At last I'm delighted I've been able to trace two lost files...this one is the script of 'The Easter Story' (see also 'The Christmas Story').

Unlike the 'Christmas Story' which was written with life size puppets in mind, the Easter Story musical was sung and performed by about sixteen young people aged 12-13 years of age.

They sang two or three songs each morning in assembly time, spreading the telling of the story of Easter over the whole week.

So here are days 1-5 for you to use, alongside the lyrics and music scores also available on this website.

Day 1

Narrator :- A very large crowd were waiting for Jesus to enter into Jerusalem. They saw him coming from afar, and they cheered as he entered the city. (Matt 21v8)

{Cloggies (soldiers) march in , as the people chant:-

Chant: Yr5- JE-SUS *** JE-SUS***JE-SUS***

Yr6- SING HOSANNA**SING HOSANNA**

Yr7- BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD ***

Yr8-HIP-HIP-HOORAY X3

( Cloggies line up at ‘near’ side walls facing each other.)

Song:-See the Saviour of the World .

v1 In comes Jesus, disciples lay palms down before him; he stops to talk to some children and he places his hands on their heads.

v2 While he is doing this the Scribes and Pharisees, murmur their disapproval, and begin to jealously plot against him.

v3 Death comes in and dances around Jesus, as he looks at the Scribes and Pharisees, and they stare back at him.

(Death goes out.)

Narrator:-Then he entered into the Temple and began to drive out those who were selling and buying there......(Mark 11v15)

Song Get out of my Father’s House

v1 Jesus marches over to money changers and scatters their money into the air. The leaders are horrified.

v2 Jesus throws the money changers out

v3 One or two people fall at his feet, asking to be healed, one is blind the other lame. Jesus heals them.

v4 The Pharisees step forward menacingly, and the disciples hold Jesus back.

v5 Jesus points out the audience, to show them that the people are praising him, and then he walks back up to the far hall doors and out followed by his disciples.

Narrator:- The chief priests, the scribes and the leaders of the people began to look for a way to get rid of him. But there was little they could do at that stage, because the people were all spellbound by what they heard. (Luke 19v47)

(They walk out of near doors)

THE EASTER STORY

Day 2

Narrator:- The hour came for the Passover meal to be eaten, and Jesus took his place at table, and the apostles with him.(Luke 22v14)

(Jug of water and two dishes at hand on bench. Jesus and his disciples enter, and sit at the table, and share some of the grapes and laugh together.

Song:- The Footwashing Song

(Jesus washes his disciples feet. Peter declines (v2) then finally accepts in v3)

(Jesus washes his hands after washing their feet, and sits down again, and becomes upset.

He takes some bread, dips it in a spare dish and offers it to Judas, as directed by the Narrator)

Narrator:- During the feast Jesus was troubled and said to his disciples, “ One of you will betray me!” A disciple who was reclining beside Jesus asked him who would betray him, and Jesus replied, “The one to whom I give this bread, when I have dipped it” and he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. And Satan entered into him.

(The music begins to play softly, the devil enters and climbs upon Judas’ back, Judas gets up and leaves the room. Jesus sees this happen, and looks on sadly as Judas goes out)

Song:- Take eat, this is my body

(During this song, everyone becomes serious as Jesus breaks the bread and shares it with them, then he takes a cup of wine and offers this too.)

Song:- Bread of Heaven

Narrator: And Peter said, “ Lord let me follow you wherever you are going. I will lay down my life for you!”

And Jesus replied to him, “Peter, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied that you know me three times.”(John 13v37-38)

When they had sung a hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives.(Matthew 26v 30)

(Music continues playing as they go out, Peter tries to convince Jesus that he will not let him down, the others all agree with Peter, that they will stick by him too))

THE EASTER STORY

Day 3

Narrator:_ They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray!” And taking with him Peter, James and John, he began to be distressed and agitated. And going a little further away, he threw himself on the ground and prayed.

Song:- Not my will but yours (Jesus, choir sing chorus)

(the disciples gradually fall asleep, Death enters once more and drapes a black cloth over him.)

Music as cloggies march in, led by Judas. Hall curtains gradually closed, light shut out.

