By Doug Boatright
A monologue based on the experience of Lazarus being raised from the dead, and his relationship with Jesus. The main point of this monologue is the personal relationship that Lazarus has with Jesus, his salvation and eternal life.
Lazarus, dressed in period costume
Lazarus: Mary was so excited when she told me the news….Jesus has risen, …the prophets spoke of this man, who would overcome the grave.
But still I had to make the journey and see for myself. I heard people on the streets…asking who is this Jesus that left his tomb…..pause… was he a magician…….. a sorcerer perhaps his followers…or maybe even robbers rolled away this heavy stone and took his body….scoffing laugh…pause……..
But I know this is not true, you see my name is Lazarus and Jesus was my friend, I often opened up my home for Jesus and his followers to eat and rest as they traveled through Bethany.
Before I met Jesus I had read Isaiah’s prophecies that foretold of this messiah, this wonderful counselor, one who would come down to earth in the form of man and perform miracles in the name of god ……. when I first heard about Jesus and his many miracles….I thought could this be him…pause… could this man be the one Isaiah spoke of ..you see I am not surprised that Jesus is not in his tomb… Let me tell you why.
Many days ago I was sick and growing weaker…. pause…. when Mary and Martha told me they were sending for Jesus, I knew that I was dying….I listened as they wept and prayed with our friends…they were just waiting for Jesus to arrive…pause....Martha told me later that he never made it before I died…pause…. The next thing that I remember was hearing this voice…….it was so powerful… it was like thunder……it commanded me to get up…Lazarus come out it said…pause…I was awake but could not see…I was in total darkness…I could not move…. I realized that I was wrapped in burial cloth…..but I got up….and I slowly walked out of the darkness and into the light….I heard someone tell them to unwrap this man and set him free…pause.. and there stood Jesus……his eyes still wet with tears…pause.. He had been weeping…. Jesus was actually weeping for me…..pause….
I saw Mary and Martha and all my friends……It was a miracle….My friend Jesus had saved me from death pause… from the darkness…pause for reflection…...
I keep thinking back on that day…….as I lay in the total blackness of that tomb…I was in darkness….Jesus said that he came into this world as a light, so that no one who believes in him should stay in the darkness….. ……., some people are alive ….. yet they live in darkness…..pause…they are without the knowledge of my savior…this Jesus……
Who is this Jesus you ask???…..this man who was betrayed…pause....the king of the Jews… pause…who’s trial was a mockery…pause…who was forced to wear a crown of thorns pause…who was beaten and spit on…pause…. whose hands and feet were nailed to a cross….pause…. who hung between two criminals…pause….whose side was pierced…..and you ask me who was Jesus…..pause..change mood…...
Martha said Jesus told her when he arrived that he already knew I was dead…he told her something that I did not understand at first…… he said that he was the resurrection and the life…and that whoever believes in him will live even though he dies, but whoever believes in him will never die…..you see Jesus was my friend…..my teacher ..my counselor …Jesus loved me for who I was…Lazarus the Sinner….not Lazarus the wealthy land owner or Lazarus the businessman….just for me……for me…but that day on the cross he proved his Love forever….He died for me…for me….for my sin….not his own sin ….he laid down his life so I could live forever…..he suffered the cross for me …. God’s own son…his only son….died on the cross to save me…pause and then on the third day God sent an Angel down and he rolled the stone away …..and Jesus rose again…..just like he said he would do….. just like the prophets wrote about….even before Jesus was born…pause....
Surprised??…pause….no……Jesus already proved to me that through the power of God he could overcome death……I stand before you today, because Jesus had compassion on my family and raised me from the dead, but more importantly than that, because of my relationship with him,… this body…this body will die again, but I will have eternal Life through his Father God…..Since I met Jesus my life has never been the same……
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© April, 2000 Doug Boatright
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed. He may be contacted at: douglas.a.boatright@lmco.com