Church Skits & Plays
A Palm Sunday skit for childrenThe Loudest Hosanna6–10 actors · 4–5 min

Easter · 6–10 actors · 4–5 minutes · Children 7–10, with one adult who reads the introduction

The Loudest Hosanna

Ever since Jesus raised him, everybody in Bethany comes to look at Lazarus, so on Palm Sunday morning he’d rather stay in bed, until the children with palm branches come running past. A funny Palm Sunday skit for kids that can lead straight into your palm procession.

$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 time4–5 minutes
Cast6–10 roles · Children 7–10, with one adult who reads the introduction
PrepLazarus, Martha and Mary get their lines a week ahead, then one rehearsal of about 30 minutes. Every line is short.
Best forPalm Sunday, just before a children’s palm procession; Sunday school or children’s church on Palm Sunday or during Holy Week; a Holy Week program
ScriptureJohn 11:11, 43; 12:9, 12–13, 17–18 (KJV)
ThemeJesus called Lazarus out of the grave with a loud voice, and the news of what He had done brought crowds out with palm branches to meet Him.
FormatPrintable PDF

About the skit

It’s Palm Sunday morning in Bethany, Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, and Lazarus is staying in bed. Ever since Jesus raised him, everybody comes to look at him: nine people at the door yesterday (eight, Martha says; one was selling figs), a lady who poked him with a stick, twice, and a goat that stared at him for a long time. Martha’s answer is a big floppy hat.

Then the children with palm branches come running up the aisle, and they spot him right away. What they say next changes his mind, and it comes from John 12:17–18: the crowd went out to meet Jesus because they had heard what He did. By the end, the one everybody stares at is shouting louder than anyone.

It works best right before your children’s palm procession, and it fits Sunday school or children’s church in Holy Week too. Six to ten children, 7–10, with one adult reading the introduction and one 30-minute rehearsal. The staging notes cover keeping the jokes on his second life and never on death, a child-height mic for the turn, and casting it with fewer or more children.

Read the first page

TEACHER: This is Bethany, a little town near Jerusalem. Not long ago, Lazarus died, and after he'd been in the grave four days, Jesus called him out, alive. Now it's the morning we call Palm Sunday, and Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem.

(The TEACHER sits down in the front pew. MARTHA hurries in with her basket. MARY follows.)

MARTHA: Lazarus! Get up!

LAZARUS: (under the blanket) I'm asleep.

MARY: You're talking.

LAZARUS: I talk in my sleep.

MARTHA: Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem!

MARY: Everybody's going out to meet Him!

LAZARUS: That's why I'm staying here.

(MARTHA grabs the loose end of the blanket and pulls. LAZARUS holds on tight. A short tug-of-war. LAZARUS wins.)

MARY: Lazarus.

(LAZARUS sits up, the blanket around his shoulders like a cape.)

LAZARUS: Everybody looks at me.

MARTHA: They do not.

LAZARUS: Nine people came to our door yesterday. Just to look at me.

MARTHA: Eight. One was selling figs.

LAZARUS: A lady poked me with a stick.

MARY: She said she was sorry.

LAZARUS: She poked me twice.

(MARTHA and MARY look at each other.)

LAZARUS: And this morning, a goat stared at me. For a long time.

MARY: That's our goat.

LAZARUS: He never stared before.

The script continues in the full PDF.

Characters

  • The Teacher, any adult; reads the three-sentence introduction, then sits down
  • Lazarus, tired of being stared at; quick, a little grumpy, never silly; the most lines, for a confident 9- or 10-year-old
  • Martha, his sister, who runs the house; busy, practical and already late
  • Mary, his other sister; gentle, and she remembers everything
  • Children 1–4, children from the crowd on their way to meet Jesus, with palm branches; two to four short lines each
  • More Children with Branches, optional: up to three more, with no lines; they shout with everybody

Props

  • A sturdy bench for Lazarus’s bed
  • A bright, colorful blanket (never a white sheet)
  • A basket with a big floppy straw hat
  • A palm branch for every child, plus three extras
  • Optional: a basket of fruit for the fig seller

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.

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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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