The King is Coming Play

PowerPoint Presentation

The King is Coming!SONG: Rejoice, the Lord is King(Ethan runs onstage from downstage right, carrying a small loaf of bread. He stops center stage, eating the bread as if hes starving. Then he hears someone coming and looks for a place to hide. He hides under a large basket with part of him showing.)(Mary runs on from downstage right.)

2Mary: Whered you go, you little thief! Think you can just come into someones camp and steal their food, do you? (She stomps dramatically around the stage looking for Ethan.)Ruth: Mary, you are being ridiculous. Mother said to come right back. She doesnt care about the bread . . . and she said the boy looked like he was starving.

3(Mary spots Ethan sticking out of the basket and realizes where he is. She saunters over and sits on the basket.)Mary: Oh, she doesnt care now, does she? Well, I think a thief should be held to account for his crimes. Today its a loaf of bread . . . tomorrow, its your precious jewels and your gold!4Ruth (laughing) Well, just in case you hadnt noticed, sister, we dont have any precious jewels or gold.(From inside the basket, Ethan begins pounding to get out.)Ethan: Let me out! Let me out! (Mary jumps up and Ethan emerges from the basket. Mary grabs him by the arm.)Ethan: Let me go!Mary: Not until you return what you stole! Didnt your parents teach you better?

5(Ethan and Mary wrestle for the bread. All the while, Ethan is stuffing pieces of it into his mouth.)Ruth: Mary, stop that immediately! Stop it!(Ruth goes over and pulls Mary off of Ethan. The two end up panting on the ground. . . with the bread still clutched in Ethans hands.)Ruth: (to Ethan) My name is Ruth. And this is my little sister, Mary.6Ethan: (speaking with his mouth full of bread) Im Ethan. (to Mary) And in answer to your question . . . my parents didnt teach me anything. I dont have parents. I take care of myself.Ruth: Well, you can keep the bread, Ethan. We have enough. And besides, our Master says we should treat others the way we would like to be treated.

7Mary: I dont know about just letting him go. I think we should turn him over to . . . hmmm . . . maybe Simon Peter, for a good thrashing. (She starts toward Ethan.)Ruth: Mary, thats enough teasing.Ethan: Your master? So, youre slaves then?Mary: Slaves? Who . . . us? Ill have you know our father is a skilled craftsman. One of the best in Galilee.

8Ruth: We arent slaves. We are followers. Disciples of the teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. Have you heard of Him? He is arriving in Jerusalem today for the Passover!Mary: (with great excitement) He is going to be King! And I (dramatically) I am going to be captain of His guard! (She gestures as if sheathing a sword and then bows.)

9Ethan: Well excuse me, captain. But I believe Rome already has a ruler on the throne. I know all too well how Caesar deals with anyone who threatens him. And even if youre only speaking of Him being King of Israel, what does your Master intend to do with Herod? Is He planning a rebellion?(From offstage a womans voice is heard calling.)

10Mother: Ruth . . . Mary. Where are you? (She enters from downstage right.) There you are. Father says to come now. Peter and John have returned with the colt for the Master. The procession is about to begin. (She notices Ethan.) Oh . . . hello there.

11Ruth: Mother, this is Ethan. (to Ethan) Ethan, come with us and see the Master! He is the One . . . isnt He, Mother? The One Israel has waited for all this time! Messiah!Mary: The One who will sit on Davids throne! The King!Mother: Come with us, Ethan. Jesus rides into the city today, and already the people are gathering to sing His praises.(Mother, Mary and Ruth cross stage right toward exit.)

12Ruth: Come and decide for yourself!Ethan (deciding) Well . . . all right.(Ethan hurries after them and they all exit downstage left to door, goes out.)SONG: His Triumphant Entrance Medley13(Beginning of montage is without music. Father and Mother are at stage right. Ethan is center stage. Ruth and Mary are at stage left. The stage is dark, but the three areas are lit by three spotlights. The characters speak to the audience.)15Ruth: As Jesus rode into the city, the crowds were shouting, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.Mary: The Pharisees told Jesus to calm us down. But the Master said that if we kept quiet, the rocks would cry out His praise!Father: All week Jesus taught in the Temple about commitment and sacrifice and serving others.Mother: Someone asked Him what the greatest of all the commandments was. He said it was to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

16Ethan: Then He said that the second greatest commandment was to love others as much as you love yourself. It was just what Ruth had said the first day I met her.

