The Sacrifice

Song

Narrator: On the morning of Kurban festival Enwar goes to visit Alim.

SOUND EFFECT (SE): Enwar walking up a gravel path, humming to self. Rooster crows. Door opens.

A. esalamuelaikum, heyitinglarga mubarek! (greetings)
B. we eleikum asalam. heyitingga mubarek. Come in.

SE: Door closes.

(The above should be appropriate greetings given to each other on the Kurban Festival. By saying these things only it should set the scene so that everyone will know that this drama is taking place on the day of the festival.)

Narrator: Enwar enters and takes a seat.

A. Amen.
B. Amen.

A. Congratulations on the festival. How did your morning prayers go? (These are all common and appropriate questions at this time.)
B. Good. And yours?

A. Fine. Who slaughtered the lamb?
B. My older brother and I. Oh, I forgot to offer you some meat. Please have a taste.

A. Wow, it really turned out well. This is great tasting. Did you get it from the mountains or what? (a joke)
B. In that case eat more. Here with this tea.

SE: sound of tea being poured

A. There are lots of places to go today. Perhaps the guys are waiting for us. Let's go, okay?
B. Woah, what's your hurry. Have a seat! (This is what Uighurs say when they want someone to not leave yet.)
*************(Sounds - and throughout this sketch)

A. Okay, let me eat more of the sacrifice and clean my sins. (joke)

SE: Sound of A getting situated in chair and sipping tea

A. What's the matter? You don't look real happy. Sacrificing a lamb is a major sin-cleansing good work. Now your sins are washed away! (Laugh)
B. (Laugh) Yeah, I guess so.

A. Hey, what's the matter? You seem to be lost in a cloud somewhere.
B. Uh, I don't know. It would be great if I really was clean.

A. If we had done the sacrifice I wouldn't be like you, I'd be celebrating. And look at you. Here you are still wondering whether you're clean or not. You didn't kill anyone on the way home from prayers did you!? Ha, ha.
B. Ha, ha. Of course not. I just doubt whether the sacrifice will really wash away my sins or not. I mean, today we sacrificed a lamb, but I don't feel clean. According to custom this washes away my sin. If only it was true! (Hope in voice, but not surety)

A. I heard a story from my grandfather about the pulsirat bridge. On judgement day there is supposedly a bridge that weighs our sins that people must cross after they die. In order to get into heaven everybody has to cross this bridge. Below the bridge is hell. He says that if we do lots of good deeds and sacrifice a lamb at Kurban festival, then our sins will be lightened, and judgement day when we come to cross this bridge the sacrificed lamb will come in front of us, "ba-a-a-a", and we can ride across the bridge safely on the back of the sacrificed lamb. The lamb will take us over the bridge. If we didn't do the sacrifice, there won't be any lamb to ride over and we will surely fall off into hell. You did the sacrifice, so what are you worried about?
B. Yeah, some people say that. But what I don't understand is how many good works do I need to do to get into heaven? How can I be sure that God will forgive me?

A. True. We can't know for sure whether God will forgive us or not. Besides the Creator God, no one knows. It's even hard for a saint to enter heaven.
B. Yep. It's really difficult to get into heaven.

A. Enough, don't think about it. Let's just do our best and leave the rest up to fate. Hey, there are others worse than us. Let's think young! We only go around once in life. We should have some fun in the meantime! We're still young yet, you know! And here you are talking like an old man on his death bed.
B. Ha, ha. You know you are my best friend. If I don't tell you what's on my heart, who would I tell? I'm sorry if I make you sad because of my concerns.

A. Hey, don't worry. You can tell me anything. And whatever, we are still us. You're fine, though you are a bit crazy at times.
B. Ha, Ha. Yeah, I'll admit to that.

A. Then tell me Alim, what is really worrying you? You are no worse than anybody else.
B. Sacrificing the lamb this morning has made me really think deeply. I mean, here we are killing an innocent animal with the hope that our sins will be cleansed, but the very next day we still do wrong things. We hold anger in our hearts, talk behind people's backs, talk bad about others, lie, look at girls with lust, and cheat (add whatever people do in that area). What's the point? We do good deeds hoping that our sins will be forgiven, yet we sin again right away. What is this? Think about it. Who in this world can fool God?

A. Alim, you are wise beyond your years. (Say in whatever way people do.)
B. I do the sacrifice every year and do good works, yet I don't know that God has truly forgiven me. I don't know forgiveness in my heart. I am trying to make myself righteous but I don't feel like it's enough.

