Simple Lazarus Skit for Children's Ministry

This skit was written for a Wednesday night lesson on the story of Lazarus, but it can be used in any church class. It can be done simply while reading it in class and the children act it out as they are reading from their scripts or as extensively as a full-blown production on stage with costumes and props. [print_link] this script for your ministry.
I came up with this by simply reading the Bible. As I was studying for my lesson on Lazarus, I read the entire story in my Bible, John 11:1-46(NASB) to get the full picture of what happened. As I read it, I could picture the entire story in my mind. My students love to act out the stories, so I felt that this was a great opportunity for them to do that. I simply copied the Bible story. I only added a Narrator so that the in-between parts, where there is no speaking, could easily be portrayed and the children would know how to act it out. I simply wrote it so it would be easier for the children to read their lines. I felt that this was a wonderful way for the Bible to “come alive” for the children!

Lazarus Skit based on John 11:1-46

Characters:

• Narrator
• Jesus
• Disciple (speaking)
• other disciples (acting)
• Martha
• Mary
• some Jews (1/2 of Jews)
• other Jews (other 1/2 of Jews)

Narrator: Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
Jesus: This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
Narrator: Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
Jesus: (talking to His disciples) Let us go to Judea again.
Disciple: Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?
Jesus: Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.
Disciple: Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.
Narrator: Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.
Jesus: Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”
Thomas: (to his fellow disciples) Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.
Narrator: So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.
Martha: (to Jesus) Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.
Jesus: Your brother will rise again.
Martha: I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.
Jesus: I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Martha: Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.
Narrator: When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.
Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying,
Mary: Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Narrator: When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled.
Jesus: Where have you laid him?”
Mary & Martha: Lord, come and see.
Narrator: Jesus wept.
Some Jews: See how He loved him!
Other Jews: Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?
Narrator: So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
Jesus: Remove the stone.
Martha: Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.
Jesus: Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?
Narrator: So they removed the stone.
Jesus: (raising His eyes) Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.
(with a loud voice) Lazarus, come forth.
Narrator: The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth.
Jesus: Unbind him, and let him go.
Narrator: Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.