DISCLAIMER : :
All opinions expressed here and or in other gists are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the church as individuals or the church as an organization or institution.
“The actor is not Jesus. This is just a play.”
That statement is factually true—but it does not resolve the issue. It misunderstands the nature and purpose of biblical representation.
No one involved believes the actor is Jesus. No one is proposing a literal crucifixion or the use of real blood. The question is not whether the portrayal is literal, but whether it is faithful.
Scripture itself commands the use of symbolic, representative acts to proclaim truth.
Communion does nothing in and of itself.
The bread does not become Christ’s flesh. The cup does not become Christ’s blood. There is no physical transformation, no repeated sacrifice, no literal consumption of Christ.
And yet, Christ explicitly commands it:
“Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22:19)
Communion is a representation, not a reenactment—but it is not optional, arbitrary, or theologically neutral. The symbols are carefully chosen because they accurately represent what Christ actually did: His body was broken. His blood was shed.
To remove the cup, or to replace it with something that avoids the idea of blood, would be to distort the meaning of the ordinance—even though the elements themselves are symbolic.
The power of communion is not in the physical elements, but in the truth they proclaim.
By the same logic, saying “this is just a play” does not give us license to alter or soften the meaning of the cross.
A symbolic act does not need to be literal to be accountable to truth. In fact, because it is symbolic, accuracy matters even more.
The crucifixion was bloody—not metaphorically, but historically and intentionally. Scripture repeatedly emphasizes this:
- “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22)
- “This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” (Matthew 26:28)
- “He poured out His soul to death.” (Isaiah 53:12)
To portray the crucifixion without blood is not merely to simplify—it is to visually contradict what Scripture explicitly teaches was necessary.
We already accept this principle in worship:
- Sermons are not the Bible, yet they must accurately teach it.
- Songs are not Scripture, yet they must faithfully reflect it.
- Communion elements are not Christ, yet they must truthfully represent Him.
The Easter Pageant functions the same way. It is a representational proclamation of the gospel. As such, it carries responsibility.
Saying “the actor is not Jesus” answers a question no one is asking. The real question is:
Does this representation tell the truth about what Jesus actually endured and accomplished?
“Yes, it is just a play.” In the same way communion is “just bread and juice.”
Yet both are acts of remembrance commanded—or at least grounded—in Scripture, meant to proclaim the gospel through likeness.
We are not called to reenact Christ’s sacrifice, but we are called to remember it rightly.
And Scripture is unambiguous: The cross cannot be remembered truthfully apart from the shedding of blood.