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002. John Baptizes Jesus, and the Three that Are One Take Part

John Baptizes Jesus, and the Three that Are One Take Part

About 5 minutes, from Matthew 3

Participants (No need to memorize lines; the aim is to relive sacred events, not to perform)

John the Baptist
Voice
(of Jesus)
Pharisee
Prompter
                    Shout a brief line, and Echoes repeat it.
Echoes
                       Children and all adults who want to take part. Echoes need no script.

John the Baptist

I am John the Baptizer.
The prophet Isaiah foretold what I’d do out here by the Jordan River:
I am “A voice crying in the desert.”

Prompter & Echoes

Prepare the way of the Lord!

Pharisee

Look at all those people hiking out to the Jordan River!
We Pharisees had better find out what’s going on.
That fanatic, John, is baptizing them.

John the Baptist

Oh, look! Many are coming to me from Jerusalem and Judea.
They confess their sins and I baptize them.
Oh, oh! Here come those religious Pharisees and Sadducees.
We may see a bit of hostility!

Pharisee

We Pharisees came for you to baptize us, John,
because we live holy lives.

John the Baptist

Listen, you must repent first. Turn from your sins,
because the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Pharisee

Who are you to tell us Pharisees to repent?
What kind of a prophet are you? Look at you!
Wearing camel’s skins, and living like a wild man,
eating grasshoppers and wild honey!

John the Baptist

You vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
If you want me to baptize you,
then bear fruit that shows your repentance.

Pharisee

We have no need to repent, John. Abraham is our father!

Prompter & Echoes

Blessed Father Abraham!

John the Baptist

God can raise up children of Abraham from these stones!
The axe is applied to the trees;
those that bear no fruit are cut down and thrown into the fire.

Pharisee

Are you threatening us? Just what do you mean?

John the Baptist

I baptize with water to show repentance,
but he who comes after me is greater than I.
I am not fit to untie his sandals;
He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire!

Prompter & Echoes

What kind of fire?

John the Baptist

The Messiah is holding his winnowing fan;
he’ll blow the worthless chaff from the wheat on his threshing floor;
and gather his wheat into the barn,
but he will burn up the chaff with fire that you cannot put out.

Pharisee

Just who is that Messiah that will do all this?
You, John?

John the Baptist

No. Turn around and see who is coming. Look!
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Prompter & Echoes

Lamb of God!

Pharisee

What is all this about?
Why do you call that man the Lamb of God?

John the Baptist

Listen to him.

Voice

I have come to you, John, for you to baptize me.

John the Baptist

Lord! This is backwards!
My baptism is for bad people who confess their wrongs and repent.
You are righteous. I need to be baptized by you!
Why do you come to me?

Voice

Permit it for now; it is fitting for us, in order to fulfill all that is right.

John the Baptist

I do as Jesus said. I baptize him.
When he comes up out of the water, the heavens open!
(
Look up)
Oh! The Spirit of God is descending on him like a dove!
I hear a voice from heaven. Listen! It announces,
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Prompter & Echoes

Beloved son of God!

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