Lucy is too young to care about stick puppets and Easter traditions, but I can’t resist.  I want to tell her stories of Jesus.

What began as a quest for suitable stick puppets has turned into a lively quest for Christ. I finally gave up on ready-made stick puppets and drew these*, only to discover that these don’t illustrate the Biblical accounts very well either. I’m missing characters. Depending on which account I read**, I could also include Pilate, Caiaphas, Herod, an angelic duo, a pair of disciples (on the road to Emmaus), Jesus’ mother, an ear-less soldier (Malchus), and Judas Iscariot.

I’m overwhelmed and inspired. My artistry is incomplete, but I am grateful for the questions that have emerged. How do I tell the story of Jesus? What does it mean to me that He died and was resurrected three days later? Where should I start, and which characters should I include? Which parts of the scriptural narrative do I cling to? Is it Peter’s tragic denial, dramatically heightened by the crowing cock? Or the quiet presence of women at the cross and tomb? Or perhaps it is the mandate that He leaves with his disciples to teach repentance and redemption from sin?

I can’t decide. But I have many, many Easters ahead of me to practice studying and telling the stories of Jesus.

So grateful.

*Feel free to download a PDF for your own color-and-tell purposes. Perhaps next year I’ll create an expanded edition with the complete cast.

**Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-21, 3 Nephi 8-11, Alma 7:10-12