Behold Our Lamb
Two earthshaking events, one from the New Testament and one from the Old, intertwine in this play to remind us that when Christ came as our sacrificial offering for our sins, it was a purposeful fulfillment of prophecy by God. Jesus’ life, death and resurrection echoes the story of Exodus from Egypt. The Passover and Exodus are experienced in a Hebrew home through the eyes of a typical family of four, mother, father, and two teen children. The events leading up to the Crucifixion are talked over at a Jewish home through four very different women, Mary Magdalene, Susanna, Joanna, and Salome, all women based upon Luke 8:1-3. A voiceover of appropriate Biblical verses opens most scenes to further help the audience understand that these stories are deeply connected. The two stories come alive through their characters’ human doubts, fears, and ultimate reassurance of God’s grace. The connections are similar on purpose as God demonstrated what He will do and has done with His son Jesus for all mankind. About 55 mins.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
With Nate Bressler
What inspired you to write this play?
When I recognized the parallels of Jesus' actions and words with the stories of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt, I realized this was an understanding that is missed on we American Christians. Probably due to the fact that most of us did not grow up in a Jewish household, we forget and don't see the significance of Jesus as the Passover Lamb. As a pastor, I wanted to bring that understanding to light, and as a creative, I wanted to bring that understanding to light in a fresh way.
What's your favorite part or line in the play? Why?
I feel like the scene where the plague of darkness with Egypt and the women around the lamp at the table came together the smoothest, and it's a pivotal connection in the play. When the women put the pieces together of what Jesus meant when He said that "You are the light of the world" still gives me shivers. The analogy of the lamp and the oil and the light came to me as I studied Scripture for the scene and I am still excited and humbled that the Holy Spirit helped work such a beautiful picture there.
Tell us a little about the characters.
The Old Testament family was written as a comfortable and recognisable microcosm of the traditional American family. Dad who works hard and tries to lead the family the best he knows how, mom who acts as the nurturing backbone of everything within the household, children who are doing their best just to figure all this out. The New Testament characters were taken directly from a short list of women in Luke 8. Due to the fact we don't know much about them other than snippets in the Bible, I extrapolated a bit on their story and personalities. Most of all, due to the mirrored narrative of the play, each group personified the struggle we all face with understanding our heavenly Father, and what to do with the path to salvation granted us by the Sons actions.
What did you try to achieve with this play?
The main objective of the play was to display the Easter story in a way that honored Jesus as the Passover Lamb to an audience that may not have considered or appreciated the Old and New Testament connections before.