Party of 5000 samples

PURPOSE: The ultimate goal of Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry was the salvation of mankind. Along the way, however, the events which occurred, and the miracles Jesus performed were intended to teach Biblical truths. Party of Five Thousand uses the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, recorded in the New Testament Gospels, to reveal two of these basic truths. The first truth is if you will truly seek Jesus He will reveal Himself to you. The second truth is that your resources or abilities do not limit the impact of your Christian life. You are only limited by your obedience and your faith.

THEME: What miraculous thing does Jesus Christ want to do through you? He is big enough for the job. The real question is, are you willing to trust and obey?

CAST OF CHARACTERS

MOTHER	JESUS
REBECCA, daughter, in her middle teens	ANDREW, a disciple
DANIEL, Rebecca’s little brother	OTHER DISCIPLE
SARA, Rebecca’s friend	1st WOMAN
ANNA, Rebecca’s friend	2nd WOMAN
JOEL, Rebecca’s friend	CROWD
MATT, Rebecca’s friend	1st PASSERBY
TWO PASSERSBY	2nd PASSERBY
GROUP OF PASSERSBY 3rd PASSERBY	3rd PASSERBY

THE TIME: During the time of Jesus THE SETTING: Near the Sea of Galilee

ACT ONE

SCENE ONE: Kitchen of home located near the Sea of Galilee

SCENE TWO: On the way to Aunt Lydia’s house

ACT TWO

SCENE ONE: A crowd near the shore where Jesus is preaching

SCENE TWO: Excited crowd is fed

SCENE THREE: In the crowd

PROPS:

*Loaves of bread for baskets

*Fish for baskets

*Large baskets

*Spotlight

Sample – Mother is preparing the children with a basket of loaves and fishes for their walk to the house of their aunt.

SCENE: The scene opens in the kitchen of a home located near the Sea of Galilee during the time of Jesus. Mother is busy putting some things in a large basket. She calls out to her daughter Rebecca and her son Daniel. Rebecca, who is in her middle teens, and her little brother Daniel have a typical "bossy big sister; antagonizing little brother" relationship.

MOTHER: Children! (Pause) Daniel! Rebecca! Come here now. I want you to leave so that your aunt will not be worried. She is expecting you this afternoon, and it is a long walk to her house.

(Rebecca and Daniel enter the kitchen.)

REBECCA: Mother, do we HAVE to go see Aunt Lydia? There is nothing to do there except listen to her tell the same old stories over and over and over again.
(Imitating her Aunt Lydia) I remember when I was your age, Rebecca, I would...

MOTHER: (Interrupting): Rebecca!!

DANIEL: It's true, Mom. The only things worse than her stories are her fig cakes. Can we please stay here in town? Please, please, please, Mom.

REBECCA: (She is disgusted with the way her little Brother plays the role of poor baby.) Daniel, you are pathetic.

DANIEL: Please can we stay? Besides, I heard that the teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, has been gathering large crowds at the edge of town, near the shore. They say He can do much more than just teach.

Sample – Daniel decides not to go with his sister, who is with her friend, and will go to see Jesus

DANIEL: Besides, Mother said we have to go straight to Aunt Lydia's house. (Pause) Yeah, right. Look at you now.
(Again he imitates his sister.)
Hi, Joel. I didn't know you would be here.

(As he finishes speaking, two men, 1st Passerby and 2nd Passerby, are hastily walking past him from left to right. They are involved in a conversation. They are on their way to hear Jesus speak, and they are very excited.)

1ST PASSERBY: I have heard many things about this Jesus.

2ND PASSERBY: He speaks with great authority, and you cannot stop yourself from listening. You will not be disappointed.

(Daniel watches and listens as they pass by him and exit at stage right.)

DANIEL: (Speaking to himself): I REALLY want to see Jesus. (He looks in the direction of the two men who just exited. Then he looks back in the direction of his sister Rebecca who remains at stage right, dimly lit and engrossed in a conversation with Joel.)
She would never even know I was gone . . . and I would come right back.

(Another Passerby is hastily making his way across the stage from left to right. Daniel reaches out to stop this one.)

DANIEL: Excuse me. Are you going to see Jesus of Nazareth?

3RD PASSERBY: Well, I HOPE to see Him. I have heard that an enormous crowd has gathered on the hillside to hear him speak.

