Temptations of Christ

Scripture Reference: Matthew 4:1-11

3 Puppets Required: Either 2 boys (Frank & James), or 2 girls (Emily & Violet), and a "Satan" puppet complete with red suit, horns, long tail and pitchfork.

Frank & James lie in beds asleep. Between the beds is a table with a Bible and a lamp. Frank snores peacefully. James tosses and turns. Ominous music begins to play softly and builds as James' agitation increases and lights dim.

At a climactic point in the music, a spotlight comes on revealing "Satan" on the upper level. He begins to poke James with a long pitchfork. His pokes correspond with musical emphasis. Frank groans with each poke. Just as James starts to wake, "Satan" disappears, music ends and James goes back to sleep.

The music comes up again. "Satan" rises slowly from between the beds. He begins to tickle James' nose with his tail.

James: Ah.. Ah.. AH.. Ah.. ("Satan" stops and James goes back to sleep. This scene repeats as long as children find it funny.)

(Finally)
James: Ah.. Ah.. AH.. Ah.. CHEOOOOO! ("Satan" disappears with a puff of smoke; music ends and lights come up.)

James: (sits up, scared and shrieking) Frank! Frank!

(Frank stirs.)

James: Wake up Frank!

Frank: (sits up, confused) What? What?

James: Satan, Frank! I saw Satan!

Frank: What? Satan, What?

James: I saw him. He was here!

Frank: (angry) You were asleep, James. You were dreaming in your sleep! Go back TO SLEEP! (He puts a pillow over his head and flops down.)

James: But Satan, Frank. Satan! He was poking me. He was tickling me!

Frank: (groans and removes pillow) OK James, Satan was poking you. Where is he? What did he look like?

James: Well, he was red and and he had (feeling his head) um.. (pulling his hands up) horns, yeah, horns on his head and a big (motioning like he is holding and poking with a pitchfork) pointy thing. He was poking me Frank! He kept poking and poking!

Frank: (Sits up shaking his head) I don't know where you come up with this stuff!

James: And he had a tail! (motioning) A big looong tail that made me sneeze. (rubs his nose) And he was RIGHT HERE. (Suddenly scared again, he looks under the bed, sticking his rump in the air.)

Frank: It's OK James; you don't have to be scared of Satan.

James: (motioning for each item) but what about his horns and his tail and that big pointy thing?

Frank: Satan doesn't look like that!

James: (As he speaks "Satan" rises slowly behind them, first the horns then the tail, then the pitchfork.) Sure he does. (motioning for each item) He's red, and he has horns and a tail and a big pointy thing.

Frank: A pitchfork. It's called a pitchfork. All of that is just a bad dream. ("Satan" disappears with a poof) People made it up. It isn't true.

(James hides under the covers shaking) You're just saying that because you want me to go back to sleep. (James continues to shake under the covers until his next line)

Frank: That would be nice. But I'm not kidding. Satan doesn't look scary. He looks like a good guy. He wants to fool us. Satan wants us to follow him instead of God and do bad things. 

James: I wouldn't follow that guy with the tail. He's scary!

Frank: Well, Satan is dangerous, but he doesn't look scary, and he can't hurt you as long as you know how to get rid of him.

James: (Sits up excited) I can get rid of him?

James: Sure. Just do what Jesus did when Satan tried to get Him to do bad things.

James: What did Jesus do?

Frank: Jesus told the truth. Satan can't stand truth.

James: But what is truth? I don't always know. Remember? I thought (acting this out again) Satan was red with big horns and a tail and a big pointy thi.... (looks at Frank) pitchfork!

Frank: God is truth and God's word, the Bible, is truth. If I read you a Bible Story, will you go to sleep?

James: What's it about?

Frank: It's about Satan trying to turn Jesus away from God, and how Jesus got rid of him.

James: That's what I want to know, how to get rid of Satan!

Frank: Then just pay attention. (Picks up the Bible from the table and begins to read.) "The Spirit of God led Jesus into a very lonely place and Jesus did not eat for forty days."

James: Wow! Jesus must have been hungry!

Frank: Yes, he was very hungry. "And Satan came to Jesus, pointed at some stones and said, 'If you are the Son of God, prove it. Use your power to turn these stones into bread.' But Jesus used the Bible and told Satan the truth. Jesus said, 'The Bible says bread is not the only food men need. Every word that God gives us is food for life.'"

James: That makes me hungry just to think about it.

Frank: We can be hungry for God's word, too. (putting down his Bible) Lie still, now. You need to settle down so you can go to sleep. (taking up his Bible again) "Then Satan took Jesus up on top of a tall, tall building and said, 'If you are the Son of God, prove it. Throw yourself down to the ground. I want to see angels come and save you like the Bible says.'"

James: Did Jesus have a parachute? 

Frank: No, he didn't have a parachute, or a hang glider or an umbrella. Jesus didn't jump! Jesus used the Bible and told Satan the truth. Jesus said, "The Bible says, 'you should not do any dangerous thing, just to see if God will protect you.'" 

James: Yeah, Jesus! He's our man. If He can't do it, No one can!

Frank: (putting down his Bible) I'm going to stop reading if you don't settle down.

James: Oh, Please! I'll be quiet! Please don't stop. I want to know how to get rid of Satan!

Frank: "Finally, Satan took Jesus to a high mountain and said. 'I will give you everything you can see if you will bow down and worship me.'"

James: Don't do it, Jesus. It's a trick. Satan is lying!

Frank: Just settle down. Everything is OK. Jesus used the Bible and told Satan the truth. "Jesus said, 'Go away Satan. The Bible says worship only the Lord your God, and serve only Him!' And Satan left!"

James: I know just what to do now. Just use the Bible and tell the truth, and Satan can't hurt me. (He rolls over facing away from Frank.)

Frank: No, he can't. As long as we follow truth, Satan can't turn us away from God. And there isn't anything in the Bible about horns or a tail or a pitchfork. (He closes the Bible and puts it back on the table.) Now will you let me go to sleep? (no answer) James?

James: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Frank: (shakes his head, lies down and goes to sleep.)

Lights dim. Music comes up. "Satan" comes up beside James' bed and begins to poke him with the pitchfork.

James sits up, grabs the Bible and hits "Satan" over the head. "Satan" disappears with a poof and James returns to sleep as lights go out.

Copyright 2013 Becky Wooley
gritandgracemysteries.weebly.com
3701 Cherryton Dr.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
beckywooley@hotmail.com 
423-653-7902

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