A. Hey, I don't have the answers. I don't even really want to think about it. If I do, I only get scared.
B. Well, I sometimes do think about it and as you say, it is scary.

A. But God is merciful, right?
B. Yes. But where is his mercy?

A. Hey, come on, we should be going. The others will be waiting for us.
B. Okay, let's go.

Narrator: Essalamueleykum honorable friends. We celebrate Kurban festival every year. Perhaps we understand its meaning, perhaps not. Brothers and sisters, is sacrifice our minority custom? Does sacrifice wash away our sins? Do we become clean through it? Everyone hopes to know the answer to this question and seeks it with their hearts. And along with this they want to learn and understand what is true and right. Is this not so, friends?
Brothers and sisters, for this reason we made this tape. It is our hope that our people will clearly understand Kurban festival, sacrifice, the special final sacrifice that God offered to us, and that they will find the true way out of the darkness.

Song?

---Story of Abraham's sacrifice of Issac. Dramatized.

Narrator: Although the prophet Abraham and his wife Sarah were over the age of ninety, they had no children. God in his kindness saw this and promised to give them a son. After a year passed the son God had promised was born. They were very happy, because they had waited a long time with expectation for this son. When the child had grown up (choose the words to show that he was probably about 12 but not fully grown) one day God tested Abraham and said:

SE: special reverberation, or wind sounds to give effect of divine happening

God: Abraham!
Abraham: Yes! I'm here.

God: Take your only son to the land of Moriah and sacrifice him to me on the mountain that I show you.

Narrator: God had promised Abraham that through this hoped-for son that he would have many descendants. But now God was commanding Abraham to sacrifice this son. What does Abraham do now? Because Abraham trusted in God, the next day, just as God had said...

SE: Night sounds (early morning)

(Sad) Abraham: Son, get up. We need to be going.

SE: sound of Issac waking

Servant: Sir, the donkeys are ready. What else shall we do?

Abraham: If everything is prepared, let's leave.
(to his son): Come on son. Everything's ready. Let's go.

Narrator: After a three day journey, Abraham saw the mountain in the distance God had directed him to. So he said to his two servants -

Abraham: Stay here and hold the donkeys. My son and I will go over there and worship. Then we will come back.

Servants: Yes sir.

Abraham: Son, carry the wood. I'll take the fire and knife. Are you ready? Come on.

Son: I'm ready father.

Abraham: Then let's go.

SE: Sound of them walking on dirt path

Son: Father?

Abraham: Yes son, what's the matter?

Son: Father, we have the fire and the wood. What about the lamb for the sacrifice?

Abraham: Son, God himself will provide the lamb to be sacrificed.

Narrator: And with that the two of them kept going.

SE: Sound of wind blowing, desolate place

Abraham: We've arrived. Let's get prepared.

SE: Preparation sounds: putting down wood, stacking rocks

Narrator: After Abraham had made the preparations for the sacrifice, he began to tie up his son.

Son: Father!
Abraham: Oh son...

SE: wind becomes stronger

Narrator: And then Abraham took the knife and just as he was about to sacrifice his son, a sound was heard from heaven:

SE: special reverb or wind sound

God: Abraham! Abraham!
Abraham: Yes!

God: Stop! Don't hurt the child. Now I know that you honor and obey me, because you did not withhold your only child from me.

Narrator: Just at that time Abraham look over and saw a ram stuck in a bush by his horns. With much joy...

SE: sound of ram bleating

Abraham: Thank you God! You are so faithful!

Narrator: Abraham with happiness went untied the ram and sacrificed it in the place of his son. He named that place 'God provided'.
How merciful God was to Abraham and his son! He sent a ram to be sacrificed in the place of Abraham's son. If He hadn't sent a ram, Abraham would have sacrificed his son.

Song?

---Story of Moses and Passover. Dramatized.

Narrator: In history yet another unforgettable event happened. Through sacrifice God showed Moses his great mercy and grace.

One day as Moses was watching his father-in-law's sheep, He saw a bush in the mountains that was on fire. He was surprised to see that although the bush was burning it didn't burn up.

Moses: Huh, this is something. Why doesn't the bush burn up? Let me go have a look!

Narrator: When the prophet Moses got near to the bush a voice said to him:

SE: special reverb for voice

God: Moses! Moses!
Moses: Yes!

God: I am the God of your forefathers.

Narrator: Moses didn't dare to look but hid his face.

God: I've heard the cries of my people in slavery in Egypt, and I've also seen how they suffer from the Egyptians. Therefore I'm sending you to Egypt's king Pharaoh to rescue my people from slavery. Go there and take my people out of Egypt.

