroset representing the mortar used by the Israelites in their forced labor, wine and unleavened bread.

Passover was and is a time of looking back at all that God has done for the nation of Israel.

The men and women of Jesus' time were so busy looking back that they did not see the Messiah they longed for in their very midst.

Scripture: 
For Christ said "You will keep on hearing but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing but will not perceive" Matt 13:14

Narrator: 
So what does our Easter look like? Well…………We have the Lamb of God. He died that we would be redeemed. The perfect Sacrifice. We have hard-boiled eggs. But I have yet to meet one Christian who knows why. We have an empty tomb instead of bitter herbs. Because we know that Christ's resurrection frees us from sin we have sweet stuff. But somehow a chocolate bunny just doesn't represent mortar and tears or much of anything really.

And we have the bread and wine of our Lord's supper.

Scripture: 
"and when he had taken some of the bread He broke it, and giving it to each of them saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me. And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, Saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new Covenant in My blood."
Luke 22:19 & 20

Hymn

Narrator: 
But do we remember? Do we think of the pain He suffered? Does our skin crawl as we think of that rough heavy beam being laid across those shoulders so recently beaten? Does the back of our neck ache as we see Him struggle through narrow streets past jeering crowds? Does the pit of our stomach grow cold as we hear Him warn  "……..Stop weeping for me, but weep for your selves and for your children"? As we stand at the foot of the cross do we marvel that in His pain He can forgive?

Jesus: 
"Father forgive them; For the know not what they are doing."

Narrator: 
Even as a small voice says to our hearts "them or me?" Do we fall on our faces in anguished weeping as we hear Him commit His spirit into His Father's hands?

Jesus: 
"Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit."

Narrator: 
Do we slowly lower Him from the Cross, gently wrapping Him in grave clothes saying "We had hoped He was the One." 

OR

Do we run like Mary Magdalene to tell others, "HE IS RISEN!"

My point with all of this is that many Jewish people looked back and did not see what was before them -- surrounding themselves with traditions, they missed what was happening before their eyes! 

Prophecy FULFILLED!

We Christians too, surround ourselves with tradition, eggs, roasts, turkey, family and friends. All of this to celebrate His resurrection. But we, like many of the Jews of Jesus' day, may be missing what is happening: 

Is Christ moving in your life? 

Is He just  "The reason for the season"? 

OR 

Is He the reason for your life?

Let's pray.

Copyright 2001 Debra Halleck - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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