Christmas in Genesis? How could this be? (A Free Christmas Play for Children)

Last year I wrote a post about finding Christmas plays for your children’s ministry. In the comments that followed, one reader offered to share her Christmas play. We are posting it here for anyone to use in their church Christmas pageant. Please leave feedback or say thanks in the comment form at the bottom of this post.
This Christmas play was written by Meketa Swords from Lighthouse WOC in Monroe, GA and this is our website. They used adults to do our puppets and the scripts where hiding in the barn behind the curtains and made it easy for the performance. The parts can be traded for children dressing as animals as well. More narration could replace some of the parts for smaller churches or a child could do different scenes.
[print_link] this Christmas Play

Christmas in Genesis? How could this be?

Narrator: Long, Long, Long time ago was nothing.. close your eyes and see nothing.. Genesis 1:1 in the beginning God created….everything! Then he created man and woman. Everything went fine for a while and then It happened! Satan, the devil told the lady if she ate the fruit from the tree of good and evil she to could be as smart as God. God told Adam not to eat from that tree and he told Eve, only one rule to OBEY, but she pulled the fruit and ate it! so did Adam. That’s when sin entered the world and that’s why we were all born with the nature to do the wrong things. And God way back then had a plan! That plan would happen many years from that day….. day by day he waited until the right minute and it happened.
An angel appeared to a young lady named Mary. Mary was probably very frightened! The angel said as all angels do FEAR NOT! and Mary ask who are you. I am a messenger from God, the most high and Holy, he sent me to tell you… You have been chosen to have the Holy baby, the son of God and his name should be Jesus, Emmanuel the Holy one.
Mary was speechless….. Angel: ” Are you okay? nod if you understand.. ” (Mary nods her head yes)
Angel: “Will you listen and obey God’s plan for your life?”
(Mary again nods…yes) (The angel disappears)
Narrator: Mary sits speechlessly and in deep thought. That was a lot to say to a young lady who was engaged to be married to her boyfriend Joseph… What have I done? What will Joseph say? What will everyone say? Have I ever goofed? That very night as Joseph slept softly well, not softly Joseph snored very loud… Joseph woke up from his dream shaking his head, could it be? how? us? why?
Joseph hurries to Mary’s house… She meets him…
Mary:  …Joseph I need to talk to you…
(as she speaks so does he…) Joseph : Mary, we need to talk…
Joseph: ” you go first… ”
Mary:”Joseph, you are never going to believe me….”
Joseph: “go ahead I think I may….”
Mary: Joseph, I was kneeling and praying and from no where there was an angel, that said I was the chosen one, the scriptures spoke of the mother of the son of God. I told the angel I wasn’t married and the angel said that was God’s plan the scripture spoke of that too… and I said yes before I could stop myself..
Joseph: “Mary, It’s okay the angel said the same to me, Fear not and follow the plans of God and the promised Messiah was coming.”
Narrator: The king send a letter to everyone in the villages, It read you are to go to the city of your birth place and pay your taxes.By this time Mary was about to give birth to this baby, but the law was the law and it didn’t wait for any baby! On a donkey with their bags they started their journey with no hotel reservations, because they had no cell phone to call. Hoping for an empty room somewhere that started knocking on doors, each time the same… sorry, no rooms left.no rooms left.. Joseph knew before they said it…NO rooms, he would repeat. The last hotel in the city The “N” Joseph was not taking no for an answer… No rooms was the answer…… But my wife.. The door slammed anyway. The “n” keepers wife saw the young couple and the expecting mom, she slipped out the side door and stop them… excuse me, excuse me… We have a barn with animals in the back, there is no bed but you can rest on the hay… Thank you , thank you it will work for now, for we have traveled far and my wife. I see said the n keeper’s wife. When’s the little one due? anytime now….
(Barn scene opens….)
Scene opens with the cow is arguing with the donkey….
Cow: I know it was my feeding tray!
Donkey: I rode her in on my back, I know the whole story.
Chicken: I was at her feet.
Duck: (quacked) I was listening at the door of the inn!
Pig: Will you all calm down.
Cow: Why should we listen to a pig? you just roll in your mud all day, what would you know anyway?
Chicken: yeah!
Pig: Someone has to take control of this madness.
Rat: (as he picks up dropped corn… ) I know the story I was in the house and outside!
Cow: What could a rat tell us? He lives in the dump!
(All laugh)
Pig: We can sort this out if only one at a time talks. Chicken first!
Chicken: I was by the lady and I heard her said that this was the one!
Cow: One what!
Chicken: I don’t know, I just know he is the ONE!
