The Greatest Story [Gospel According to St. Matthew]

Out on the street, Sister Mary nervously struggles to find words that will grab the attention of the self-absorbed pedestrians storming past her. Surprisingly, she spots the assailants who just robbed a bank as they flee from the police. As the group immerses, one of the robbers blends into the small crowd that has stopped to listen to her. Mid-song, as Mary attempts to signal the nearby officers, the assailant pulls out a gun and points it at her... then pulls the trigger. (4:42)

Where Is He? [Matthew 2:1-15]

3BC: Suddenly, it's nighttime. Mary wakes up in the middle of a desert and frantically checks her torso for a bullet hole... she doesn't find one. Dazed and confused, she stumbles to her feet as windblown sand partially obscures her view, spotting two travelers in the distance. She pursues them for answers, unaware that three mysterious female mystics of the Essence sect, who have been monitoring the travelers, have now spotted her. Surprised and fearful that Mary is about to ruin the cosmic plan, they panic and scurry to intercept her before she can interrupt Joseph and Mary's journey to Bethlehem. Meanwhile, in a parallel plight, wise men from the east, searching for the prophesied Star Child, have followed a star that led them west to Bethlehem, where they assume the presiding king can direct the rest of their journey, but the king fears they have identified a threat to his family throne. What will happen when these two parallels collide? (7:14)

Faction [Matthew 2:16-18]

King Herod discovers the wise men have forsaken their mission. In essence, they secretly departed Bethlehem without returning to the palace to report their progress. In a fit of rage, the king storms throughout the court, ranting and raving about the conspiracies that threaten his throne, including his underlying intention to murder the star child. But what the king does not realize is that the evil entity known as The Dark Lord has been orchestrating his every move; currently influencing him to destroy the star child by any means necessary. How far is King Herod willing to go? (3:37)

The River Jordan [Matthew 3:1-6]

30-YEARS LATER: Because of the Essences' intervention, Mary wakes up in the back of a clothing tent in the marketplace district of Jordan City. Suddenly, her sister, Martha, comes calling. Excitement is brewing up the road because John the Baptist, the revered preacher from the wilderness, has arrived at a nearby bank of the Jordan River. After Mary gathers her senses, Martha convinces her to come to the Jordan event. Sister Mary recognizes this as a possible opportunity to get back home. As the people gather, the Baptist preaches the arrival of the soon-to-come Messiah; a story Mary knows well. But as she keeps a close eye out for the man she expects to appear, he never shows up. Now what? (8:43)

Beatitudes [Matthew 5:1-12]

Mary's head is spinning after she realizes she is somehow 2,000 years in the past. To make matters worse, nothing is how she expected it to be. To begin with, she doesn't recognize the man John the Baptist introduced as the Messiah. His demeanor is insecure, unsure, cowardly. And it's obvious he doesn't like crowds; essentially reminding Mary of herself. After the Baptist departs, the Messiah realizes that John had the opposite effect on the people. Instead of preparing the way of the Lord, the Baptist, however unintentionally, prepared the way for himself, as the people are still obviously devoted to him. Can the Messiah's first public message break the Baptist's spell? (4:50)

I Will Follow U [John 1:35-42]

Astonished, Mary recognizes every word of the Messiah's message and realizes this shadow of a person must indeed be the Messiah. Suddenly, she has an epiphany. Phase one of her plan is to become a disciple, a sure way to stay close to Him. But before she can put her plan into motion, six men (in pairs of two) step out from the crowd to pledge their loyalty to the Messiah. One after another, they push Mary aside as she struggles to make her presence known. Meanwhile, Martha, who knows her place in society, is thrown for a loop. Will Mary be able to change their minds? (5:03)

The Adulteress [John 8:1-10]

Suddenly, the celebratory mood of the newly formed fellowship is interrupted by a local commotion storming down the street. Orchestrated by the Dark Lord, the prominent and feared Pharisee sect is harassing and bullying a young woman as they approach the Messiah and his entourage. They are accusing her of having committed the heinous crime of adultery. But little does the Messiah know, there is more to this ordeal than meets the eye. Will the Messiah fall prey to the Dark Lord's ploy? (4:09)

Justify Why [John 8:1-11]

The adulteress is astonished that the Messiah came to her rescue, but she does not understand why. Little does she know that Mary, while remaining inconspicuous, was mainly responsible for making it look as though the Messiah fearlessly challenged the Pharisee sect. Be that as it may, no man has ever helped her without demanding something in return. As the Messiah and company take their leave, the woman walks the street in solitude (eventually joined by the Trio), contemplating her would-be fate had there not been a Messiah. In her mind, the Messiah should want her in the same way every other man has wanted her. Will she reveal the Messiah's secret desires? (4:42)

