Peter
Drama
Who Is This Man -- This Jesus?
Fifteen Dramatic Lenten Monologues
Object:
(There is a table up front with a quill, inkstand, and parchment on it. Peter paces back and forth anxiously, lost in thought, but suddenly looks up a couple times toward the audience as if waiting for someone to arrive. Finally he sees the expected person arrive, imaginary or played by a nonspeaking actor, and motions eagerly for him to come in. Peter is dressed plainly in "prison garb.")
Oh, there you are! You are the scribe I asked for, aren't you? (pauses for "answer") Good! I've been waiting for you and was afraid you might be delayed! Please, take a seat and let's get started, because (thoughtfully) I don't have much time, and I want to get this letter written. (points) There is parchment ... there is ink ... when you are ready, I'll begin.
(Most of what follows is spoken as if dictating to the scribe, appearing in bold letters, with an occasional comment to the scribe personally.)
Simon Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's elect who are scattered throughout the churches of Asia Minor; praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
(to the scribe) Am I going too fast? No? That's good. (goes back to dictating the letter)
I have received your many recent epistles that contain such gracious prayers for my well-being, and such wonderful news about how your churches have grown since I last saw you. I am filled with joy to hear how the gospel is advancing, and thank you for making such efforts to write and send me your letters. They have brought me great encouragement and peace. I also read how some of you have come under persecution for your beliefs, that some were beaten by hostile crowds, some driven from your homes, and others arrested and thrown into prison.
(to the scribe) You look surprised, but I'm not the only one who has been arrested for faith in Jesus Christ. We have been arrested for many things. As a nonbeliever, you may have heard some of the charges made against us Christians: Have you heard that we disturb the peace? That we are atheists because we do not worship all the Roman gods? That we hurt the economy because we don't buy silver and gold idols? That we are cannibals because we gather to eat the body and drink the blood of our leader? (smiles) Oh, don't worry ... I'm not hungry right now! Besides, we eat bread and drink wine, which our Lord told us was his body and blood, given and shed for our forgiveness, so you can relax. Let me continue. (goes back to dictating the letter)
Believe me when I say that I understand your suffering, for I have received such treatment many times myself. But now some of you are asking about the cost you must pay to follow Jesus. You want to know where it will lead and if it is worth it. While I don't know what will happen to each and every one of you in the short term, I can assure you that what the Lord has in store for your eternal future is well worth anything that may happen to you now.
When our Lord, Jesus, calls us and says, "Come, follow me," we have only one true and proper response, and that is to drop everything and follow him, wherever he may lead. I have tried to do this in my own life, and I can tell you I do not regret where it has taken me. The first time I heard Jesus' call was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, when he came and told me to drop my fishing nets and follow him, for he would make me a fisher of men.
(to the scribe) Does that sound strange to you? You don't have to write all this down, but, yes, I was a fisherman ... and a good one at that! The fish of the Galilean Sea quivered whenever my boat drew close to them. Why, you could even hear their little scales rattling in fear! Many of their brothers and sisters had already met my net and gone on to grace the tables of Bethsaida, so they knew their time would be soon! But one night, my partners and I had spent the entire night fishing without a single catch. In the morning, we came back to shore and were cleaning our nets when we saw Jesus standing on the shore, teaching a crowd of people. When he saw us, he climbed in our boat and had us push out from shore so he had room to better speak to the crowd. Then, he told us to push out to even deeper water and to let out our nets one more time. His words made no sense to me, but I did as he said. We cast out our nets (excitedly) and were overwhelmed with all the fish we caught! So many fish, the nets were in danger of tearing! I called our partners to join us in their boat and soon both boats were almost sinking from the catch -- it was so big! And I thought I was a great fisherman! Jesus could work for me any time!
But that's not what Jesus wanted. He wanted my brother, Andrew, and me and our partners, James and John, to work for him, catching something worth far more than fish. He wanted us to catch people for God's kingdom. So we returned to shore, left our nets, and followed Jesus. We never looked back. It may be hard for you to believe or understand, since you don't know him, but Jesus is not just any teacher or religious leader. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
I remember the first time I realized that and said it out loud. The other disciples and I were with Jesus one day when he asked us who people said he was. We told him the various things we had heard: Some said he was John the Baptist, others that he was the prophet Elijah.
Then Jesus looked directly at us -- he had a way of doing that, of looking directly into your soul as if he could see every thought you ever had -- and asked us, "Who do you say that I am?" That was when I realized in my heart that I knew who he was, and the words blurted out of my mouth with no hesitation: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus accepted what I professed and said God had revealed it to me.
Because Jesus is the Son of God -- and God's chosen Savior of the world -- how could I not follow him? (pauses) Okay, now where was I in my letter? (pauses to hear the answer) Okay.
And so, I answered Jesus' call, and followed him wherever he went, throughout Galilee and Judea and even Samaria, as he taught the crowds about the kingdom of God, healed the sick, cast out demons, and performed many powerful miracles. He sometimes sent us disciples out on short trips to neighboring towns where we, too, healed many people.
