The Christmas Story / Christmas Eve presentation
Compiled by Leigh Riches
- Scripture verses copyright New Living Translation.
2001 Oakden Baptist Church.
[ This reading is designed to be read in conjunction with any appropriate video footage
from a Nativity video or Jesus Video ]
Stage :
Empty, narrator wearing black, with folder / book to read from. microphone on stand.
Song leader & backup singers seated against wall at back of stage. They make their
way to front of stage at the appropriate time.
Lighting :
small downward spot on narrator, brighter spot to be brought up & down on song leader
& backup singers, rest of stage dark, house lights off.
People:
Narrator, song leader, backup singers, video, lights & sound operators
Narrator
: (intro, Matthew 1.18, Luke 1:26-27)
" It was about 2,000 years ago in a small town called Bethlehem, that God sent His son Jesus Christ,
to be born as a baby. A baby that would grow up to become a man...... A man who
would change the world..... A World that God loved..... A love that caused God
to Send His son to be born on that first Christmas night.
" Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born."
"God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary.
She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.
"
Video seg1: (angel appears to Mary - 45 sec video + audio)
Narrator
: (Matt.. 1.19-20a, 22-23)
Joseph, her fiance, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so
as not to disgrace her publicly. As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's
message through his prophet:
"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will
be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us)."
Video seg2: (Angel appears to Joseph - 20sec video + audio)
VIdeo seg 3: (scene of traveling to Jerusalem - 60 seconds - video + music Bground,
with live narration over top)
Narrator
: (Luke 2.1-5, 7)
1At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout
the Roman Empire. All returned to their own towns to register for this census. And
because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He took with him Mary, his fiancé. And while they were there,
the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son.
She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there
was no room for them in the village inn.
SONG: "Away in a manger" -
words projected
Narrator
: Luke 2. 8-9
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks
of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of
the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened,
Video seg 4: (video of shepherds in field with sheep... then video of angel appearing
video + Andrew to add in bground music, SFX"bang" + video audio of angel speaking
- 45 secs)
Narrator
: Luke 2. 16-17
They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in
the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel
had said to them about this child.
SONG: "The first Noel" -
words projected
SONG: "Angels we have heard on high" -
words projected
Narrator
: (Matth. 2. 1b-10)
During the reign of King Herod some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem,
asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose,
and we have come to worship him." Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as
was all of Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious
law. "Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?" he asked them. "In Bethlehem,"
they said, "for this is what the
prophet wrote: `O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah,
for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.'"
Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At
this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star. Then he told
them, "Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him,
come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!" After this, the wise men went
their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went
ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star,
they were filled with joy!
Video Seg 5: (video of Wisemen traveling, arriving at house, bringing gifts. Video
+ Andrew to add in bground music only - 45 secs)
Narrator
: (Matt. 2 11, close)
They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down
before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The wise men were not merely giving gifts to a new born baby, they had recognised
who this child was -
Immanue
l - God is with us
.....God had become man to bring the people he loved back to himself.
Jesus Christ can still change lives today, if you simply put your trust in the Christ
of Christmas.
Video seg 6: (final) video montage of events - Mary& Joseph, traveling, wise men,
baby, shepherd etc. - 1 minute Video + audio (music) 60 secs)
SONG: "Joy to the World" -
words projected