(Peter, John, and Thomas enter, conversing.)
THOMAS: The stone was rolled away? What do you mean, Peter? Did you see it yourselves?
PETER: Yes, Thomas. The tomb was empty.
THOMAS: Was it thieves?
PETER : We don’t think so. His body had been unbound, and the grave clothes left behind.
THOMAS: So it was the Romans.
JOHN: No, Thomas, the napkin for His head wasn’t just tossed aside. It was folded, neatly, as if out of respect.52
THOMAS: But, John, that could mean anything.
PETER: You’re right; it could. But it’s more than the grave clothes. It seems that something is happening here, Thomas, something more than we can see.
JOHN: We believe He has risen.
(James runs in.)
JAMES: Peter!
THOMAS: Risen!
PETER: James.
JAMES: It’s confirmed. People who have died have appeared all throughout the city. People are saying it’s the resurrection.53
PETER: We’d better quietly gather the believers. Thomas, would you find Mary Magdalene? She may still be at the tomb.
THOMAS: Yes, Peter.
(Thomas runs off.)
PETER: This will inflame the Sanhedrin—
JAMES: They’ll think He’s risen.
PETER: If they believe.
(Peter, James, and John begin to exit. MARY steps out of the shadows.)
MARY: John . . .
JOHN: Mary? Peter! (To Mary) Is everything all right?
MARY: I’m sorry to alarm you, my son. Mary Magdalene returned and—
JOHN: Is she safe?
PETER: Where is she?
MARY (beckoning to Mary Magdalene): Mary, child, come here.
(Mary Magdalene steps out of the shadows.)
MARY MAGDALENE: Peter . . . Oh, Peter. . . .
PETER: You saw Him, didn’t you?
MARY MAGDALENE: Yes. I thought He was the gardener.
PETER: Yes?
MARY MAGDALENE: Until He spoke my name. He said, “Mary.” He told me to tell you, “I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”54
PETER: We’re grateful you saw Him, and we rejoice with you. We’ll tell the others. Come, James, John, we should meet tonight
(Peter, James, and John begin to exit.)
JAMES: In the upper room from before?
PETER :Yes.
JOHN: We’ll arrange it.
(They exit.)
[Music cue: “Alleluia” 
, 
]
Angels sang to wond’ring shepherds,
“Fear not, Christ is born this day.”
Marvel not that in a stable,
Heaven blessed His bed of hay.
MARY MAGDALENE
Angels brought the joyful tidings,
“Fear not, Christ is risen this day.”
Heav’n came down to tend His body,
Why I grieved I cannot say.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Rise, O Light of Bethlehem.
Calvary’s dark night is over,
Christ the Lord is come again.
(Underscore continues. Joanna, Salome, and Mary MOJ enter, running.)
SALOME: Mary! Mary!
SALOME: He came to us on the road.
MARY MOJ: And He said “Tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”55
JOANNA
Angels sent us with a message,
SALOME
“Fear not, go to Galilee.”
Who could know we’d meet our Master?
JOANNA, SALOME and MARY MOJ
Who could know His face we’d see?
MARY, MARY MAGDALENE, JOANNA, SALOME, MARY MOTHER OF JAMES,HANNAH, SUZANNA, TIRZAH, MIRIAM, and CHORUS WOMEN
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Rise, O Light of Bethlehem.
Calvary’s dark night is over,
Christ the Lord is come again.
Rise, O Light of Bethlehem.
Calvary’s dark night is over,
Christ the Lord is come again.
SALOME: We must tell Peter about Galilee.
MARY: He was just with us.
JOANNA: He knows about Mary Magdalene?
MARY MAGDALENE: Yes. Come, we’ll find him.
(They exit.)
NOTES
52. See John 20:5–7.
53. See Matthew 27:52–53.
54. John 20:16–17.
55. Matthew 28:10.
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