Easter Freeze Frames

Materials
Costumes and props related to the story (optional)

Game Play
Tell the group they are going to act out and photograph "freeze frames" of the important parts of the Easter story. Ask them to "Try to imagine how the Easter story happened 2000 years ago." (You can provide Bible costumes and props for greater realism, but they are not required.)

Choose a number of Easter Bible events as freeze frames. Assign one event to each group. The participants must come up with at least four key scenes that include appropriate poses, facial expressions and hand gestures. They pose in a scene and freeze and a picture is taken.

Potential Scenes: Characters

Jesus annointed with Perfume - Jesus, Chief priests and teachers of the law, people (crowd), Simon the Leper, Mary the sister of Martha (the woman with the jar of perfume), disciples, Judas Iscariot
The Triumphant Entry / Palm Sunday - Jesus, Disciples, Crowd
The Lord's Supper - man carrying the jar of the water, the owner of the house with the large upper room, the disciples, Judas, Peter, Jesus
Garden of Gethsemane - Peter-James-John, God the Father, Jesus
Jesus' Arrest - The servant of the High Priest who had his ear cut off, the streaker who lost His garment, guards, Jesus, disciples
Peter denies Christ - the servant girl who questioned Peter, the crowd, Peter
The Trial - Jewish Leaders, Sanhedrin, High Priest, Jesus, guards, those who were asked to give false testimony
Christ's beating by the Roman soldiers
The crucifixion - John, Mother of Jesus, centurions, Disciples, Joseph, God, Crowd
Easter morning - Mary and Martha, Peter, disciples, Angels, Guards
Upper Room - Disciples, Thomas, Jesus

During the skits take a picture of each of the four scenes (Digital camera's work great). Put the pictures in a slide show or powerpoint file on your computer and you have an Easter keepsake, as well as, a gift for all the participants.

Variation
Create a video news report of the story. Have one person be the reporter in the newsroom (at a table), then go to a reporter in the field who interviews the various participants in each scene.]

Variation
Use follow up questions for the different scenes to facilitate some lively discussion:

Example:
• What did it feel like to be a Roman Soldier? A disciple? A character in the crucifixion scene?
• Why did the disciples scatter?
• How did the bretrayal feel?
• How would you have responded to the empty tomb?
• What feelings / thoughts were running through your mind for each event?

Note: This is also a great way to bring to life almost any Bible Story.

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