(Music STARTS for The Darkest Night Underscore)

17Mother: One evening at dinner, a woman anointed Him with a costly perfume . . . the way you would prepare a body to be buried. It was so strange.Father: Late in the week, Jesus and His closest friends gathered to celebrate the Passover meal. They say that the Master washed their feet that night. . . like a slave would. And then He broke the Passover bread and said His body would be broken that way. He told them His blood would soon be poured out for them, just like the wine He poured that night.

18Mary: He said one of them would betray Him. And Peter said it would never be him. Never!

Ruth: Jesus and the apostles went to the garden where He loved to pray. And while He prayed, they all fell asleep.

(Music becomes MORE INTENSE.)

19Father: The next thing they knew, the priests and the temple guard came into the garden with torches. They were led by Judas, of all people, who greeted Jesus with a kiss.Mary: Peter grabbed a sword and cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest. He was ready to fight!Ruth: But Jesus stopped him. Then Jesus touched the mans ear and healed it.

20Ethan: They arrested Jesus and dragged Him away! And all of His friends deserted Him.Mary: All except Peter. He followed at a distance.Mother: They took Jesus before the Sanhedrin. The high priest asked Him point blank if He was the Christ. And Jesus answered, I am.Mary: Peter was warming his hands over a campfire when someone recognized him as being one of Jesus friends. But Peter denied it. Peter said Hed never even met Jesus!

21Ruth: He was dragged before Pilate and then Herod. But Jesus refused to answer any of Herods questions, so Herod sent Him back to the Roman governor.Mother: Pilate brought out a convicted murderer . . . a man named Barabbas . . . and reminded the people that it was a custom to release one prisoner at Passover. Who should he release to them that night, Jesus or Barabbas?Ethan: The crowd screamed for Barabbas. Release Barabbas!

22Ruth: Pilate asked what he should do with Jesus.Mary: And they all shouted, Crucify Him! Crucify Him!(MUSIC to underscore ENDS. Stage goes dark and characters exit.)(Lights come up dimly. A few columns can signify that it is Pilates courtyard. There can also be a bench at center stage. Mary enters from stage left.)

23Mary: (calling in a whisper) Ethan! Ethan are you here?Ethan: Im here. Have they all gone?Mary: Did you hear it? Did you hear the crowd? Crying for His death! And Pilate, the coward, knew that Jesus had done nothing wrong. He even said so!Ethan: I heard. Yes. (He is deep in thought.)

24Mary: I cant believe it. I cant. Jesus . . . He was going to be king! And now instead He is going to be crucified. How can this be happening?Ethan: Sometimes things are impossible to explain.Mary: And that Pilate would release that murderer . . . Barabbas!Ethan: Mary, I have something to tell you.Mary: What is it?Ethan: Its about Barabbas.25Mary: Can you believe the people would choose him over the Master?Ethan: (interrupting her) Mary . . . hes my father.(There is silence for a few seconds.)Mary: Hes . . . your father? But you said . . . you said you didnt have parents.Ethan: My mother is dead. My father . . . has been in prison. Im sorry. But it wasnt really a lie. Its the same as not having anyone.

26Mary: So what are you going to do now?Ethan: I dont know. What are you going to do?Mary: I havent even seen my parents. They are hiding at a friends house. I sneaked out because I just had to know what happened. I suppose well go back home to Galilee.(Ruth enters stage left.)Ruth: (reacting with relief) Mary, there you are! Youve got to come back with me now. Mother and Father will be worried sick if they discover were not in the house. Theres nothing we can do here now.

27(Music STARTS for The Day He Wore My Crown)Mary: Ruth . . . they are going to crucify Him. Pilate had Jesus scourged. And Hell be crucified at daylight.Ruth: Yes, I know, Mary. I heard some people laughing that the soldiers had put a purple robe on Him. Then made a crown out of thorns and put it on His head. And soon, Hell be carrying His own cross through the streets to the place of crucifixion.(During song, characters exit.)SONG: The Day He Wore My Crown28(A room where Ruth and Mary and their parents have been hiding. There is a table, a bench, 2 stools, and a doorway at upstage left. As the lights come up, Ruth, Mary and Mother are gathering their belongings and packing them in two baskets and a few rugs. They are working without talking and the atmosphere is sad. Father enters through the doorway with Ethan.)Father: (making an effort at cheerfulness) Look who I found outside.Mother: Ethan . . . are you all right? We lost track of you the other night and we were worried.

