Session 4B: Skits
1.
Jesus Calls Matthew to be an Apostle
(Based on Mark 2:13-17)
Characters: Narrator, Matthew, Jesus, bystanders/Jewish leaders
Props: Table and 3 chairs, pencil and paper, coins and dollar bills, cups and plates
Narrator: Jesus called men from their various kinds of work to follow Him and be His apostles. The Bible tells us about many of these men, and how they came to follow Jesus. For example, Matthew:
(Matthew sits at a table, counting bills and coins and writing down numbers. 2 bystanders walk past him, talking.)
Bystander #1: Oh, that Matthew. Look at him sitting there, counting and figuring, figuring and counting. All he cares about is money.
Bystander #2: Yes, money. If the taxes get any higher, I’ll end up in the poorhouse.
Bystander #1: I know how you feel. But Matthew doesn’t seem to care. He just keeps taking our money, collecting the taxes for those greedy Romans? What do they do with all our money, while we are nearly starving to death?
Bystander #2: I wonder how much of our tax money he really turns over to the Romaris, and how much he sneaks into his own pocket!
(The two walk on.)
Narrator: Yes, Matthew was a tax collector. Many of his own people, the Jews, considered him a traitor because he collected taxes from them for the hated Roman government. And many people thought that all tax collectors were cheats. But one day
Jesus: Come with me, Matthew. Follow me and be one of my apostles.
(Matthew looks startled, makes a gesture of “who, me?” and then nods, smiles, gets up and follows Jesus.)
Narrator: Later that day, Jesus ate dinner at Matthew’s house. Some of the Jewish leaders wondered about this.
(Jesus, Matthew, another guest are seated at table with glasses and dishes.) Bystander/Jewish leader #1: Do you see what’s going on at Matthew’s house? Bystander/Jewish leader #2: I certainly do! Why does this Jesus eat with tax collectors and outcasts?
Jesus: People who are healthy don’t need a doctor, but only those who are sick. I have come to call not those who are righteous, but the sinners and outcasts.
2. Peter,
James, and John are Called to be Apostles
(Luke
5: 1-11)
Characters: Narrator, Jesus, Peter, James, John, bystanders
Props: Large net, several cardboard cut-out fish (about 1’ long), brushes for cleaning net, large blue cloth to represent water.Narrator: Peter, James and John were three men who were called by Jesus to be apostles. Let’s see what they did for a living....
Peter: What a night! Hours and hours throwing the nets into the water, and we’ve caught nothing at all. (He, James, and John begin cleaning the nets with brushes.)
James: Yes, I’m so exhausted I can hardly stand up. These nets feel heavier on a night when we don’t catch anything.
John: I hope things will change pretty soon. Nothing is worse than a lot of hard work and nothing to show for it!
(Jesus walks along, talking to people who are listening to Him teach. He turns to Peter.)
Jesus: Put your boat out into the deeper water, and put the nets in for a big catch.
Peter: Sir, we have worked all night and we’ve caught nothing at all. But if you say we should, we will let the nets down again.
(The three fishermen throw the net. It becomes “heavy” as they put the cardboard fish in.)
James: Look at all these fish! I’ve never seen so many--and I surely have never caught so many!
John: I can hardly hold the net, it’s so heavy. Let’s get all these fish to shore as quickly as we can.
Peter:(kneeling before Jesus) Lord, leave me. I am a sinful man and I am not worthy of your attention.
Jesus: Do not be afraid. From now on, you will follow me, and you will fish for people. (The three come away from the nets and follow Jesus.)Narrator: Peter, James, and John became three of Jesus’ closest followers. Years later, they did “fish for people,” traveling far and wide to tell people about Jesus Christ and bring them closer to God.
3. Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael to be Apostles
(Based on John 1:43-51)
Characters: Narrator, Jesus, Philip, Nathanael
Props: Tree, or branches representing tree.
Narrator: Jesus traveled long distances on foot, spreading the good news of God’s love to all kinds of people. One day, as He walked in Galileo, He came upon a man named Philip.
Jesus: Philip, follow me and be one of my apostles.
Philip: Yes, Lord, let me go and tell the others. (He goes over to Nathanael, standing under a tree far from Jesus.) We have found Him, Nathanael! We have found the one whom Moses and the prophets wrote about! He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth!
Nathanael: How can anything good or important come out of a little hick town like Nazareth? Come and see!
(Nathanael approaches Jesus.)
Philip: Here is a true man of Israel; there is nothing false in him.
Nathanael: How do you know me?
Jesus I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.
Nathanel: Teacher, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!
Jesus: Do you believe just because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see much greater things than this! I tell you truly: you will see the heavens open and the angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man. Philip and Nathanael became followers of Jesus from that day on. And they did indeed see great miracles, healings, and wonders. Many other people, like Nathanael, would come to know that Jesus was the Son of God.
| 4. Peter Denies the Lord
(Based on Matthew 26: 31-35 and 69-75) |
| Bystander 1: Yes, you are one of those people from Galilee like Jesus is. I can tell by your accent.
Peter: (backing further away and almost shouting): I swear to you that I have never had anything to do with this Jesus of Nazareth!
Narrator: Just then, the cock crowed three times--it was almost morning. And Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows you will deny me three times.” And Peter cried bitterly. |
Characters: Narrator, Peter, maidservant, other apostles/bystanders
Props: Orange cardboard “flames” or cellophane to represent a fire built outside; table and chairs with plates and cups at which Jesus and Peter are seated with other apostles
Narrator: When Jesus shared the Last Supper with His apostles, He shared blessed bread and wine with them. He told tnem how much He loved them. And He said something else to them:
Jesus: Tonight you will all desert me. Just as the prophets said, the shepherd will be struck, and the sheep will scatter.