Moses: Who am I to go to Pharaoh and take them out of Egypt?
God: I will be with you.

Narrator: So Moses obeyed God. With his brother Aaron he went to Pharaoh and asked for the release of God's people.

Moses: God says, "Let my people go that they can worship me in the desert." (Take out if not in the Scriptures - Therefore give us permission to go and sacrifice [and come back?])

Narrator: Pharaoh said to Moses:

Pharaoh: Who is the Lord that I should obey him? Why should I let my servants go? I don't know your God. And I won't let my slaves go.

Narrator: Because Pharaoh wouldn't let God's people go, God sent many plagues to Egypt. All the water in Egypt turned into blood. God filled the land with gnats, flies, frogs and locusts. The animals got sick, the people got boils, and it hailed so that the crops were destroyed. After every plague, God sent Moses to ask for him to let God's people go.

God: Go to Pharaoh and say, "Let my people go!"

Narrator: But because Pharaoh's heart was hard, Pharaoh still wouldn't listen to God. So in the end God said:

God: I will send one last plague to Pharaoh and his people. After this Pharaoh will not only let you go; he we drive you out of that place. All of the Egyptian's first born sons Ex. 11:5, 12:12 from the prince to the slaves - will die. And the same for the animals - their first born will die. The whole of Egypt will be filled with crying. Nothing like this has ever been seen before.

God: Moses, teach these things to those who worship me: On the tenth day of this month the head of every family should take one lamb or baby goat. It should be a one year old spotless animal. On the fourteenth of this month everyone should kill the animal they have chosen, and then take some of its blood and spread it on the top and sides of their door. Eat the meat in the home. That night I will come to Egypt and kill every first born of man and animal. I am the Lord Almighty. The blood on your doors and sides of door will be a sign for which home you are in. When I see this blood I will not enter your homes but pass by. When I visit the Egyptian with punishment, I will not touch you.

Narrator: Moses called the leaders of God's people and said to them:

Moses: Every family should take a lamb or baby goat according to the number in one's family and kill it. Spread some of the blood around the door (head and sides). No one should go outside until the morning. When the angel of death passes through this place, he will see the blood around the door and not touch you but pass on by.

Narrator: On that dreadful night:

(Sounds of wailing)

Little boy: Momma, there's crying everywhere. It woke me up.

Mother: Son, come here and have a seat. Let me tell you something.

(Nearby we here the sound of another woman crying out): No! My son didn't die! (This is how they would say it) My son...my...first born son! Ah....(crying)

Little boy: Momma! That's our neighbor crying!

Mother: Son, listen. Recently Daddy brought a lamb home. You even helped to take care of it, do you remember?

Little boy: Yeah, I remember Momma. We killed that lamb at just before sunset.

Mother: That's right. And after your father slaughtered it, what did he do?

Little boy: He took some of the blood and spread it over the door.

Mother: God told Moses to tell all of Israel that in the evening he was going to kill all of the first born children in Egypt. And also the first born of animals. But he promised us that every house he saw that had blood spread over the doorway he would leave safe. God is so merciful to us! He has saved us from harm. You are our first born - living proof that this is true!

Little boy: Daddy's here!

Father: Momma, are you ready? Pharaoh has let us go! His oldest child died in the night, so he told Moses to take us away with all of our things!

Mother: Praise God! Son, get your things together. We're leaving Egypt!

Little boy: Now?

Mother: Yes right now! Our merciful God has saved us! Praises!
.............

Little music

Narrator: How merciful God was to His people! He accepted the blood of a blameless sheep in the place of a person's blood. The sheep's blood was spilled in the place of a person. Through the sacrifice of a sheep God provided the way for them to escape death.

Today sacrifice plays an important role in our society. According to custom if we sacrifice a sheep at Kurban Heyt, on resurrection day that sheep will come and we can ride on it safely across the pilsirat bridge to heaven. Also, we hope that when we sacrifice a sheep our sins will be washed away.

In ancient times, God commanded His people to sacrifice so that they would know the badness of sin. God's punishment for sin is death. If a perfect and sinless animal was sacrificed in the place of sinful people, God would accept the blood of the animal as the people's. Only through the blood of a sacrifice animal could people be reconciled to God. How merciful God was! If God had not allowed sacrifice, then the people would have had to suffer the penalty of their sins themselves. And there wouldn't have been any way for people to come to God.

