Description

A Good Friday drama, which may be performed as a stand-alone drama, or may be performed on Good Friday in concert with "The Dawn of Belief", an Easter Sunday drama which would be performed on Easter Sunday, (or post resurrection), using the same actors and sets.

Cast
Mary, sister of Lazurus (Luke 7:46, John 11:2) – could be late teen or older
Martha, sister of Lazurus (John 11:2) – could be late teen or older
Thomas, the disciple – could be mid 20's or older
Cornelius, the Roman Centurion – any age, late teen to middle age appropriate

Costumes
Mary, Martha and Thomas would be in appropriate Bible period clothing.
Cornelius would be dressed in Roman soldier attire.

SetAll that is required is a background indicating a sepulchre.

Props
Women will carry white cloths and spice containers. Cornelius will have sword.

Lighting
A spot to follow the ladies up the aisle from the back of the sanctuary and a fixed spot on the men is all that is required.

Sample of script

As the drama begins the two women are outside the rear, (or side), doors of the sanctuary and the men are at the front on stage. Men's attention is on each other as though in conversation, however they are frozen as lights come up 50% on them. As soon as lights come up on men, the voice of Martha can be heard.

Mary: Martha, it has been a long weary day, it would be good to rest!
Two ladies come in to sanctuary from rear, (or side), doors and light comes up on them.
Martha: Good? Mary, what good could come in this day!
Mary: My Lord always was able to take the most bleak situation, and turn it to His glory. He turned plain water into the finest wine. And, He turned me, Mary, the woman who had lived such a sinful life, into someone worthy of following Him. I remember when I first met Him when He was eating at the Pharisee's house. I brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as I stood behind him at his feet weeping, I began to wet His feet with my tears. Then I wiped them with my hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Such glory to worship the living Messiah!
Martha: Mary! Living? He is dead! Jesus was able to bring our brother Lazurus back from the tomb. Now this same Jesus lies in His own tomb yonder! Jesus, the one we believed to be the Messiah, has proven to be just another false hope! I was foolish enough to believe that He was the Son of God!
Mary: Martha, He is the Son of God! Listen to your own words! He brought life back to our brother, Lazurus! No common, ordinary man could raise a man from the dead!
Martha: No, not a common man, there is no doubt He worked miracles! But neither could He be the Son of God, for if he were, surely no forces of man could bring about His death. And He is dead, that's what He is! (louder) Dead! He lies stone cold in that tomb yonder, guarded by a fiendish Roman soldier!
Mary: But at the tomb is Thomas, he called Didymus, one of us.
Martha: Didymus indeed! Doubting Thomas is he!
Mary: Dear sister, Martha, Thomas is a good man! Remember what Thomas the twin said to the others when the Master announced that He would return to Jerusalem to raise to life our brother, Lazurus? Thomas said, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him!"
Martha: Fiery rhetoric indeed, Mary! And where was Thomas or Didymus and all the rest when Jesus needed them most? Scattered like thistle before the whirlwind, that's what! Talk! All talk! It's easy to talk when you're not at risk! (pause) Why did Jesus return to Jerusalem? He knew full well the consequences! Why, Mary? Did He come only to raise our brother Lazurus from his tomb?
Mary: No, dear sister, I think not. Remember, He told His disciples, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified". No, the Master knew full well what lie ahead in Jerusalem.
Martha: Why, did He have to die, why, why?
Mary: Martha, Martha, you forget the most important part of His message! Remember? He said, "On the third day he will be raised to life!" Just as Jesus raised our brother Lazurus, he who had been in his tomb four days, so shall Jesus rise from the tomb!
Martha: Raised? To life? Mary! Who is to raise Him to life? He who raised Lazurus and others to life is now Himself dead! See there, His tomb! That is reality! The talk of life loses it's bloom at a time of death! (shakes her head) But, no matter, let us go, it is Preparation Day, and the Sabbath is about to begin! Come with me then, we must prepare the spices and ointments; and then rest the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Mary: I will gladly come with you, Martha, but I'll not give up my belief, He shall rise, just as He promised!
Men watch as women exit upstage or side stage past the men.
Cornelius: Friends of His, I presume?
Thomas: Yes! Poor women! Sisters. Their brother Lazurus who had died, was brought back to life by Jesus. Like the rest of us, Mary and Martha believed that Jesus was the One! Believed Him to be the Son of God, the Messiah! (pauses, looks towards tomb, shakes his head) They were right you know. The skeptics. We should never have believed that the Messiah should come as a baby child!

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