The Mount [Matthew 5:13-16; 21, 33-34; 6:1-13]

The Messiah and his entourage have journeyed to Jerusalem. There they encounter a gathering just outside the city. As it turns out, Mary has convinced Martha to follow the merry band with her, but from a short distance, like a couple of stray puppies. The two ladies immediately blend in with the crowd while the six disciples mingle as well. The Messiah wanders further away and settles on a hill that towers above the crowd. When he speaks, everyone present begins to listen. But what does he say to them that is so mesmerizing? (3:47)

The Sabbath [Mark 3:1-6]

Led by the Dark Lord, the Pharisees arrive toward the end of the Messiah's sermon. Initially, they wonder why the marketplace is nearly empty. The moment they realize the people are under this new Messiah's spell, their fangs and claws come out for the attack. Having noticed the Messiah cannot stand his ground on his own, his six disciples rush to his defense, verbally attacking and counterattacking, though the Pharisees prove to be no easy prey. Mary cannot help herself; her overprotective 21st-century instincts kick in. She attempts to rush to the Messiah's defense against the Pharisees, but Martha, realizing how dangerous that is, struggles to stop her. The Messiah takes notice. (4:45)

I'm Your Servant [John 1:43-51]

After witnessing the unbelievable triumph of the Messiah over the Pharisees, six more men from the crowd step forward to devote their lives to the Messiah. But the previous six feel threatened and encourage the Messiah to turn these new strangers away. However, Mary makes an indirect suggestion, just close enough for the Messiah to hear. As a result, the Messiah has other plans in mind that involve twelve disciples instead of six. What might those plans be? (4:31)

I Give [John 4:5-30]

After the company of twelve is complete, the Messiah mysteriously departs. None of them noticed him leave, but fortunately, Mary did. She takes off behind him. Searching for solitude, the Messiah encounters a woman from Samaria at Jacob's well. Despite the deep rift between the Jews and Samaritans (the Samaritans believe their religion is the true Israelite religion that existed before the Babylonian exile, while the current Jewish religion has been altered to survive in Babylonian society and brought back by those who returned from exile), the Messiah asks for her service; "Woman, Bring me drink". Sister Mary arrives and intervenes. Supported by the Trio, she has a secret request to make. Can she break through the cultural barrier to deliver it? (6:53)

Come Un2 Me [Matthew 19:13-15]

The Dark Lord leads the Pharisees to Jacob's well. There they discover the Messiah with his only protection being a defenseless woman, Mary. They slowly and cautiously approach to move in for the kill. Suddenly, Mary flees. The Pharisees let her pass. They move closer to the now-alone Messiah. Before they can get within striking distance, the Twelve and Martha arrive. As Martha gets out of the way, the two groups stare each other down in a standoff. There's going to be a rumble for sure. Suddenly, before either side can make the next move, a large group of children led by Sister Mary bursts onto the scene. They want to meet the Messiah. A little caught off guard, the Twelve form a protective barrier around the Messiah as the Pharisees back off and depart. But these kids are cunning. As they toy with and harass the Twelve, they burst into song and dance. (7:58)

The Prodigal Son [Luke 15:11-32]

3-YEARS LATER: The Messiah and the Twelve encounter a crowd just outside the city of Bethsaida, with Mary still encouraging Martha to follow them. But still from a short distance, and as the crowd gathers, the two ladies blend in. Mean while the Messiah takes this opportunity to share the parable of the Prodigal Son, as the characters in the story are enacted. (4:09)

Thieves in the Temple [Matthew 21:12-13]

Suddenly, several Essenes crash the party. The leader, a secret Messiah informant, rushes to tell the Messiah about the illegal Pharisee activity going on inside the Bethsaida temple. Now overconfident and a bit out of control, the Messiah storms off toward the temple as the Twelve follow. They try to stop him and talk some sense into him before he makes a terrible mistake. One that they all might have to suffer the consequences for. (4:57)

What Do We? [John 11:47-53]

The Messiah's recent action inside the Bethsaida temple was the last straw. Orchestrated by the Dark Lord, the Pharisees rush to hold a secret meeting where they strategize their next and most decisive move against the Messiah. They meticulously plan how to kill him and justify why he must die. Because of the discord among the Messiah's twelve, Judas turns to the dark side. Will the Dark Lord's plan finally prevail? (3:14)