Why did one have to offer a sacrifice? God is so great, can't he simply say, "I forgive you" without need of sacrifice? Or can't we gain God's forgiveness through many good works? Friends, Let's not be foolish. Let's seek the truth. God said in the Tawrat and Injil, "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." According to God's word our sins cannot be cleansed by good works. We should always try to do good and be moral people. This is a good thing (character). But the unfortunate thing is, no matter how many good works we do, these good works still cannot make our hearts clean and satisfy the wrath of God for our past sins. Optional - (Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.)

Yes, a price must be paid for sin. The price for sin is to face the punishment of God in hell. May no one think that God doesn't see our sin or that He closes His eyes to our sin. God is holy and even the smallest sin he does not overlook or think little of. Every single sin, done now or in the past, committed by an old or young person, whether big or small, will surely be paid for by punishment.

Who doesn't need forgiveness for sins? (In Uighur - doesn’t seek the way for his sins to be forgiven) We all do. (We all should seek.) Because we are all sinners. On judgement day who can stand before God and say, "I never sinned, I am clean"? Who will dare? In reality, we are all sinners, and because we have sinned against God we are worthy to be punished and suffer in hell eternally.

But the worst thing about our sin is that it has separated us from God. And for this reason, no matter how much we pray it seems that God is not listening to us, and that there is no way to have a relationship with Him. (Perhaps particular to Uighurs) - We Uighur people have suffered a lot. The main reason for this is that because of our sin we have been separated from God. And with this, we don't seek Him. If we don't repent and find the way for our sins to be forgiven, our situation may even become worse.

In history, God showed mercy to our ancestors. Through sacrifice he saved them from death. God provided a ram in the place of Abraham's son. In order for His people in Egypt to not die, He accepted a lamb in their place. How about us? Has God no mercy for us?

Friends, just as Abraham said, "God will provide a lamb," God in his mercy has given us the best and purest sacrifice. It can completely cleanse us and save us from hell. It was written in God's unchangeable Tawrat (Old Testament) and Zabur (Psalms) that in the place of the sacrifice lamb, a saviour would come and through the sacrifice of Himself would take the sins of the world upon Himself.

We know Jesus as a prophet. But he was even more than a prophet. Could put here or later - (Why did God send Jesus to the world? He sent Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice so that we can be saved from our sins.)

Song?

--- The story of Jesus

By a miracle of God, Jesus was born into the world by a virgin named Mary. At that time there were shepherds outside of Bethlehem keeping watch over their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and a very bright light shone all around. The shepherds became afraid, but the angel said to them:

SE: special reverberation to give effect of divine happening

Angel: Don't be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy to all people. Today in the city of David, Bethlehem, your Saviour is born! He is One the Lord God has chosen!

Narrator: And suddenly around the angel appeared a multitude of angels praising God:

Angels: Praise to God in the highest! Peace to those with whom He is pleased!

Narrator: After the angels went away from them back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another:

Shepherds: Let us go to Bethleham and see this thing that has happened which the God has made known to us.

Narrator: They quickly went and found Mary and Joseph, and there in a manger they saw the baby. The shepherds told Mary and Joseph all that the angels has said to them. Then the shepherds returned glorifying God, because everything was just as the angels had told them.

On the eight day, it became time for the baby to be circumcised, and his parents named him Jesus. This was the name given to him by the angel before he was in his mother's womb.
Joseph and Mary took the child to the temple in Jerusalem to dedicate him to God. At that time in Jerusalem, there lived a man named Simeon. He was a just man who feared God and was earnestly waiting for the Saviour of Israel. God's Spirit was with him, and by revelation from the Holy Spirit he knew he would see with his own eyes the Saviour God was sending.
On the day that Joseph and Mary went to the temple, the Holy Spirit also led Simeon there. As Jesus' parents were carrying the child and doing the things by the Tawrat, Simeon came up to them, and taking the child in his arms praised God saying:

Simeon: Oh Lord, you are true to your word! Now if I die I am satisfied, because as you have said, I have seen with my own eyes the saviour you have prepared for the whole world. He is the light to light the darkness of the whole world.

Narrator: In those days there was an old woman prophet named Anna. After being married for seven years she became a widow. She was now eighty-four and never left the temple, but fasted, prayed day and night and served God. When Simeon finished speaking, Anna came up:

Anna: Thank you God! Here, the Saviour we have been waiting for has come!

Why did God send Jesus to the world? He sent Jesus to save us from our sins and bring us back to God. John the prophet recognized who he was, and when he saw Jesus he said to the people around:

"Look, the sacrifice Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

- Jesus, the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. John did not speak on his own, but was inspired by God Almighty.

