Mockery or feat? “Saturday Night Live” program dedicated an episode to the death and resurrection of Jesus

A comedy sketch lasting over four minutes called “Vacation Church” was aired on the latest episode of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” The sketch portrays the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, along with a Bible verse.

This led a former cast member to wonder if it was the first time the show had shared the “Gospel” message.

The sketch features a Catholic family from Ohio, consisting of two parents and two children, attending church while on vacation in Jamaica. By Tuesday afternoon, the video had amassed over 1.7 million views on YouTube.

During their vacation, the children, portrayed by Andrew Dismukes and Molly Kearney, express their lack of enthusiasm for having to attend the early morning 6:30 am mass.

Dismukes questions his father about the need to take them to church during their vacation, while Kearney suggests the possibility of skipping a Sunday. However, their father, played by Shane Gillis, insists that as Catholics, it is important to attend church no matter where they are.

The sketch’s comedy stems from the contrast between the Jamaican accent of the priest and his assistant, as well as the entire congregation, and the non-conforming American Catholic family. Eventually, the American father starts using the Jamaican dialect.

After the church’s guests are mentioned, the family is singled out as out of place by the worshipers. The priest talks about Jesus and sings a religious song with comedic lyrics, while his assistant responds with humor.

In the end, the father emphasizes that faith transcends cultural differences, stating in a Jamaican accent, “The father has a point, Jesus was on the cross, died for our sins, and three days later he left, rose to heaven.“

The mother of the family, portrayed by Heidi Gardner, is surprised to hear her husband adopt a Jamaican accent and asks him what’s going on. The priest then invites the mother onto the stage to share her favorite Bible verse, which turns out to be 1 Corinthians 13.

From there, the mass is celebrated in a Jamaican manner, with the American family fully immersed and excited.

For Victoria Jackson, a former cast member, this is the first time the Gospel has been preached within the show.

“Well, that’s a first. I just heard the Gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, in an SNL sketch! Amazing,” she told Entertainment Weekly.

“So, Shane Gillis had SNL share the gospel message during a Jamaican church sketch. That seems historic to me,” comedian Melissa Jean said on Twitter.

Although the sketch addressed the death and resurrection of Jesus, it did not mention his sacrifice for the eternal life of those who believe in Him.

Some may find the parody questionable for its potential mockery of Christianity and the portrayal of the congregation dancing at the end.

According to a study by HarrisX and the Faith and Media Initiative, 69% of Americans believe that entertainment promotes religious stereotypes, while 63% globally share that opinion.

On the other hand, 55% of Americans and 59% globally admitted to having learned something new about another religion through watching movies or shows.

In another episode of SNL, Jesus was parodied as a vengeful killer, which sparked controversy during Lent in 2013. The parody titled “Djesus Uncrossed” imitated the style of Quentin Tarantino movies, showing Jesus as a figure of vengeance in a fake movie trailer.