A nativity drama for churches to use for a special service for Action for Children

Kindly donated by Angela Yardy of www.bestchildrensnativity.com

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READ: Luke Chapter 1 verse 26-38, The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Approaching that God-given first Christmas dayAn angel told Mary what part she would play.Or so they say...

Angel 1:Greetings, dear Mary, God’s chosen one. I’m here to inform you, you’ll soon have a son. But He will be special, the Lord come to earth: God’s chosen you, Mary, to give Him His birth!

That wonderful God-given prophesied dayMary replied to the angel this way:Or so they say...

Mary:I am the Lord’s servant; may it be to me Exactly as you have said it will be.

READ: Matthew Chapter 1 verse 18-25, The Birth of Jesus Christ

When God planned that God-given first Christmas dayHis angel told Joseph, in a dream, to stay. Or so they say...

Angel 2: Just as the prophet Isaiah foretold, Mary is carrying God’s child. Behold!His birth is of God, Mary bears you no shame, Take her as your wife and make Jesus His name.

Aware of God’s plans for that first Christmas dayJoseph, a godly man, chose to obey.But what did he say?

Joseph:If God’s chosen Mary, then I must agreeTo stand by my promise, for God’s chosen meTo nurture and cherish the Lord’s precious son: The Lord God has spoken, let His will be done.

Welcome to everyone who’s come today To see and to hear our nativity play. And what we say... This wonderful God-given Christmassy day We’ll read from the bible throughout our play. So, what does it say?

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READ: Luke Chapter 2 verse 1-7, The Birth of Jesus

Unfortunately, near that first Christmas dayCaesar had plans for the people to pay.Or so they say...

Caesar:I’d like some more money, I think that I could Extort some through taxes: yes, that would be good!

Therefore, approaching that first Christmas dayA soldier announced Caesar’s words to obey.Or so they say...

Soldier:Go back to the town where your family lives, So I can be sure that everyone gives.

Expecting that God-given first Christmas dayMary and Joseph set off on their way.Or so they say...

Joseph:Bethlehem does seem a very long way, I hope there’ll be somewhere that we can both stay.

Mary:I’m getting quite worried, especially as, maybe, There could be a chance that I’ll soon have my baby.

As part of that God-given first Christmas dayAn innkeeper offered a place to stay.Or so they say...

Innkeeper:I have nowhere left in my inn now for you. I’m sorry, but you were the last in the queue.

Joseph:But please, my wife has to have somewhere to rest.Surely there’s somewhere? Please, just do your best.

Innkeeper:I see that you’re desperate. I think that I’m ableTo free up some space for you out in the stable.

That wonderful God-given first Christmas dayA baby was laid in a manger of hay.Or so they say...

Children (or just Mary) sing(s) the following as a lullaby to Jesus, to the tune of ‘Hush Little Baby’:Hush little baby, laid in the straw, Nothing is the same in this world anymore. You’ve come to the earth, leaving heaven above: God’s son, and our Saviour, and brimming with love.

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READ: Luke Chapter 2 verses 8-20, The Shepherds and the Angels

That wonderful God-given first Christmas dayA bright light appeared, to some shepherd’s dismay.Or so they say...

Angel 3:Do not be afraid, for I bring you no danger!You must go to Bethlehem, search for a manger.You’ll find baby Jesus in swaddling bands:He is the Messiah, the Lord of all lands.

That wonderful God-given first Christmas dayThe shepherds kept watch so their sheep didn’t stray.Or so they say...

Shepherd 1:We saw a bright light in the sky overhead.

Shepherd 2:We all were afraid, for it filled us with dread.

Shepherd 3:But then the light spoke; she said, “I bring good news! A Saviour is born to be King of the Jews.”

READ: Matthew 2 verses 1-12, The Visit of the Magi

That wonderful God-given first Christmas dayThree kings saw a star. It was far, far away.Or so they say...

King 1:Look up in the sky. See that star: it’s so bright! The scriptures say that’s an unusual sight. It tells of a baby who’s born to be king Of earth, and of heaven; of everything!

That wonderful God-given first Christmas dayKing Herod was nervous and filled with dismay.Or so they say...

King Herod (to the kings):A baby who’s born to be greater and higher Than all other kings? Do you mean the Messiah?!

(To himself/his soldier/the audience, etc)What is this I’m hearing? I don’t like this news. I don’t like the sound of this King of the Jews!

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Some time later on, since that first Christmas dayThe kings found the baby and knelt where He lay.Or so they say...

King 1:I may be a king, but I bring frankincenseAnd bow at your feet in your holy presence.

King 2:Whilst I too am royal, I bring myrrh for you;It represents what God has sent you to do.

King 3:And finally, Jesus, I bring you some gold.The King of Kings’ birth has, long since, been foretold.

