Each year on the morning of the Resurrection Pageant I wake up early and head to the campus of Southwestern Adventist University and the Keene Church, to get my mind in the right head space for the pageant. There is nothing quite like walking around the university campus and watching the marketplace participants start rolling in, setting up their booths, putting signs up, getting fences in place, and bringing the animals in. I look around the rest of the scenes and soak it all in. Then I say a silent prayer, thanking God for the opportunity He has given to serve this remarkable story of salvation.
The cast and support staff begin to trickle in about 8:00 a.m. As we prepare for the first performance at 8:45 the butterflies have moved into our stomachs. Even though I'm not a cast member I can relate to the nervousness the actors feel when when the first performance begins.
As we go throughout the day I see the crowds growing larger and larger. Confidence grows in the cast as they have for more performances, take a breath, and begin to relax. I continue to watch the people who have come to see the pageant and my heart is moved when I see children completely engaged in the story unfolding before their eyes. I notice the mother who wipes away tears as she hears the crowd screaming “Crucify Him!”. I see the father embracing his child close to his chest at the crucifixion scene, not quite sure how to explain to his curious child why Jesus was just nailed to a cross.
In these hidden moments that some may consider unremarkable, I realize how much of an impact the Resurrection Pageant has on those who come to witness the greatest story ever told. The story of how our God gave up His one and only Son to become a human being, and come to this world to live a perfect life only to be hated, spit on, and killed by the very ones He created. The story comes to life in a special way that impacts the hearts of people who may have never been told about Jesus or have not experienced His presence. What the pageant does, touches lives, that goes on for much longer than the 2 ½ hours of the performance.
A couple of years ago I recorded some audio interviews with people who were willing to chat with me after the final resurrection scene. In our conversations I heard voices trembling, hearts rejoicing, and lives transformed by the power of Jesus’ gift of salvation. One person I spoke with, told me how they had just heard about the pageant the day before—they lived in Houston and decided last minute to make the 4+ hour drive to Keene, to be a part of the pageant. I saw tears in their eyes and I knew their hearts were touched.
It's not always easy to understand how powerful an impact, something that we do, can have on others, whether in a positive or negative way. I am grateful to be a part of something so powerful that it can truly change lives and draw others closer to our Creator.
Written by Jorge Velez, Resurrection Pageant Marketing Staff