 The Mutual Broadcasting System presents the family theater starring Miss Ethel Barrymore, the Mitchell Boy Choir, and the music of Meredith Wilson. Charles Boyer is your host. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. This is Charles Boyer. As your host for this evening, I should tell you something about family theater and the story you will hear tonight. Therefore, if I may, I would like to remind you that family theater is dedicated to your family with the hope that your family would always be happy. As you probably know, many of us in old phase of the entertainment industry joined with so many of you in the sincere belief that a happy family is a family that acknowledges God and seeks His help. To put it another way, a family that prays together stays together. Now, about tonight's story, there is very little that can be added to its own great words. It is the passion, death, and resurrection adapted especially for radio by John Slott and narrated by Miss Ethel Barrymore. In these days of his slow dawning toward a new world of peace, we need the old words to guide us. And what greater words can we thus express for this festival day on the words of the passion, death, and resurrection? And it came to pass when Jesus has ended all these words. He said to his disciples, You know that after two days shall be the past and the son of man shall be delivered up to be crucified. Then we gather together the chief priests and ancients of the people into the court of the high priest who was called Caiaphas. And they consulted together that by subtlety they might apprehend Jesus and put Him to death. But they said not on the festival day, less perhaps there should be tumult among the people. And when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the Lepper, they came to him a woman having an alabaster box of precious ointment and poured it on his head as he was at table. And the disciples seeing it had indignation saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this might have been sold for much and given to the poor. And Jesus knowing it said to them, Why do you trouble this woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon me, For the poor you have always with you, But me you have not always. For she in pouring this ointment upon my body hath done it for my burial. And I say to you wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, That also which she hath done shall be told for a memory of her. Then went one of the twelve who was called Judas Iscariot to the chief priests and said to them, What will you give me and I will deliver him unto you? But they appointed him thirty pieces of silver and from thenceforth he sought opportunity to betray him. And on the first day of their zeems the disciples came to Jesus saying, Where wilt that we prepare for thee to eat the pash? But Jesus said, Go ye into the city to a certain man and say to him, The master saith my time is near at hand, With thee I make the pash with my disciples. And the disciples did a Jesus appointed to them and they prepared the pash. But when it was evening he sat down with his twelve disciples and whilst they were eating he said, And I say to you that one of you is about to betray me. And they being very troubled began everyone to say, Is it I Lord? But he answering said, He that dipeth his hand with me in the dish, he shall betray me. The son of man indeed goeth as it is written of him, But woe to that man by whom the son of man shall be betrayed. There were better for him if that man had not been born. And Judas that betrayed him answering said, Is it I Rabbi? He saith to him, Thou hast said it. And whilst they were at supper Jesus took bread and blessed and broke And gave to his disciples and said, Take ye and eat this is my body. And taking the chalice he gave thanks and gave to them saying, Drink ye all of this for this is my blood of the New Testament Which shall be shed for many unto remissions of sins. And I say to you I will not drink from henceforth this fruit of the vine Until that day when I shall drink it with you knew in the kingdom of my father. And to him being said they went out into the mount of olives. Jesus said to Peter, And I say to thee that in this night before the cockroach Thou wilt deny me thrice. Peter saith to him, Ye, though I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. And in like manner said all the disciples. Then Jesus came with them into a country place which is called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, Sit you here till I go yonder and pray. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee He began to grow sorrowful and to be sad. Then he saith to them my soul is sorrowful even unto death. Stay you here and watch with me. My little further he fell upon his face praying insane. My father if it be possible let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt. And he cometh to his disciples and findeth them asleep. And he saith to Peter what could you not watch one hour with me. Watch ye and pray that ye enter not into temptation. This spirit indeed is willing but the flesh weak. Again the second time he went and prayed saying, My father of this chalice may not pass away but I must drink it. Thy will be done. And he cometh again and findeth them sleeping while their eyes are heavy. And leaving them he went again and he prayed the third time saying the self same way. Then he cometh to his disciples and saith to them Sleep ye now and take your rest. Behold the hours at hand and the son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners. Right let us go. Behold he is at hand that will betray me. And as he yet spoke behold Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs sent from the chief priests and the ancients of the people. And he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying Whomsoever I shall kiss that is he hold him fast. And forthwith coming to Jesus he said hail Rabbi and he kissed him. And Jesus said to him friend where to art thou come. Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and held him. And behold one of them that were with Jesus stretching forth his hand drew out his sword and striking the servant of the high priest cut off his ear. Then Jesus saith to him put up again the sword into its place for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Think as thou I cannot ask my father and he will give me presently more than twelve legions of angels. How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that so it must be done. In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes you are come out as it were to a robber with swords and clubs to apprehend me. I sat daily with you teaching in the temple. You laid not hands on me. Now all this was done that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then the disciples all leaving him fled. But they holding Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest where the scribes and the ancients were assembled. And the chief priests and the whole council sought false witness against Jesus that they might put him to death. And they found not whereas many false witnesses had come in and last of all there came two false witnesses. And they said this man said I am able to destroy the temple of God and after three days to rebuild it. And the high priest rising up said to him answer us thou nothing to the things which these witness against thee. But Jesus held his peace and the high priest said to him I have joy thee by the living God that thou tellest if thou be the Christ the son of God. Jesus saith to him thou hast said it nevertheless I say to you hereafter you shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of the power of God and coming in the clouds of heaven Then the high priest rent his garments saying he hath blasphemed what further need have we of witnesses. For whole now you have heard the blasphemy what think you but they are answering said he is guilty of death. Peter sat without in the court and there came to him a servant maid saying thou also