Church Skits & Plays
An Easter monologueFour Days1 actor · 5–6 min

Easter · 1 actor · 5–6 minutes · One adult woman

Four Days

Some days after Easter, Martha of Bethany holds a cord with a knot for every day she waited: four after her brother Lazarus died, and then the days after the cross. A quiet monologue of Easter hope for one woman, gentle with grieving listeners.

$8USD, tax included
  • Instant PDF download, yours to keep
  • Performance rights for your whole church
  • 30-day refund if it doesn’t fit your church
Running time5–6 minutes
Cast1 role · One adult woman
PrepMemorized, with one or two rehearsals; the part is about 610 words. Or read it from a lectern and learn only the last 110 words by heart.
Best forEaster Sunday, a service of Easter hope for the grieving, a grief support group, a women’s gathering in Holy Week; a Good Friday service only if it ends with the hope of Sunday
ScriptureJohn 11:3, 17, 21, 25, 39; Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:1 (KJV)
ThemeJesus never explained Martha’s four days of waiting. He cried out her question Himself on the cross, and on the third day He rose.
FormatPrintable PDF

About the skit

When Lazarus got sick, the sisters sent word to Jesus, sure that would be enough. He didn’t come. Martha tied a knot each day so she could tell Him exactly how long, and on the fourth day she went out to meet Him on the road and said it to His face: “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

She tells what He said to her in the road, and what happened at the tomb, from John 11. Then it is Passover. On Friday Martha stands a long way off and hears a cry from the cross in words she knows by heart. The cord comes back at the end, and the monologue moves from grief to quiet joy.

One woman and a three-foot cord, with no humor, in five or six minutes; she can read it from a lectern. The staging notes cover the two knots tied live, the long pause at its heart, and a word for churches that have suffered a recent loss.

Read the first page

(MARTHA walks to the front and faces the congregation. She holds the cord in both hands, the four knots near one end. She runs her thumb over them, one at a time, lips moving, before she says anything. Then she holds them up.)

MARTHA: When my brother Lazarus got sick, my sister and I sent word to Jesus. We didn't even ask Him to come. The message just said, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." We knew that would be enough. He loved us. Everybody knew He loved us.

MARTHA: He didn't come. Lazarus died. We wrapped him and laid him in the cave, and they rolled the stone across. And that night I tied a knot in this cord.

MARTHA: When you sit in mourning, the days run together. I wanted to know exactly how long. So I could tell Him. (She touches each knot.) One day. Two. Three. (beat) Four.

MARTHA: On the fourth day somebody came running to say He was on the road. Mary stayed in the house. I didn't. I went out to meet Him, and before He could say a word, I said it. (beat) "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died."

The script continues in the full PDF.

Characters

  • Martha, of Bethany, sister of Mary and Lazarus; plain-spoken, honest and not fragile

Props

  • A soft cotton cord, about three feet long and half an inch thick, with four knots tied in it
  • Optional: a lectern for her pages

What you get

  • The full script with stage directions
  • Cast list, props list and simple staging notes
  • Four discussion questions for a small group, youth group or Sunday school class
  • Performance rights for your church: perform it as often as you like and print copies for your cast

Performance rights

One purchase covers one church or ministry. Perform it as many times as you like, make copies for everyone in the cast and crew, adapt the lines and include it in your livestream. Please don’t resell the script or share the file publicly. Read the full license.

More for your Easter program

Questions

Can I change the names or lines?

Yes. Change names and genders, trim lines for time or adapt a joke for your church. The script is yours to fit to your people.

Can we record and stream the performance?

Yes. You can include it in your livestream and post the recording on your church’s own channels.

How do I get the file after I buy?

Right after checkout you get a download link on the confirmation page and by email. It works for up to 20 downloads, and each copy is marked with your order so it stays licensed to your church.

Who is the seller on my receipt?

Payments are processed by Link, Stripe’s checkout, which acts as the reseller. Your card statement shows LINK.COM* CHURCHSKITS. Questions about the script itself come to us at hello@churchskits.org.

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