29Ethan: Im all right. Im sorry that you were worried. What are you going to do now that . . . now that . . . (He hesitates to complete the sentence.)Mary: Now that Jesus is dead and buried?Father: Were going home to Galilee. We leave in the morning. I dont think it is safe here. And now that the Master is gone . . . Mother: What are you going to do, Ethan?30Ethan: Im not sure. I wish . . . I just wish that I could have known Jesus the way you did. That I could have followed Him and heard Him and seen Him do the miracles youve told me about. But I guess it doesnt make any difference now.Father: Ethan . . . Mary told us about your father.Ethan: I was afraid you would all hate me.31Mother: But why, Ethan? You didnt betray the Master. And you didnt choose to have your father released instead of Him. We dont blame you.Father: Have you seen him?Ethan: I found him tonight. He still cant believe hes free. He cant believe that someone else was crucified in his place yesterday. I think hes confused. He . . . he told me that he came face to face with Jesus in Pilates court. He said there was something in Jesus face he will never get over. Hed never seen that look before. He didnt even have a word for it.

32Ruth: Weve seen that look.

(Music STARTS for Written in Red)

Ruth: Jesus always looked at people that way no matter who they were. He loved them. It was love your father saw.

SONG: Written in Red

33(As the lights come up dimly, Mother is awake and quietly wrapping some small loaves of bread and some fruit in cloths and placing them in a small basket for the days journey. Mary and Ruth are still sleeping on thick woven rugs on the floor. Suddenly, Father bursts through the doorway in excitement.)

(Music PAUSES for the Living One)

Father: Theres news!

35Mother: What is it? Is there trouble?(Mary and Ruth are startled awake, rubbing their eyes.)Father: One of the apostles . . . in the road just now . . . something happened at the tomb . . .Mother: What? Whats happened?Father: He said Jesus is risen! Peter and John saw the tomb empty . . . an angel told them . . . Jesus is alive!SONG: The Living One

36(The five characters are on stage again just as they were during the The Darkest Night Underscore. The stage is BRIGHTLY lit. They speak directly to the audience.)Father: After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to many people.Mother: First to my friend, Mary. She was crying at the garden tomb because she thought His body had been moved. She didnt recognize Him through her tears. But then He said her name and she knew it was the Master!

38Ruth: Then to the other women who had gone to the tomb.Mary: He was seen by two disciples who were traveling to Emmaus. He walked with them and talked with them and even ate with them!Father: Simon Peter saw Him. And then He suddenly appeared to all the disciples in the upper room where they were gathered!Mother: Over the next several weeks, many people saw Jesus. He told us we should go into all the world . . . and wherever we went, we should tell everyone about Him. 39Father: He said we should baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.Ruth: We should teach them about loving God and about loving others. Mary: He said He would always be with us.Ethan: I saw Him, and I listened to Him. I believed everything He said. And at last I realized that Mary had been right all along.(Music PAUSES for Jesus, We Crown You with Praise)

40Ethan: He was a King! When at last I met Him, I promised Him that I would spend the rest of my life telling people that news.

SONG: Jesus We Crown You with Praise

(The road outside Jerusalem where it all began. The same broken cart, boxes, and stones. Mary and Ethan enter carrying bundles and drop them on the ground.)

41Mary: Are you sure you dont want to go with us? Father and Mother both would like for you to. And I could use the help carrying these things for the next four days! Ethan: (teasing) You sure youve got enough bread to spare to feed one more mouth?Mary: Very funny. I would say youve come a long way since you met me . . . from bread thief to . . . Ethan: (interrupting) . . . to your best friend?

42Mary: (laughing) Well . . sure! (She playfully hits Ethan on the back of the head.) Come with us.Ethan: I would . . .but Im just getting to know my father again. I dont want to leave him now. Ive been telling him all about the King.Mary: Does he believe what you are telling him?Ethan: Hes listening. And thats a good start.

43(Father, Mother and Ruth enter from downstage right and cross to Ethan and Mary. They are all carrying either a basket or a bundle.)Father: Its time we left, Mary. Have you talked Ethan into coming with us?Mary: Afraid not. He says he needs to stay here for now.Mother: (hugging Ethan) Ethan, you be careful. And take care of yourself. (wiping her eyes) I think Im going to cry.Ruth: Me, too. (messing up Ethans hair) Try to stay out of trouble, little brother!

44Father: (holds out his hand to shake Ethans) If you need us or if you just change your mind, you always have a home with us.Ethan: Can I ask you one question before you go?Father: Of course. What is it?Ethan: They say the Master will come again . . . just the way He left. Thats right, isnt it? And when He comes, He will take us all to live with Him forever, yes?Mother: Thats right.Father: Yes . . .

45(Music STARTS for The King is Coming)

Ethan: So even though we have to say goodbye for now, one way or another, we will see each other again. Im just not going to be sad. Im going to look forward to that day . . . the day when the King comes again.

SONG: The King is Coming with Amazing Grace

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