Bianca: Antonius
have you heard the stories that are spreading throughout the city ? One of those men crucified on Friday is said to be alive today.
Antonius: I have heard of them and I am not sure what to believe. Which of the men has been said to have awoken from death?
Bianca: It is the one called Jesus.
Antonius: Was he the one crucified on the left or in the middle. I am familiar with the criminal on the right and I assure you he was dead. I, myself, inspected his body.
Bianca: The one in the middle. Some call him Jesus, the Nazarene.
Antonius: Yes, I have heard of him. He was said to raise a young girl of our friend Jairus from the dead a year or so ago. I found that difficult to believe but this is more incredible. How could a dead man raise himself from the dead?
Bianca: I dont know. There are many stories about that man that make me wonder.
Antonius: Didnt one of your slaves meet him at one time?
Bianca: Yes.
Antonius: Is she someone we can trust to give an honest account of her interactions?
Bianca: Absolutely
she is one of my most trusted servants.
Antonius: Call her in.
(Bianca leaves then returns with Ariel.)
Bianca: Antonius, this is Ariel.
Antonius: Hello, Ariel. My wife speaks most highly of you.
Ariel: Thank you, sir; it is an honor to be called into your presence.
Antonius: My wife has reminded me that you once had an encounter with this man Jesus, the Nazarene. Would you share that experience with us.
Ariel: Oh, that was so long ago. It was when I was a young girl and the encounter was not with Jesus but with his father Joseph. Jesus was only a young baby at the time.
Scene changes. Joseph is standing next to a well with an innkeeper and a Roman guard.
Roman: Move along, there are many people waiting for water.
Joseph: Please, sir, give me a bit more time. Last night my wife gave birth and she is warm with a fever. I must get enough water to cool her forehead and to cleanse the baby.
Roman: Well all right but dont be long. (Joseph pumps additional water. As he is pumping the innkeeper speaks.)
Inn keeper: So, my dear friend, were you and your wife comfortable last night?
Joseph: Yes, we were; it was a fairly quick yet difficult birth. My wife, Mary, was in such discomfort. She still now suffers from a warmness of her body. It is why I have come for water. (Rachelle, Arindan and young Ariel, dressed as shepherds, approach the well.)We were fortunate to have some shepherds visit us last night and one remains with her now.
Roman: (To Rachelle, Arindan and young Ariel) You will have to wait your turn as, after this good man; I have been ordered to draw water for the magistrate. (They step aside.)
(Joseph completes his task and begins to leave with a pot of water. The three approach him. )
Arindan: Sir, I couldnt avoid hearing that you speak of a shepherd who visited you last evening and is staying with your wife at this time . Our father left us as we were going to bed and stated that he would return shortly but has not come home. His name is Esas. Is he with you?
Joseph: I am not sure. A shepherd came with two friends and they all stayed several hours. Two left early this morning but this one man stated he would stay as he was aware of my wifes fever.
Rachelle: He must be our father as last night he left with two of our cousins after the angels appeared. The cousins have returned.
Inn keeper: Did you say Angels?
Rachelle: Oh, yes
they were there. There were many of them. Arindam, how many do you think there were?
Arindan: Oh many, many of them. Ariel was the one who went up the hill. What do you think, Ariel?
Young Ariel: I went up to the top of Notch Hill.
Inn keeper: The hill with the crevice on the side?
Ariel: Yes,
Inn keeper: That is a dangerous hike, especially at night when it is dark.
Young Ariel: Yes, I know. But last night with the star and all the angels, it was almost like day light when I was climbing.
Inn keeper: You said
the star. Which star?
Arindan: Oh, she means the star that is in the west. The bright one that has been shining all week long. Somehow, it seemed to shine brighter last night.
Inn keeper: I retired early last night; I will stay up tonight to see this star.
Rachelle: Ariel, please tell us what you saw.
Young Ariel: When I got to the top of the hill and looked over, it was an unbelievable sight. There were twice as many angels in the sky that we could see from the tent. Id say fifty or more.
Rachelle: Fifty
I could only see ten, maybe fifteen from the tent and I really couldnt understand what they were saying.
Arindan: Thats why Dad said he had to leave with David and Petras to see what was going on. Did anyone talk to David or Petras this morning?
Young Ariel: I saw them this morning but I didnt want to wake them as they were sleeping but let me tell you what I heard.
Joseph: I must leave as my wife needs me and I would like to send your father back to you. I, too, heard something in the sky last night and sometime I would like to hear more of your story, Ariel, but I must go now.
Arindam: Please wish your wife and baby our best. What name are you giving the baby?
Joseph: Oh, not an extraordinary name, even though I believe he is an extraordinary baby. We will call him Jesus. (Joseph leaves.)
(Scene shifts to Bianca, Antonius and Ariel.)
Antonius: Jesus?
my dear Ariel, could this have been the same Jesus, who was crucified two days ago.
Ariel: I
I dont know though I suspect they are one and the same. Certainly their ages match. What I can say for certain is that it was an extraordinary night in Bethlehem the night he was born. I never saw or heard anything like it again and I lived in Bethlehem for ten more years after the babys birth.
(Scene shifts to shepherd children and inn keeper.)
Inn keeper: Ariel, tell us some more.
Rachelle: Yes, please do.
Young Ariel: Well, I was very excited and I ran almost all of the way. The sky kept getting brighter and brighter as I got nearer to the notch at the top of the hill. I remember thinking how surprised I was that I was not tiring out.
When I got to the top
well, the sight was overwhelming. I will never, ever forget it and I wish you could have all been there. The angels
they were off to the left right over the inn at the bottom of the other side of the hill.
Inn keeper: Thats my inn you are speaking of.
Young Ariel: Yes, and for a brief moment I could see Father and Petras and David descending the hill towards the angels and the inn.
Inn keeper: I wonder why I couldnt hear them.
Ariel: I cant imagine that you didnt. They were not really loud but there were so many of them and they spoke perfectly together. Glory to God in the highest and peace has now come to earth. Something like that.
Rachelle: Wow, I wish I had followed you to Notch Hill.
Arindan: Me too.
Young Ariel: I wish you had too. I know for certain that God was doing something special last night and it looks like it had to do with the baby that was born. What did his father say his name was?
Inn keeper: Jesus, I believe
you know, I had better go check on that family. They are not in my inn but they are residing at the barn in the back. Thank you for telling me the story
all of you and I will stay up this evening to look for that star. Maybe the angels will come back.
(Scene shifts.)
Bianca: Ariel, did the angels return?
Ariel: I never saw them again.
Antonius: And what about the star? My astrologer was in Rome at the time and stated that he had heard of an omen in the eastern sky some thirty or so years ago.
Ariel: I remember my whole family except for Petras, who stayed behind to watch the sheep, walking to the top of Notch Hill the next night. We could still see the star, high in the sky but did not see any angels.
Antonius: How long did the star remain?
Ariel: I am not sure. I was only twelve at the time. I would say it began to fade away after about a week.
Bianca: You said you only saw the father not the mother or the baby. Did you ever see him again?
Ariel: No
but I will never forget that night and that morning. I know there is a God that cares about all of us and, at this one special time, he let us know by sending his angels.
Antonius: And he did Bianca and I a favor by sending you, Ariel, to us
to tell us this story. I must tell my physician friend, Luke, of this special story you have told. Would you share it with him?
Ariel: Of course.
[Have someone read Lukes story of the birth of Jesus Christ from Luke chapter two.]
Interested in more skits for Easter, Christmas, The Lord's Supper or the Trials of Peter and Paul? They can be found in ...
Not the Same Old, Done-it-before Youth Meeting (the book)