Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
As churches across the world prepare for their own “Passion” plays, I thought I’d share the history of how it originated.
In the early 1600’s, a small village in Germany called Oberammergau, desperately cried out to God to save them from the bubonic plague which was devastating Europe at the time. The people of this town vowed to perform a play where every villager, both rich and poor, would participate. They would present the story of Messiah to the world every ten years forevermore, if the Lord would remove the plague from their people.
Even as thousands were dying in nearby villages, Oberammergau was untouched by this terrible disease. The people of Oberammergau were completely spared. This was the beginning of a tradition of which you’ve surely heard — the renowned “Passion play”.
No matter what is happening around us –wars, plagues, sin running rampant — if we are whole heartily committed to serving God, we’ll be in the position to escape just as the tiny village of Oberammergau!