Pig: okay, He is the one! okay, duck
Duck: I heard the lady of the house say, They only had the barn, the couple said that would be fine they had traveled a long way.
Pig: okay, we know He’s the one and they traveled a long way! rat, do you have something to add…
Rat: yeah, the man said that star was placed here so others would know!
Pig: okay we know He’s the one, they traveled a long way and others will know by the star! What will they know?
Horse ( speaks up): They also said everyone had been waiting for him.
Pig: He’s the one, they came along way, the star shows others, everyone is waiting on him. okay we are getting a story together…cow
Cow: don’t forget the baby! I gave up my food for that little one and the mother said the angel said he’s name was Jesus! What’s an angel?
Pig: Don’t know, I do know He’s the one, they traveled a long way, the star shows others, everyone is waiting on him. It’s about the baby the mother calls Jesus! wait a minute someone’s coming, sssshhhhhh, keep your ears open and mouths closed let’s see what’s going on…
Over the mountain the shepherds in the field watching their sheep and playing a star game and all of a sudden BBOOOMM! a bright blinding light!
Angel: FEAR NOT!
( screaming loudly they missed the command to FEAR NOT!)
oldest shepherd: settle down …. okay. maybe we are not seeing anything, everyone close your eyes, now open..
Smallest Shepherd: It’s real. Who are you and where did you come from? how did you find us?
Angel: slow down…. I am a messager of the most Holy God. I come in peace to tell of the great news. Tonight in Bethlehem the city of David, the Messiah was born, if you go you will find him in a manger in swaddling clothes. Go quickly follow the star….
( Shepherds leave following the star……)
(lamb enters barn with shepherds….)
lamb: excuse me, may I sit for awhile I walked from the other side of the mountain…
pig: sure, what do you know about what’s going on?
lamb: I know that my masters where playing star games and something, they called an angel came from nowhere and told them the Lamb of God was born, follow the star and you will find him in a manger…(cow) that’s my manger…. and he would be in swaddling clothes. Here we are!
pig: He’s the one, they traveled along way, the star shows others and everyone is waiting on him. It’s about the baby the mother calls Jesus! and angel said he is the lamb of God and is in a manger go see! that is a lot about nothing…
donkey: can I speak now? pig sure I forgot about you…. well it started when we were home. I was resting and an angel appeared and spoke to my lady and said she was going to have a baby and he would be the Messiah, the son of God… (There was a aawwhhh in the barn!)
pig: …why didn’t you speak up sooner donkey?
Donkey: anyway, Joseph my lady’s husband had a dream and an angel told him the same thing and then he recieved a letter about taxes and here we are, no rooms in the inns or homes and the nice lady and the last stop n said we could stay here and here we are in your barn with the most special baby to ever be born was born in your barn and slept in your manger… chicken (spoke up) and slept next to me. And don’t forget me, duck said… WOW they said together!
Narrator: In another part of the country was Magi, they where men who watched the stars, like sciencists, they where very smart men and that same night they too saw the new star…
#1 wise men: Look!
#2 wise men: where?
#3 wise men: There you can’t miss it! WOW! there it is. It is as bright and big as we thought it would be.
#1 wise men:We must go!Now?
#2: Yes! But what about dinner?
#3: What about it? should we eat first?
#1: There is no time for that! we must go!
#3: Yeah!
#2: We must go buy gifts for the king! gifts where will we get gifts at 8:30? you know the marketplace closed at 4:00 yeah you are right… digging through old boxes one finds a tie? I have a tie! It’s never been worn!
#1: And what will a baby do with a tie!
#2: Yeah, the king is a baby!
#3: Let’s just get the gifts we had ready for the past few months for this occasion. Yeah that’s right, I forgot all about that. That’s why you have us to look after you!
#1: I’ll take the gold,
#2: I guess I’ll get the frankincense
#3: That leaves me with the myrrh, good thing I like myrrh!
#1: Let’s go!
Narrator: They to left to find the king, stopped by Herod who was jealous and a wicked King. He too had heard the rumors about the new king. He told the wise men, magi that when they find him come and tell him where he is so he too could go and worship! They knew he was lying to them, remember they were wise men. Herod wanted to kill the baby so he could not take his job away.
The magi had a long trip to make so they left….Arriving later they too found the baby and presented their gifts fit for a king.
(About that time entering the barn the three camels……)
Camels: excuse us, may we rest here…
pig: why no, this seems to be the most special spot on earth tonight, why are you here?
camels: our masters are here to bring gifts to the new king…
pig: King, Messiah, God’s son. Lamb of God, wow in our barn… God must really love us to allow us to give our home up to the King of kings….. What a night!
