Jesus Preaches In Nazareth
Children's Resources
Spotlight On Jesus
Readers' Theater For Children's Church
Characters
Narrator
Man 2
Man 1
Woman
Jesus
Questions
1.
What was the name of Jesus' hometown, the place where he grew up?
2.
Why did so many people show up at the synagogue that sabbath?
3.
What Old Testament book did Jesus read from?
4.
Why did the people get angry with Jesus?
5.
What did they try to do to him?
Narrator: Jesus had been traveling around Galilee for some time, preaching in the synagogues, teaching large crowds in the open country, and healing those who came to him with various diseases. His fame began spreading. Finally he decided to return to Nazareth, the town where he grew up.
Man 2: Look at the crowd that turned out for worship today. I haven't see this many since the Day of Atonement last fall.
Man 1: Neighbors have been really excited ever since they heard Jesus had come back to town.
Woman: I'm dying to hear Jesus speak. Rumor has it that he's preached to groups in the thousands. He must be pretty good to attract that many.
Man 1: I've heard that he's supposed to have healed people -- people with leprosy, those possessed of demons, even people who were blind and deaf.
Man 2: Well, I'll have to see that to believe it. After all, he's only a carpenter turned preacher. He's never been trained like the rabbi.
Woman: Still, his mother must be awfully proud to have such a famous son. I can't think of anybody else from this little burg who's amounted to much.
Narrator: The synagogue service began. There were the traditional prayers, the singing of a psalm or two, a reading from the law, and the reciting of the "Hear, O Israel." Finally it was time to introduce Jesus.
Man 1: It's my pleasure to introduce to you a local boy, ah excuse me, a young man who grew up in our own city. We all knew his late father. His mother, brothers, and sisters are all here to hear him speak. Actually that's why we're all here. It's my pleasure to introduce to you, Jesus, son of Joseph and Mary.
Jesus: Thank you. I'm reading from the prophecy of Isaiah. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for God has chosen me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind, to announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people." This passage of scripture has come true as you heard it being read today.
Man 2: He sure is a fancy preacher, but what's he saying? I've always thought that passage referred to the Messiah. Is he claiming to be the Messiah?
Woman: If he is, he's in real trouble. We know him too well to believe that.
Man 1: Excuse me for interrupting, Jesus, but are you claiming that the prophet Isaiah, writing 600 years ago, was speaking of you when he wrote those words?
Jesus: God has called me to proclaim his saving love to all people, to our own Jewish people, but also to all peoples and nations.
Man 1: Now wait a minute. Certainly God cares for his own people, but how can you claim that same love and concern for those idol-worshiping, pork-eating, immoral, corrupt pagans, especially those Romans who invaded our land and stole our freedom. How can you say such things?
Woman: It's unpatriotic, claiming God loves those Gentiles like he cares for us. What about God's promise to Abraham that we are his chosen people?
Man 2: You're preaching heresy! It's also an insult to every pious Jew sitting here. We are the people God has chosen. We obey the law. We have the temple, the sacrifices that take away our sins. We have the scriptures, the rite of circumcision. Who are you to say that we're no better than those pagans?
Jesus: When there was a famine in Israel, there were many widows who were hungry. Yet Elijah was sent only to the Gentile widow at Zarephath. There were many people in Israel with the dreaded skin disease, leprosy. Yet, the only person Elisha healed was the Gentile soldier, Naaman. God loves all his creatures.
Woman: You don't know what you're talking about. We all saw you growing up here in Nazareth. Our kids played with you and with your brothers and sisters. Many times I chatted with your mother. She never claimed you were some great prophet, picked by God to save the whole world.
Man 1: We've heard about all these miraculous healings of yours. But we haven't seen any. Well, maybe there were one or two people you helped, but not that many.
Jesus: The power of God comes only to those who believe. I'm amazed at your little faith. Yet, I suppose a prophet is never honored in his own hometown.
Man 2: Well, you're sure not welcome in this town. So let's get rid of this fake. Let's haul him up the hill and toss him over the cliff. We'll see if God gives him wings to fly.
Narrator: The people dragged Jesus out of the synagogue and up the hill, intending to kill him. But such was the majesty and power of Jesus' personality that he simply walked through the crowd and out of town to safety. Jesus never returned to Nazareth but began living in Capernaum.
