Three Men and the Stuff They Died For
Props: Juggling equipment, 2 hats, 2 thief masks (1 Zorro type mask and one nylon hose), 1 small net and whatever props you can find and juggle that fit into the skit.
Characters: 2 jugglers (J1 & J2) and a narrator (N—can be J2)
N: Once there was a man.
J1: I’m a man. (wearing hat #1)
N: And he had. . .STUFF!
J1: (juggles) Stuff? That’s right, I’ve got really nice stuff.
N: There was also a thief. (J2 piers around from behind J1)
J1: A thief? O, NO! (J2 takes 1 ball and throws it back in the pattern from one side and quickly moves to the other side while J1 looks the wrong direction) What was that? (J1 and J2 do interactive ball tricks for a little bit.)
N: And the thief stole the man’s stuff.
J1: (As J2 walks off juggling what J1 had) Hey that’s my stuff—bring it back.
N: (Places the net over J2’s head) And the thief was caught.
J1: Yes! Justice at last!
N: He was tried.
J1: I hope he gets punished.
N: The sentence was, the DEATH PENALTY!
J1: Ooo! (Juggling something dangerous.)
N: And there was another man.
J1: (Quickly changes hats) I’m another man.
N: Who had stuff.
J1: My stuff is better than that other guy’s stuff (juggling clubs now.) My hat is nicer too.
N: And there was another thief.
J1: Not another one?
N: Yes another one.
J1: (J1 and J2 do interactive club work, until eventually the thief steals all the clubs and the hat.)
N: And the thief stole the man’s stuff.
J1: Hey that’s my stuff! And my hat! Bring it back!
N: Again, the thief was caught (net)
J1: Yes! Justice at last!
N: He was tried.
J1: I hope he gets punished.
N: The sentence was, the DEATH PENALTY!
J1: Ooo! (Juggling something dangerous.)
N: And there was another man.
J1: Hey don’t I get another hat and some more stuff if we’re going to do this again?
N: Not really—he didn’t have much stuff. Only a few disciples—his followers—and friends.
J1: Oh.
N: He took a boys lunch.
J1: He’s going to get in trouble now! (Juggling a lunch)
N: He took some dirt.
J1: (throws dirt/baby powder to make a dust cloud and coughs.)
N: And spit in it and put it on a blind man’s face.
J1: That wasn’t nice.
N: The blind man had called out for help. After he put the mud on his face, the blind man could see. And the boy offered him his lunch. With it, the man fed over 5,000 hungry people.
J1: That’s amazing! Where did this man live?
N: He had no place to lay his head.
J1: Hey, I need a place to lay my head (juggle a pillow.)
N: He healed the sick, the deaf heard, the mute spoke and He claimed to be the Son of God. So he was caught. (net) (Oh No!) Tried. (I hope they don’t punish him!) The sentence. . . the DEATH PENALTY.
J1: (Hold up a cross.)
N: All three of these men were taken out and nailed up on crosses to die. 1 innocent, 2 guilty. Only one person is recorded as standing up for Jesus right before he died.
J1: Was it his disciples?
N: Not really—they fled, went away and even denied him.
J1: Was it his mother.
N: No, she was too overwhelmed with grief and tears.
J1: Was it the soldiers?
N: No, they mocked him, spit on him and gambled for his clothes. It was the thief.
J1: The thief?
N: Yes. O sure, that morning, Peter had tried to use his sword to defend Jesus—but then denied him 3 times. Pilot’s wife felt uneasy about everything and warned Pilot. And yes, one soldier recognized who Jesus was after they killed him. But it was one thief who rebuked the other for mocking Jesus. He said, "Do you not fear God? We deserve to be here for what we have done. But this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
J1: What did Jesus say?
N: "Today you will be with me in paradise."
J1: Then what?
N: Jesus died. . .and three days later he rose from the grave to live forever because he is God's Son!! You and I have stuff that we shouldn't have in our lives. . .this stuff sentences us to the DEATH PENALTY. We should hang to die for our sins. But Jesus, chose to die in our place for that stuff—so as to bring us too—into paradise. He said in John 14:3, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you also may be where I am." He came back from the grave and he's coming again! Will you mock—or humbly recognize that you too are sentenced to die? And your only hope is to place your faith in Him who died and rose again for you and me.