Narrator: And that night with the chickens, duck, cows, donkey, pigs, lambs, and the rest of the animals there it was a tiny baby boy, and was he ever beautiful. Mary could not take her eyes off the beautiful baby. There in the sky was the brightest star they had ever seen over the barn they where they all were… See the King of the world was born in a barn! not a hospital not a castle, but a barn! Still it didn’t matter to Mary or Joseph, he was the most beautiful precious baby ever born!
That night all that heard came to see and worship the son of God! the Messiah the promised one! That was to beginning to God’s plan to take away our sins and make a way to heaven again.
That’s why we give gifts to each other at Christmas to remind us of the gift God gave us. His son Jesus was born and came to earth as a baby. God loves us all so much that in John 3:16 For God so loved the world…….. He gave His only begotten son. He loves us all so much he gave his son Jesus to take our punishments for all our sins., he was born, died and rose again to make a way for us, because we all know that the only thing not in heaven is SIN and we must be forgiven of sin. And that was God plan all the way from Genesis to now! What a story of love. Remember Christmas is a time to give because God gave us his son, we can give ourselves to him by receiving Jesus for our own savior by allowing him to forgive us for our sins and confessing to him when we do wrong. What better gift to give this Christmas as giving yourself to Jesus and receiving Jesus as your gift. Jesus is the reason for our season!
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
(Barn scene opens….)
Scene opens with the cow is arguing with the donkey….
Cow: I know it was my feeding tray!
Donkey: I rode her in on my back, I know the whole story.
Chicken: I was at her feet.
Duck: (quacked) I was listening at the door of the inn!
Pig: Will you all calm down.
Cow: Why should we listen to a pig? you just roll in your mud all day, what would you know anyway?
Chicken: yeah!
Pig: Someone has to take control of this madness.
Rat: (as he picks up dropped corn… ) I know the story I was in the house and outside!
Cow: What could a rat tell us? He lives in the dump!
(All laugh)
Pig: We can sort this out if only one at a time talks. Chicken first!
Chicken: I was by the lady and I heard her said that this was the one!
Cow: One what!
Chicken: I don’t know, I just know he is the ONE!
Pig: okay, He is the one! okay, duck
Duck: I heard the lady of the house say, They only had the barn, the couple said that would be fine they had traveled a long way.
Pig: okay, we know He’s the one and they traveled a long way! rat, do you have something to add…
Rat: yeah, the man said that star was placed here so others would know!
Pig: okay we know He’s the one, they traveled a long way and others will know by the star! What will they know?
Horse
( speaks up): They also said everyone had been waiting for him.
Pig: He’s the one, they came along way, the star shows others, everyone is waiting on him. okay we are getting a story together…cow
Cow: don’t forget the baby! I gave up my food for that little one and the mother said the angel said he’s name was Jesus! What’s an angel?
Pig: Don’t know, I do know He’s the one, they traveled a long way, the star shows others, everyone is waiting on him. It’s about the baby the mother calls Jesus! wait a minute someone’s coming, sssshhhhhh, keep your ears open and mouths closed let’s see what’s going on…
(lamb enters with shepherds….)
lamb: excuse me, may I sit for awhile I walked from the other side of the mountain…
pig: sure, what do you know about what’s going on?
lamb: I know that my masters where playing star games and something, they called an angel came from nowhere and told them the Savior of the world was born, follow the star and you will find him in a manger…(cow) that’s my manger…. and he would be in swaddling clothes. Here we are!
pig: He’s the one, they came along way, the star shows others and everyone is waiting on him. It’s about the baby the mother calls Jesus! and angel said he was the savior of the world and is in a manger go see! that is a lot about nothing…
donkey: can I speak now? pig sure I forgot about you…. well it started when we were home. I was resting and an angel appeared and spoke to my lady and said she was going to have a baby and he would be the Messiah, the son of God… (There was a silence in the barn!)
pig: ..why didn’t you speak up sooner donkey?
donkey: anyway, Joseph my lady’s husband had a dream and an angel told him the same thing and then he received a letter about taxes and here we are, no rooms in the inns and homes and the nice lady and the last stop n said we could stay here and here we are in your barn with the most special baby to ever be born was born in your barn and slept in your manger… chicken (spoke up) and slept next to me. And don’t forget me, duck said… WOW they said together!
About that time came the three camels…… excuse us, may we rest here…
pig: why not this seems to be the most special spot on earth tonight, why are you here?
our masters are here to bring gifts to the new king…
pig: King, Messiah, God’s son wow in our barn… God must really love us to allow us to give our home up to the King of kings….. What a night!
(We played a song by the doughnut man, the animals sung around the barn with all characters)