Jesus is the lamb that God has provided for us. Jesus is the lamb sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins! He is calling us now to trust in (accept) this sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life.

At the age of thirty Jesus began to tell people that he was the saviour sent by God. One time when he was in the temple, he read to the people from the book of Isaiah the prophet about himself: (Luke 4:17-18)

Jesus: Reads Luke 4:17-18

While on earth, Jesus performed many miracles. He healed every kind of sickness, cast out demons who had afflicted people, and even raised the dead. These great miracles show that he was sent by God for a special purpose. Jesus' name spread everywhere, therefore people afflicted with every kind of disease and suffering were brought to Him. Jesus healed them all one by one. The people were amazed and praised God when they saw the deaf speaking, the paralyzed back to normal, the blind seeing, and the crippled walking. Jesus is all powerful. Evil spirits' power is nothing before Him.

We don't sacrifice sheep which have flaws or are sick. We say the sheep must be healthy. We need to understand clearly that Jesus is the only person (one) who never sinned. He is the only pure and spotless sacrifice that God has provided.

Jesus knew why God had sent him to this earth. He told his disciples about this beforehand:

Jesus: We are going to Jerusalem. Everything the prophets wrote about me will be fulfilled there. Before I receive the Father's glory I must suffer many things. I will be handed over to unbelievers. They will mock and insult me, whip me, and in the end kill me. But although they kill me, I will rise after three days. No one can take my life from me. I willingly lay it down.

Therefore, in order to do completely all that he had come to this world to do, he led His disciples to Jerusalem. It was there that the hypocritical religious leaders who despised Jesus and hated him made up an excuse and accused him before the political leaders. The political leaders found nothing to blame him of (not one sin), but because of the pressure put on them by bad people, they agreed and sentenced him to death. Therefore they took Jesus, nailed him to a cross (wood put together in the shape of a plus sign) and hung him there until he died. When Jesus died, the sky turned dark as if there was not sun for three hours. The ground shook and rocks broke in two. Graves were opened and saints who had died were raised. They later went into the city and were seen by many people.

SE: behind narrator from, "When Jesus died...", sound of thunder, crashing of rocks or lightning, fading out on last sentence of above paragraph

Here. This is the sacrificial death of Jesus for you and me! He willingly took on all our sin, was nailed to a cross, and offered up his life. He gave his own blood to bring us back to God. Although he was innocent, without sin, he died and took the punishment of us sinners. Oh, how merciful God is to us! How he loves us! Where is God's mercy? (some may ask) Jesus is the mercy of God to us.

But God did not leave Jesus' body in the grave! Jesus died and was buried in a tomb, but three days after Jesus' death, God raised him from the dead. Jesus appeared to his disciples and many other people over a 40 day period, and then before his disciples eyes, he ascended into heaven. At the end of time on earth, he will come back to this earth and judge all sinners.

(Optional) In the Injil it is written: Phil. 2:7-9


Jesus is our sacrifice lamb. Jesus is the mercy God has shown us. Now there is only one sacrifice for our sins. It is only by his sacrifice, his blood, not by any other sacrifice that we can be made right with God. God accepts only the blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.

Let us no longer think that we can please God by doing good works and animal sacrifice. No matter how many good works we do, even if we go to Mecca, God will not forgive our sins through this. If we want to please God, we need to believe on the sacrifice he chose and sent. Only by believing in Jesus will we be saved. Otherwise we will suffer the punishment for our sin in hell eternally.

In the last book of the Injil, which speaks of future events, Jesus is pictured in his heavenly glory:
REV 5:9 (Parts)
For you were slain
And brought back to God
Men from every tribe and nation
and race and tongue.

Praise God for His mercy! In the past, just as Abraham was about to slay his son, God provided a sacrifice in the boy's place. He saved His people in Egypt through the blood of a lamb. Now, to be saved from punishment and be reconciled to Himself, God is offering us one way - the blood of Jesus. If we trust in God's lamb, Jesus, choose this most true way, and offer our lives to him, God will forgive our sins and save us from hell. God is calling us today to repent of our sins and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus for us!


Prayer (by the guy in the first drama perhaps.)
Oh God, thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus for us. Without this sacrifice I could not please you. I am a sinner. (I repent of my sins.) Forgive me for I have sinned against you and others. Forgive my sins. I trust that Jesus died for my sins, and was raised to life again. I trust in nothing else to cleanse me from my sins. Cleanse my sins by the blood of Jesus. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. I give you my life. I want to please you at all times. Give me strength to live for you. Thank you for forgiving my sins by the blood of Jesus. Praise you God!


Song/Songs