Do you, when you think of that first Christmas day Really believe that it happened that way? The way that they say… For here on this God-given Christmassy day We’ve told Jesus’ story in our special way. But can we just say... On present-filled, God-given Christmas Day We hope you’ll remember our Christmassy play. So what DID it say?

READ: John 3 verse 16…

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

On the following page is my trademark “Nativity Roll Call” which offers everyone an opportunity to stand and take a bow at the end of the play. If you choose to omit any of the actors, alternative suggestions for the narrator to say are offered in italics (use the words in italic to replace the bold type above them).

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‘That God-given First Christmas Day’ Roll Call Poem © Angela Yardy 2016 www.bestchildrensnativity.com

Now, we have one more thing that we’d like to do: We have a Nativity Roll Call for you. For so many people have joined us today To bring you this God-given Christmassy play.

Yes, I read the bible, and told you first handThe biblical story, as we understand.

We were your narrator(s). That story of old(I was)Is one that the prophets had also foretold.

And I was the Angel who visited earth(There was an angel)To tell Mary of the Lord Jesus’ birth.

Or if you have only had one angel to visit, both Mary and Joseph use this line instead:

To tell the young couple of Jesus’ birth.

I have been Mary, and I was the one(Then there was Mary and she)That God chose to carry His only son.

Omit the following rhyming couplet if you had the same angel visit both Mary and Joseph

I was the angel who, in a dream, came(There was an)To Joseph on Mary’s behalf to explain.

I played Mary’s husband (that’s Joseph, the one(Then there was Joseph and he was)Who God chose to care for His beloved son.)

I have been Caesar: the Emperor of Rome.(There was an Emperor Caesar)I told everyone that they had to go home.(Who)

Excuse me, I’m sorry, but that isn’t true;For I was the soldier: I told them for you!(...there was a soldier who)

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I was the innkeeper; I saved the day,(There was an innkeeper who)Providing a bed and a manger of hay.

Together we sang a sweet lullaby to(I sang a song,)The babe in the manger; that’s Jesus to you!

The shepherds saw me when a bright light appeared(..........were frightened:)But I was an angel: I’m not to be feared.(there) (who’s)

I/We played the shepherd(s). I/We heard the great news(There were some/was a shepherd(s). They/he)And set off in search of the King of the Jews.

I was the star and I marked out the way(There was a star and it)To Jesus, the Lord, as the prophesies say.

We were the kings and we followed the star;(There were some kings and they)For many long months we’d have travelled afar.(they’d)

I played King Herod. I tried to enquire(Then there was Herod who)About the young baby who’d be the Messiah.

You might choose to use this last rhyming couplet to includethe backstage /costume /music supporters etc of your nativity.

We all helped to do this nativity playMainly by helping in some unseen way.

Finally, you were the audience who We hope will have heard God’s message to you. So now as we end our nativity play We’ve just one more thing that we’d all like to say. Together, we’d like to tell everyone here...

Everyone joins in together: We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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A Message to round off your Christmas Event in aid of Action for Children © Angela Yardy 2016 www.bestchildrensnativity.com

As Christmas approaches, we think of that dayWhen one very special child headed our way.

We think of the message He came to proclaimAnd ask God to help us in Jesus’ name

To show, through our actions, that He’s our Messiah;To share His compassion and Godly desire.

Through Action for Children, we pray that we mightHelp children to feel loved, whatever their plight.

For each one is special, potential is there,So help them to know that we see, and we care.

May each child know joy, from our Father above,As Action for Children share Jesus’ love.

And as we support them in our own wayHelp us to take Action for Children today.

For other resources, please visit www.bestchildrensnativity.com and Angela’s free educational poetry website www.angelaspoems.com which includes Christian bible-based poems. These are available for anyone to use without charge, even in print, (so long as Angela’s name and website are referenced), and are a great resource for churches to use for their church magazines, posters, sermons and pastoral work.

Action for Children would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Angela Yardy for providing this drama and other materials to enable churches that support our work to hold a special event for us at Christmas.

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Suggestions

Use parts or all of the nativity play, with or without actors, using the following cast:

Introducer (Bold red type)Narrator (Bold type)Bible reader

Parts are written for:Angel 1, 2 & 3, Mary, Joseph, Caesar, Soldier, Innkeeper, Shepherds 1, 2 & 3, Kings 1, 2 & 3, King Herod.

Whilst lines are provided for each of the characters above, they can be shared or omitted without losing the flow of the story in any way as the bible readings and narrator’s parts provide the same details, but actors provide the visual and enable you to gradually build up a tableau throughout the play.

If you choose for the children to perform songs, the division of the script provides natural opportunities to include them. Alternatively, you could include hymns/carols at the appropriate places, such as O Little Town of Bethlehem, While Shepherds Watched their Flocks, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, We Three Kings of Orient Are, etc.

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