Read the questions again, and prompt answers from the children.
Narrator
Man 2
Man 1
Woman
Jesus
Questions
1.
What was the name of Jesus' hometown, the place where he grew up?
2.
Why did so many people show up at the synagogue that sabbath?
3.
What Old Testament book did Jesus read from?
4.
Why did the people get angry with Jesus?
5.
What did they try to do to him?
Narrator: Jesus had been traveling around Galilee for some time, preaching in the synagogues, teaching large crowds in the open country, and healing those who came to him with various diseases. His fame began spreading. Finally he decided to return to Nazareth, the town where he grew up.
Man 2: Look at the crowd that turned out for worship today. I haven't see this many since the Day of Atonement last fall.
Man 1: Neighbors have been really excited ever since they heard Jesus had come back to town.
Woman: I'm dying to hear Jesus speak. Rumor has it that he's preached to groups in the thousands. He must be pretty good to attract that many.
Man 1: I've heard that he's supposed to have healed people -- people with leprosy, those possessed of demons, even people who were blind and deaf.
Man 2: Well, I'll have to see that to believe it. After all, he's only a carpenter turned preacher. He's never been trained like the rabbi.
Woman: Still, his mother must be awfully proud to have such a famous son. I can't think of anybody else from this little burg who's amounted to much.
Narrator: The synagogue service began. There were the traditional prayers, the singing of a psalm or two, a reading from the law, and the reciting of the "Hear, O Israel." Finally it was time to introduce Jesus.
Man 1: It's my pleasure to introduce to you a local boy, ah excuse me, a young man who grew up in our own city. We all knew his late father. His mother, brothers, and sisters are all here to hear him speak. Actually that's why we're all here. It's my pleasure to introduce to you, Jesus, son of Joseph and Mary.
Jesus: Thank you. I'm reading from the prophecy of Isaiah. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for God has chosen me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim recovery of sight to the blind, to announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people." This passage of scripture has come true as you heard it being read today.
Man 2: He sure is a fancy preacher, but what's he saying? I've always thought that passage referred to the Messiah. Is he claiming to be the Messiah?
Woman: If he is, he's in real trouble. We know him too well to believe that.
Man 1: Excuse me for interrupting, Jesus, but are you claiming that the prophet Isaiah, writing 600 years ago, was speaking of you when he wrote those words?
Jesus: God has called me to proclaim his saving love to all people, to our own Jewish people, but also to all peoples and nations.
Man 1: Now wait a minute. Certainly God cares for his own people, but how can you claim that same love and concern for those idol-worshiping, pork-eating, immoral, corrupt pagans, especially those Romans who invaded our land and stole our freedom. How can you say such things?
Woman: It's unpatriotic, claiming God loves those Gentiles like he cares for us. What about God's promise to Abraham that we are his chosen people?
Man 2: You're preaching heresy! It's also an insult to every pious Jew sitting here. We are the people God has chosen. We obey the law. We have the temple, the sacrifices that take away our sins. We have the scriptures, the rite of circumcision. Who are you to say that we're no better than those pagans?
Jesus: When there was a famine in Israel, there were many widows who were hungry. Yet Elijah was sent only to the Gentile widow at Zarephath. There were many people in Israel with the dreaded skin disease, leprosy. Yet, the only person Elisha healed was the Gentile soldier, Naaman. God loves all his creatures.
Woman: You don't know what you're talking about. We all saw you growing up here in Nazareth. Our kids played with you and with your brothers and sisters. Many times I chatted with your mother. She never claimed you were some great prophet, picked by God to save the whole world.
Man 1: We've heard about all these miraculous healings of yours. But we haven't seen any. Well, maybe there were one or two people you helped, but not that many.
Jesus: The power of God comes only to those who believe. I'm amazed at your little faith. Yet, I suppose a prophet is never honored in his own hometown.
Man 2: Well, you're sure not welcome in this town. So let's get rid of this fake. Let's haul him up the hill and toss him over the cliff. We'll see if God gives him wings to fly.
Narrator: The people dragged Jesus out of the synagogue and up the hill, intending to kill him. But such was the majesty and power of Jesus' personality that he simply walked through the crowd and out of town to safety. Jesus never returned to Nazareth but began living in Capernaum.
Read the questions again, and prompt answers from the children.