DANIEL: Enormous?

3RD PASSERBY: Yes, I understand as many as five thousand men have gathered and that is not even counting the women and children . . . like yourself. I really must hurry. I do not want to miss this!

(As 3rd Passerby is hastily exiting to stage right, Daniel speaks to himself again.)

Sample – Daniel is asked to share his basket with Jesus for the crowd

DANIEL: Well, my sister and I were on our way to Aunt Lydia's, but I wanted to see Jesus and Rebecca wanted to see "Joel," so we . . . oh, it's a long story

ANDREW: (He stoops down and pats Daniel on the head as he looks into the boy’s basket.) What did your Mother put into the basket for lunch?

DANIEL: Five barley loaves and two fishes.

ANDREW: Daniel, you may be able to help the Teacher, too.

DANIEL: Really? How?

ANDREW: Can Jesus have your basket? (Andrew points to the lunch basket.)

DANIEL: My basket?

ANDREW: Yes, Daniel. Can Jesus have your basket of loaves and fishes?

DANIEL: Jesus of Nazareth, the Great Teacher, needs MY lunch?. . .Why?

ANDREW: I wish I knew the answer to that question, Daniel. It does not make sense to me either. Many of the things I have seen Him do, I cannot explain.

DANIEL: My mother says He is a crazy man. Andrew, do you think He is a crazy man?

ANDREW: (Chuckles at the question): If He is, then I must be also. I have left everything to follow Him. (Ponders a moment)
Daniel, there are still many things about Jesus that I do not know, but this I have learned for certain; if I am willing to trust Him and if I am obedient to His instruction, He has never failed me. Trust and obey.

Sample – Jesus performs a miracle for the crowd.

1ST WOMAN: (Speaking to the Woman beside her, as the Disciple hands her some bread.) Where has this come from?

2ND WOMAN: There was no food here!

1ST WOMAN and 2ND WOMAN: (Shouting in unison): Who has provided the bread and fish?

DISCIPLES: (Excitedly responding): IT WAS JESUS. JESUS HAS PROVIDED! IT IS A MIRACLE!

(This is a very exciting Crowd scene as the Disciples respond to the questions and disperse the food. As the Disciples continue to move from right to left, the Crowd begins sitting down to eat. This pattern of activity finally catches up to where Daniel is. He has been standing on his tiptoes and jumping up and down to try and see what all the excitement is about. It is Andrew who reaches Daniel first. His basket is obviously still full.)

DANIEL: Andrew! . . . Andrew, what is happening?

ANDREW: It is a miracle, Daniel! I told you that Jesus would not fail you! Look, He has made all of this from YOUR lunch!

DANIEL: All this from five loaves and two fishes?

(As they are speaking, People are coming up to Andrew to receive food. He continues to speak to Daniel as he disperses bread, eventually giving some to Daniel.)

ANDREW: You would not believe it. I continue to hand out food, yet the basket does not get empty! It is a miracle. Truly, He MUST be the Messiah. (Handing bread to Daniel)
Here, Daniel, take some and eat while I help to pass out food to this crowd.

Sample – Jesus speaks to a doubting Rebecca

REBECCA: And just who are you?

DANIEL: (His mouth is hung open, and he is obviously in awe.) You’re Jesus, aren't You? Jesus of Nazareth.

REBECCA: The lunch thief?

DANIEL: The Messiah . . . The Son of God.

REBECCA: The Son of God? Just because everyone has bread.

DANIEL: He turned our lunch into enough food for the whole crowd. (Daniel points to the basket.)
And look, there are enough scraps left to fill a basket!

REBECCA: Even if He did, giving these people bread does not make Him the Son of God.

JESUS: Rebecca is right, Daniel. The Son of Man should do much more than feed the people in this crowd.

REBECCA: How did You know my name?

JESUS: I know many things about you. And I tell you I have not come to bring just this bread. (Picks up a piece of bread out of the basket) I have come to bring you the Bread of Life. When you eat of the Bread of Life, you will never hunger.

REBECCA: (She is beginning to sincerely listen, and perhaps she is even softening a little bit.) How can someone never hunger?

JESUS: Because the Bread of Life fills your heart, not your stomach. The Son of Man IS the Bread of Life, and when He enters your heart, you will never again hunger for peace, for you shall enter into the Kingdom of my Father.