(to the scribe) Oh, yes! Miracles! If I had remained a fisher of fish, I would have missed out on the many incredible miracles that Jesus performed. By following Christ I witnessed God's power at work in so many amazing ways. I saw Jesus calm storms, walk on water, heal the sick, and even raise the dead! And speaking of miracles, you should have been there when three of us disciples witnessed Jesus when he revealed his heavenly glory by shining like the sun! You don't believe me, do you? Well, pick up your quill and write this down, anyway.
I followed Jesus onto the mountain where he was transfigured, his face and clothing shining like the sun. I followed Jesus to Jerusalem where we had a last Passover supper together. I followed him to the garden of Gethsemane where they arrested him.
(to the scribe) Did I always follow him? No, I tried, and even followed him as he was taken to the high priest's house for trial that night, but to my shame I was so afraid, that when people asked me if I was one of his disciples, I denied I even knew him! Though I was guilty as sin, he forgave me and told me to care for his followers as a shepherd does for his sheep. His love for us is amazing! (quickly) Go on, don't stop writing; I have to finish this letter.
As you know, after Jesus was crucified, I at first thought my days of following him were over, that all our hopes and dreams had been destroyed with him. But then, three days later, came the wonderful news that Jesus' tomb was empty and that he had risen from the dead! We were all overjoyed, as we saw and touched him for ourselves, and learned from him that everything had happened to fulfill God's purpose. For Jesus Christ had to die as the final sacrifice for sin, so that we might be forgiven and have eternal life.
(to the scribe) You see, that's what our faith is all about -- that God sent his own Son into the world to take our sins with him onto the cross. Then he rose again, to show that God has accepted his sacrifice. By doing so, he showed that we, too, will be raised on the last day. Yes, he died for you, too ... for Romans as well as for Jews. You, too, can have the eternal life that he promised to us. Christ calls you to follow him. Recognize your sinfulness before God, repent and be baptized in Jesus' name. He will forgive you and receive you into his kingdom. I would tell you more now, but the guards are coming for me -- I can hear the sounds of their armor even now! When you deliver this letter, talk to the Christian brothers and sisters who receive it; they will welcome you with open arms and tell you more. But for now, write quickly; I must finish this letter!
Our Lord Jesus told us to take up our crosses and follow him; now I have the privilege of doing so in reality. But you need not grieve for me -- you should not. Because though I follow Jesus to the cross, and will no longer see you in this world, I know that I will also follow Jesus to the resurrection. And so will you, if you remain in him and follow him where he takes you. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
(A guard comes forward, unlocks the gate, and begins to escort him away.)
(to the scribe) And to you, my good scribe, deliver my letter, and thank you for helping me to speak once more of our precious Lord Jesus, who calls us and you, saying, "Come, follow me!" (guard escorts Peter away to his cross)
Oh, there you are! You are the scribe I asked for, aren't you? (pauses for "answer") Good! I've been waiting for you and was afraid you might be delayed! Please, take a seat and let's get started, because (thoughtfully) I don't have much time, and I want to get this letter written. (points) There is parchment ... there is ink ... when you are ready, I'll begin.
(Most of what follows is spoken as if dictating to the scribe, appearing in bold letters, with an occasional comment to the scribe personally.)
Simon Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God's elect who are scattered throughout the churches of Asia Minor; praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
(to the scribe) Am I going too fast? No? That's good. (goes back to dictating the letter)
I have received your many recent epistles that contain such gracious prayers for my well-being, and such wonderful news about how your churches have grown since I last saw you. I am filled with joy to hear how the gospel is advancing, and thank you for making such efforts to write and send me your letters. They have brought me great encouragement and peace. I also read how some of you have come under persecution for your beliefs, that some were beaten by hostile crowds, some driven from your homes, and others arrested and thrown into prison.
(to the scribe) You look surprised, but I'm not the only one who has been arrested for faith in Jesus Christ. We have been arrested for many things. As a nonbeliever, you may have heard some of the charges made against us Christians: Have you heard that we disturb the peace? That we are atheists because we do not worship all the Roman gods? That we hurt the economy because we don't buy silver and gold idols? That we are cannibals because we gather to eat the body and drink the blood of our leader? (smiles) Oh, don't worry ... I'm not hungry right now! Besides, we eat bread and drink wine, which our Lord told us was his body and blood, given and shed for our forgiveness, so you can relax. Let me continue. (goes back to dictating the letter)
Believe me when I say that I understand your suffering, for I have received such treatment many times myself. But now some of you are asking about the cost you must pay to follow Jesus. You want to know where it will lead and if it is worth it. While I don't know what will happen to each and every one of you in the short term, I can assure you that what the Lord has in store for your eternal future is well worth anything that may happen to you now.
When our Lord, Jesus, calls us and says, "Come, follow me," we have only one true and proper response, and that is to drop everything and follow him, wherever he may lead. I have tried to do this in my own life, and I can tell you I do not regret where it has taken me. The first time I heard Jesus' call was on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, when he came and told me to drop my fishing nets and follow him, for he would make me a fisher of men.
