Description

A Maundy Thursday production based on the happenings in the Upper Room.

Jesus eats with the disciples and washes their feet. This script has more monologue for Jesus than “Upper Room1” script, and goes more deeply into the food used at the table, and the relevance of the celebration.

Cast:    14 (inc. narrator)

• Narrator (m or f)
• Jesus (male)
• 12 disciples (male)

Bible Reference:    Matthew 26: 17-35

Set:

• Upper Room, the area which was used to celebrate the Passover.
• It is a long, rectangular room, built upon the roof of the house, therefore the back set could have windows painted showing hillside scenes.
• An earthenware jar is in the upstage left corner of the room, from here Jesus will get the water to wash the feet of the disciples.
• At upstage center is a low table, at which all would recline on carpets or cushions, (or alternately a standard table and chairs can be used).

Lighting:        standard

  Sound:     wireless mics if available

Song:     none

SFX:       none

Costumes:       traditional

Props:

•  Dinner elements: Grape juice, bowls of salt water, parsley or celery, three matzos (wrapped in large napkin), bitter herbs (horseradish), haroses (mixture of apples, cinnamon, and nuts).
• Wash basin, earthenware jar, table, (with or without chairs), towel

Special Instructions:   none

  Time:     25

Sample of script:

In the dark narrator speaks

Narrator: On the first day of the Passover ceremonies, when bread made with yeast was purged from every Jewish home, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where shall we plan to eat the Passover?”And Jesus replied, “Go into the city and there you shall find . . . .

lights up, Jesus comes from back doors of church, proceeding to the stage where the others, except Judas, are sitting.

Jesus: Father, the time has come. I ask that you reveal the glory of your Son so that I can reflect the glory back to you. You have given me authority over every man and woman in all the earth. And I now give eternal life to each one you have given me. And this is the way to have eternal life, by knowing you, the only true God, and I, Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth! I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to.
And now, Father, reveal my glory as I stand in your presence, the glory we shared before the world began.I have told these men all about you. They were in the world, but then you gave them to me. Actually, they were always yours, and you gave them to me and they have obeyed you.
Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the commands you gave me; and they accepted them and know of a certainty that I came down to earth from you and they believe you sent me.My plea is not for the world but for those you have given me because they belong to you. And all of them, since they are mine, belong to you; and you have given them back to me with everything else of yours, and so they are my glory! Now I am leaving the world, and leaving them behind, and coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your own care—all those you have given me—so that they will be united just as we are, with none missing. During my time here I have kept safe within your family all of these you gave me. I guarded them so that not one perished, except the son of hell, as the Scriptures foretold.
And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so that they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your commands. And the world hates them because they don’t fit in with it, just as I don’t. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from Satan’s power. They are not part of this world any more than I am. Make them pure and holy through teaching them your words of truth. As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world, and I consecrate myself to meet their need for growth in truth and holiness.
I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these. My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave me-the glorious unity of being one, as we are- I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one-so that the world will know you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want them with me-these you’ve given me—so that they can see my glory. You gave me the glory because you loved me before the world began!
O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. And I have revealed you to them, and will keep on revealing you so that the mighty love you have for me may be in them, and I in them.
Father, my heart is sorrowed and full of loneliness, that I must leave these behind for a little while. Strengthen them, dear Father, for the strenuous task which lies ahead for them as together they build my Church. Keep them strong and pure and true to service in my name.Strengthen me too, my Father, for the task at hand is one I would avoid could this be. Yet not my will, but Yours Father.
I go now that I may say goodbye to those I love.

Jesus onstage, behind disciples at the table. As he comes behind each disciple he pauses a moment, his hands on their shoulders

Narrator: Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end, each one special in his eyes.

Jesus moves to center position, standing behind the table

Jesus: Baw-ruch a-taw a-do-nai elo-hay-nu me-lech haw-o-lawm a-sher baw-char baw-nu mee-kawl awm v’ro-m’maw-nu mee-kawl law-shon v’ki-d’shaw-nu b’mitz-vo-sawv.
Blessed art Thou, O Eternal Lord, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.