Son of Man [Matthew 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15]

In a moment of solitude near the Sea of Galilee, the Messiah, with Mary and Martha close by, is interrupted by the twelve. Before they can voice their concerns, a multitude arrives on the shore. Incited by the Dark Lord, they are angry the Messiah destroyed the temple. Jus in time, Trio arrives. They urge Sister Mary to get the Messiah to his feet. The Messiah leaps to his feet and teaches the parable of the Sower. (4:53)

The Hem of His Garment [Mark 5:25-34]

Hiding behind the crowd is a woman with a blood disorder she has had all her life. She realizes, this is the only opportunity she will have to be healed. That is, if she can approach the Messiah unnoticed and touch just the hem of his robe. Will the Messiah be as forgiving as expects? (4:45)

Perfect Love Affair

In the town of Magdala, Mary and Martha arrive home to begin preparations of the Passover feast. Mary reveals to Martha, the story of Ruth. (4:22)

A Touch of Love [1Corinthians 13]

As Mary and Martha prepares their home for the Passover feast and the arrival of the Messiah and the Twelve, they are visited by Trio for a mysterious reason. In addition, the Twelve arrive. Unexpectedly, they all help with the preparations. However, no one knows exactly where the Messiah is. Could this be a reason to panic? (5:26)

Come Lay Your Head [John 12:1-8]

The Messiah finally arrives at the home of Mary and Martha. He looks exhausted. The wear and tear of life's daily struggles have finally caught up with him. For the first time it shows, and everyone present expresses their concern. As they try to convince the Messiah to take a rest, the Pharisee vultures are circling, homing in on their prey. (5:13)

Sweet Communion [Matthew 26:20-35]

It's finally time for the last Passover supper. The Messiah will have it in the company of the Twelve. As he lays out his final instructions, one of the twelve is in for a big surprise. This forces Judas to leave the company. However, the Messiah does not see coming the surprise that awaits him: Mary presents her case to officially join his entourage. (6:32)

Thanks For Making Me Your Disciple

After Judas' departure, their is an empty seat at the table. After giving it more thought, the Messiah finally grants Sister Mary her request. He makes her his official disciple and sits her in Judas' empty seat. (6:44)

Gethsemane [Matthew 26:36-46]

The Messiah leads his disciples out to the garden of Gethsemane. It is not long before he realizes that his disciples are now weary. They all find comfortable spots and soon fall asleep. The Messiah takes advantage of this opportunity to venture off and pray in solitude. But this prayer soon turns into a plea... a plea for his life. Will this plea be granted, or will the Messiah be sacrificed? (5:19)

Mad [Matthew 26:47-56]

As the Messiah ends his prayer, he senses trouble approaching. Stomping on the ground in the distance trembles the earth and wakes the disciples from their slumber. The now-brave Messiah hurries back to confront the danger. Orchestrated by the Dark Lord, the former disciple Judas has led a garrison of temple guards to storm Gethsemane and arrest the Messiah. The Now-Eleven musters and forms a protective barrier. This ends in what seems to be a duel to the death between Simon and the head temple guard. Mary arrives to the scene hoping to help. Will the Messiah allow this ordeal to end in bloodshed other than his own? (6:29)

Do U Know Him? [Matthew 26:57-75]

The Messiah stands before the Sanhedrin. He has been beaten and tortured. The disciple Simon lurks outside the temple where the trial is being held, hoping there is something he can do to help. A hostile mob is also impatiently waiting and does not hesitate to ridicule the accused. Several people in the mob think they recognize Simon. They harass and intimidate him in attempts to get him to admit he is one of the Twelve. At the same time, Judas challenges the Dark Lord (the High Priest) to correct his betrayal of the Messiah. The Dark Lord leaves Judas no choice but to hang himself. (4:26)

Whether U Know [John 19:25-30]

The Messiah hangs on a cross between two thieves. At the foot of the cross is his mother. She is accompanied by the disciple John and Sister Mary. As Mother Mary expresses her sorrow, the crowd watches from a distance. The other disciples cower even farther away. All seems lost at this point for the Messiah's cause. (5:04)

Never b'The Same [John 20]

Three days after the Messiah's crucifixion, Mary and Martha are headed to his tomb to grant his body the gift of spices for the third day in a row. Although she realizes how important it is, Sister Mary has the hardest time getting over what happened. Along the way, they encounter the Eleven. They say their goodbyes and move on. The two sisters finally arrive at the Messiah's tomb. They find it empty. What will they do now? (6:28)

Finale

We pick up where we left off. (3:27)

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