wasst with Jesus the Galilean but he denied before them all saying I know not what thou sayest and he went out of the gate another maid saw him she saith to them that were there this man also was with Jesus of Nazareth and again he denied it with an oath I know not the man and after a little while they came that stood by and said to Peter surely thou also art one of them for even thy speech doth discover thee Then he began to curse and to swear that he knew not the man and immediately the cock crow and Peter remembered the word of Jesus what he had said before the cock crow thou wilt deny me thrice and going forth he wept bitterly He was come all the chief priests and ancients of the people took counsel against Jesus that they might put him to death they brought him bound and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor then Judas who betrayed him seeing that he was condemned repenting himself brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and ancients saying I have sinned in betraying innocent blood but they said what is that to us looked thou to it and casting down the pieces of silver in the temple he departed and went and hanged himself but the chief priests having taken the pieces of silver was not lawful to put them into the corbonner because it is the price of blood and after they had counseled together they brought with them the potter's field to be a burying place for strangers for this cause that field was called Hasaldana that is the field of blood even to this day and was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet saying the thirty pieces of silver the price of him that was prized whom they prized of the children of Israel and they gave them unto the potter's field as the Lord appointed me now upon the solemn day the governor was accustomed to release to the people one prisoner Pilate saith to them what shall I do then with Jesus that is called Christ and they all said let him be crucified the governor said to them why what evil hath he done but they cried out the more saying let him be crucified Pilate saying that he prevailed nothing but that rather a tumult was made taking water washed his hands before the people saying I am innocent of the blood of this just man look you to it whole people answering said his blood be upon us and upon our children he delivered them unto them to be crucified then the soldiers of the governor taking Jesus into the hall gathered together unto him the whole bend and stripping him they put a scarlet cloak about him and platting a crown of thorns they put it upon his head and a reed in his right hand and by the knee before him they mocked him saying hail king of the Jews and spitting upon him they took the reed and struck his head and after they had mocked him they took off the cloak from him and put on his own garments and led him away to crucify him and going out they found a man of Cyrene named Simon him they forced to take up his cross and they came to the place that is called Galgotha which is the place of Calvary and they gave him wine to drink mingled with gall and when he tasted it he would not drink and after they had crucified him they divided his garments casting lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying they divided my garments among them and upon my vesture they cast lots and they sat and watched him and they put over his head his cause written this is Jesus the king of the Jews crucified with him two thieves one on the right hand and one on the left and they that passed by blasphemed him wagging their head saying vah thou that destroys the temple of God and in three days has rebuilt it saved thy own self that thou with the son of God come down from the cross and like manner also the chief priests with the scribes and ancients mocking said he saved others himself he cannot save if he be the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him he trusted in God let him now deliver him if he will have him for he said I am the son of God from the sixth hour there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour and about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying ailey ailey lama sabachtini my God my God why has now forsaken me and some that stood there and heard said this man calleth Elias and immediately one of them running took a sponge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink and the other said let be let us see whether Elias will come to deliver him and Jesus again crying with a loud voice and yielded up the ghost all the veil of the temple was rent in two from top even to the bottom and the earthquake and the rocks were rent and the graves were opened and many bodies of the saints that it slept arose and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they came into the holy city and appeared to many now the centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus having seen the earthquake and the things that were done were so afraid saying indeed this was the son of God end of the Sabbath when it began to dawn towards the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the saplica and behold there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and coming rolled back the stone and sat upon it and his countenance was a lightning and his raiment is snow and the angel answering said to the women fear not you for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified he is not here for he is risen as he said come and see the place where the Lord was laid and the 11 disciples went into Galilee under the mountain where Jesus appointed them and seeing him they adored but some doubt it and Jesus coming spoke to them saying all power is given to me in heaven and in earth go therefore teach you all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and behold I am with you all days even to the end of the world this is Charles Boyer again I'm sure you were just as moved as I was with Mary Morse reading from the New Testament the story you heard tonight is a true story hundreds of years old it's a story that will never die so long as someone lives to read it or to tell it and that story is especially wonderful for this program family theater because it is a story of sacrifice and after all the story of your family of any good family is a story of sacrifice is it not what mother has not given up so much for her children what father has not sacrificed for his wife and family keeping a family together whether that family is just two people a husband and a wife or a big family with many children keeping that family together and happy demands continual sacrifice on your part sometimes the things you must do and the things you must do without are almost too much to bear but you need never despair because you can do anything with help and you can always get the most wonderful most powerful help in all the world just by asking for it ask god for his help his help is so easy to get just say a prayer and say that prayer together with your family a family that prays together stays together so tonight and every night thank god for what you have and ask him for what you need and if you have never turned to god before and you turn to him now this will indeed be a joyful and happy Easter for you and your family before saying good night I want to express our thanks to all of you who have helped make this program possible a special word of praise to John Slott for his adaptation and to Bob Mitchell for directing the choir thanks also to Mel Williamson for directing our play tonight and to our producer Bob Longnecker next week our stars in the family theater will be James Craig and Jane Wyatt with John Charles Thomas as your host good night this series of the family theater broadcast is made possible by the thousands of you who felt the need for this kind of program by the mutual network which has responded to this need and by the actors and technicians in the motion picture and radio industries who have volunteered their services to fulfill it Tony LaFranco speaking this is the mutual broadcasting system