(to the scribe) Does that sound strange to you? You don't have to write all this down, but, yes, I was a fisherman ... and a good one at that! The fish of the Galilean Sea quivered whenever my boat drew close to them. Why, you could even hear their little scales rattling in fear! Many of their brothers and sisters had already met my net and gone on to grace the tables of Bethsaida, so they knew their time would be soon! But one night, my partners and I had spent the entire night fishing without a single catch. In the morning, we came back to shore and were cleaning our nets when we saw Jesus standing on the shore, teaching a crowd of people. When he saw us, he climbed in our boat and had us push out from shore so he had room to better speak to the crowd. Then, he told us to push out to even deeper water and to let out our nets one more time. His words made no sense to me, but I did as he said. We cast out our nets (excitedly) and were overwhelmed with all the fish we caught! So many fish, the nets were in danger of tearing! I called our partners to join us in their boat and soon both boats were almost sinking from the catch -- it was so big! And I thought I was a great fisherman! Jesus could work for me any time!
But that's not what Jesus wanted. He wanted my brother, Andrew, and me and our partners, James and John, to work for him, catching something worth far more than fish. He wanted us to catch people for God's kingdom. So we returned to shore, left our nets, and followed Jesus. We never looked back. It may be hard for you to believe or understand, since you don't know him, but Jesus is not just any teacher or religious leader. He is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
I remember the first time I realized that and said it out loud. The other disciples and I were with Jesus one day when he asked us who people said he was. We told him the various things we had heard: Some said he was John the Baptist, others that he was the prophet Elijah.
Then Jesus looked directly at us -- he had a way of doing that, of looking directly into your soul as if he could see every thought you ever had -- and asked us, "Who do you say that I am?" That was when I realized in my heart that I knew who he was, and the words blurted out of my mouth with no hesitation: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus accepted what I professed and said God had revealed it to me.
Because Jesus is the Son of God -- and God's chosen Savior of the world -- how could I not follow him? (pauses) Okay, now where was I in my letter? (pauses to hear the answer) Okay.
And so, I answered Jesus' call, and followed him wherever he went, throughout Galilee and Judea and even Samaria, as he taught the crowds about the kingdom of God, healed the sick, cast out demons, and performed many powerful miracles. He sometimes sent us disciples out on short trips to neighboring towns where we, too, healed many people.
(to the scribe) Oh, yes! Miracles! If I had remained a fisher of fish, I would have missed out on the many incredible miracles that Jesus performed. By following Christ I witnessed God's power at work in so many amazing ways. I saw Jesus calm storms, walk on water, heal the sick, and even raise the dead! And speaking of miracles, you should have been there when three of us disciples witnessed Jesus when he revealed his heavenly glory by shining like the sun! You don't believe me, do you? Well, pick up your quill and write this down, anyway.
I followed Jesus onto the mountain where he was transfigured, his face and clothing shining like the sun. I followed Jesus to Jerusalem where we had a last Passover supper together. I followed him to the garden of Gethsemane where they arrested him.
(to the scribe) Did I always follow him? No, I tried, and even followed him as he was taken to the high priest's house for trial that night, but to my shame I was so afraid, that when people asked me if I was one of his disciples, I denied I even knew him! Though I was guilty as sin, he forgave me and told me to care for his followers as a shepherd does for his sheep. His love for us is amazing! (quickly) Go on, don't stop writing; I have to finish this letter.
As you know, after Jesus was crucified, I at first thought my days of following him were over, that all our hopes and dreams had been destroyed with him. But then, three days later, came the wonderful news that Jesus' tomb was empty and that he had risen from the dead! We were all overjoyed, as we saw and touched him for ourselves, and learned from him that everything had happened to fulfill God's purpose. For Jesus Christ had to die as the final sacrifice for sin, so that we might be forgiven and have eternal life.
(to the scribe) You see, that's what our faith is all about -- that God sent his own Son into the world to take our sins with him onto the cross. Then he rose again, to show that God has accepted his sacrifice. By doing so, he showed that we, too, will be raised on the last day. Yes, he died for you, too ... for Romans as well as for Jews. You, too, can have the eternal life that he promised to us. Christ calls you to follow him. Recognize your sinfulness before God, repent and be baptized in Jesus' name. He will forgive you and receive you into his kingdom. I would tell you more now, but the guards are coming for me -- I can hear the sounds of their armor even now! When you deliver this letter, talk to the Christian brothers and sisters who receive it; they will welcome you with open arms and tell you more. But for now, write quickly; I must finish this letter!
Our Lord Jesus told us to take up our crosses and follow him; now I have the privilege of doing so in reality. But you need not grieve for me -- you should not. Because though I follow Jesus to the cross, and will no longer see you in this world, I know that I will also follow Jesus to the resurrection. And so will you, if you remain in him and follow him where he takes you. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
(A guard comes forward, unlocks the gate, and begins to escort him away.)
(to the scribe) And to you, my good scribe, deliver my letter, and thank you for helping me to speak once more of our precious Lord Jesus, who calls us and you, saying, "Come, follow me!" (guard escorts Peter away to his cross)