Song: Now the darkness gathers:(choir+Jesus)

v1 Jesus stands up

v2 Judas whispers to the soldiers, that the one he embraces is the person they must arrest.

v3 Judas comes forward to Jesus, and embraces him. Jesus looks sadly at him, and Judas’ smile disappears.

v4 the disciples wake up confused. They go for Judas, Jesus holds them back, but they run away, out of the hall. Jesus is marched away out of near doors, by cloggies, then Judas wanders out looking confused .

(Peter comes running back in from top doors, and is recognised by three people, in each verse of the following song:-)

Song:- I think I’ve seen you before.( fingersnapping +solos)

Narrator:- At that moment while he was still speaking, the cock crowed.(Luke 22v60b)

{Cockerel crows three times( tape)}

THE EASTER STORY

DAY 4

Narrator: And Jesus was brought before the governor, who questioned him.(Matthew 27v11)

Song:- Barabbas the brigand (choir)

(Barabbas goes off jubilantly, raising his hands to the people)

Narrator:- So Pilate wishing to satisfy the crowd released Barabbas for them, and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.(Mark 15v15)

And Pilate washed his hands of the matter.

(A servant carries a bowl of water in and while Pilate slowly washes his hands, Jesus is flogged (39 lashes)and is then dressed in a robe. A crown of thorns is put on his head. Music of next song begins playing slowly and quietly)

Song::- The Crucifixion Song.(choir +Jesus)

v1 Jesus has nails hammered ino his hands

v2 Soldiers gamble and offer Jesus sour wine on a spear

v3 The people mock, enter Judas who falls to his knees, and leaves with rope in hand, in tears.

Narrator:- And when all the crowd who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home beating their breasts.

But all his friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.(Luke 23v48-49)

Song: Father into your hands I commend my spirit.(SH, choir+Jesus)

(Wind noise on tape as Jesus body is removed from the cross, they wrap him in a cloth . The same music then plays gently, as Mary, the mother of Jesus weeps over him, and holds him in her arms)

She is led away, and everyone leaves the hall without speaking.

THE EASTER STORY

DAY 5

Narrator:- But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women came to the tomb, where Jesus had been laid, and they took with them spices they had prepared. And they found the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body. ( Luke 24 v 1-3)

While they were there two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified.(Luke 24v4)

(Mary runs to tell the disciples to come .(John 20 v 2,) while other women dance with angels)

Song:-Risen! Risen!

(Peter and John enter, along with Mary and look into the tomb, All except Mary go out of the hall looking anxious and puzzled, she remains behind, weeping.)

Narrator:_The disciples did not understand the scriptures, and they returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb, and she saw two angels, in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying. They said to her, “Woman why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have laid him” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman why are you weeping?Whom are you looking for?”

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “ Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned to him and said in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!”

Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”

Mary went and announced her news to the disciples.

(Mary runs off shouting repeatedly along the corridor, “I have seen the Lord!”........ “He alive!”)

Narrator:- Jesus appeared later to the twelve, then to over 500 people!

These are the words he spoke to Simon Peter, when he saw him.

They still echo down the centuries and speak to us today:_

(All gather and sit round the piano to listen to the final song.)

Song:- Simon , son of John do you love me?

The End

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I would like to thank Dave McRae for his support, on keyboard and for singing the ‘Jesus’ vocals.

Les Watts for mixing and producing our sound tape, and of course for additional keyboards.

Mike Cole who printed out my music for me.

Renn Hunter of Axis Audio.

My thanks also to the Central Middle School Community Association for helping to fund this project.

And especially, my thanks to the junior choir of Central Middle School, Wallsend, who sang so beautifully, and Year 8 (1998-99) who performed the five assembly mimes with such enthusiasm, and with such feeling.

I must make special mention of Christopher McCabe, who threw himself wholeheartedly into the part of Jesus. This is what he had to say after it was all over:-

“When I died on the cross, I got a funny feeling in my belly. It felt like tingling. It was just like I was actually Jesus, and I was there in Jerusalem!” (Chris McCabe, aged 13)

I hope that your children, your youth clubs and/or churches enjoy performing it too, and that God will bless you as you re-enact the greatest story ever !