Peter: No, Lord! Even if all the others desert you, I never will.
Jesus: Truly, before the cock crows three times tonight, you will deny knowing me three times, Peter.
Peter: Even though I were to die with you, I will never desert you!
(The other apostles say similar things: “I will not desert you either”, “Never!” etc)
Narrator: Later that night, Jesus was taken away to be tried by the governor, Pontius Pilate. The other disciples were hidden away in fear, but Peter stood outside the governor’s residence warming his hands by the fire with some other people.
Bystander: Must be quite a trial going on in there--in the middle of the night like this, as if they want to make sure people don’t find out about it and protest or something.
Maidservant: This man Jesus who’s being tried--I heard he’s been a real troublemaker. Well, he said beautiful things about love, and he healed a lot of people. Comforted and encouraged people, too. But somehow the authorities are afraid of him. He’s in big trouble. (looking at Peter) Say, just a minute. I’ve seen you around before--and I know where I’ve seen you, too. You were one of the followers of that Jesus who’s on trial right now, aren’t you?
Peter: Me? No, I don’t even know that man. (He starts to walk away from the fire.)
Bystander: This man (pointing to Peter) is a friend of Jesus of Nazareth?
Peter: No, no, I was never a friend or follower of His!
Bystander 1: Yes, you are one of those people from Galilee like Jesus is. I can tell by your accent.
Peter: (backing further away and almost shouting): I swear to you that I have never had anything to do with this Jesus of Nazareth!
Narrator: Just then, the cock crowed three times--it was almost morning. And Peter remembered that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows you will deny me three times.” And Peter cried bitterly.
5. Peter at Pentacost
(Based on Acts 2:1-37)
Characters:
Narrator, Peter, other followers of Jesus, crowd members--one should wear
white robe over clothes and remove it when called for)
Props: Orange
cardboard or stiff paper “flames”, tape, table and chairs, electric fan to
simulate “rush of a strong wind”
(Followers of Jesus - some sitting, some standing - sing the Lord’s Prayer together.)
(Fan creates wind; crowd member dressed in white tape orange flames to backs of chairs, and then removes white robe and blends back in with crowd)
(Crowd members make various comments: “What’s happening?”, “Something is happening to us!” etc.)
Narrator: Suddenly, the gathered apostles were able to speak to the crowd in different languages--a miracle! They were able to tell the people from many countries about Jesus Christ in words they could understand.
Crowd member: How is it that we are hearing these wonderful things about God’s powerful deeds in our own languages? These men who are speaking are all from Galilee--they don’t know the same languages we do.
Crowd #2: Yes, what does it all mean?
Crowd #3: It’s easy to explain--they’re all drunk!
Peter: (addressing the crowd) Everyone, we are not drunk--it is only nine o’clock in the morning. But now, as the prophets said it would happen, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We want to tell you that Jesus of Nazareth, a man who did the signs and wonders that only God can do, was handed over to you according to God’s plan. You crucified Him, but He rose from the dead. He is the one about whom the great King David spoke. Let the entire house of Israel know for sure that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, the Lord and Messiah.
(Crowd members say “Oh no, we crucified the Lord”, “How terrible that the Son of God was killed”, “What can we do?” etc.)
Crowd #1: Peter, we are deeply troubled by what you have told us. What can we do?
Peter: All of you, turn away from evil and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, for this promise is to you, your children, and all who are far away. It is for everyone whom God calls.
Narrator: And so, that day about three thousand people were baptized. They spent their time learning what the apostles were teaching, and taking part in fellowship. They ate together, and they prayed constantly.
6. Philip Helps a Nobleman Understand
(Based on Acts 8: 26-40)
Characters: Narrator, angel, Philip, Ethiopian nobleman
Props: Large blue cloth to represent water, 2 chairs, Bible, cardboard wheel to prop against chair to represent a chariot
Narrator: The time came when Jesus was no longer with His people on earth. The apostles carried on the work that He had commanded them to do. They preached, healed, and taught Sometimes they did these things for people they met along the way, and sometimes God’s angels told them to go and find people. That is what happened to the apostle Philip one day
Angel: (speaking to Philip sitting in chair) Philip! Get up and travel south. Go on the road that leads from Jerusalem down to Gaza.
Narrator: So Philip did go. And on his way he met a nobleman from Ethiopia. This man was an official in the court of Queen Candace, who ruled over Ethiopia. He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and now he was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading from the Book of Isaiah.
(Nobleman is seated in chair with wheel propped against it, reading aloud from the Book of Isaiah in the Bible. The other chair is next to the first.)
Angel: Philip, go and speak to this man in the chariot. (Philip approaches him.)
Philip: Sir, do you understand what you are reading?
Nobleman: How can I understand, unless someone guides me? I would be happy if you would do so. For example, it says here, “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a Iamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” Tell me, is the prophet speaking about himself or someone else?
Narrator: So Philip taught him about the good news of Jesus Christ, starting with this passage from the prophecy of Isaiah. And as they went along, they came to some water.
Nobleman: Look, here is water? What is to prevent me from being baptized?(They walk into water, nobleman kneels, Philip makes sign of cross over him.)
Angel: Come along, Philip. (Philip follows angel; they walk away from nobleman.)
Nobleman: (rises to his feet, stands and prays) Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful gift of baptism. From now on I will thank you and praise you every day. (Sits in the chariot.) Drive on!
Narrator: So while the nobleman, now a Christian, went on his way, Philip did as the angel said. Soon he was passing through a region where there were many small towns. He proclaimed the good news to all of them, and finally he came to Caesarea.