A FAMILY NATIVITY PLAY

From the Gospels of Matthew and Luke

By: Jennifer Donovan

This Christmas play can be done with very few characters because the action is carried forward
mostly by the Narrator or expanded to include a large group. If you don’t have enough actors
for all the roles, the Narrator can just read the parts for the characters who are missing. It’s fun
to use simple costumes and props - a bit of tinsel for angel halos, a star cut out and stapled on
to a cardboard tube to lead the Wisemen, bathrobes, a doll, a box or basket for a manger, a toy
crown for the kings, chocolates coins for gold, a perfume bottle for myrrh, pieces of wood or
bark for frankincense, a tall stick for a shepherds staff, a stuffed animal for sheep…. Print
enough scripts for everyone, just read parts, no memorizing necessary.

CAST:

Narrator Star to Wise Men

Angel Gabriel Wise Man 1
Mary Wise Man 2
Joseph Wise Man 3
2 or 3 Shepherds Innkeeper (optional)
Angel to Shepherds Teacher / Scribe (optional)
Extra Angels for Company of Angels
________________

Narrator: A very long time ago, over two thousand years ago in fact, the most
important event in all of history took place. It was a miracle so amazing that only God
could have thought of it. Nothing like it had ever happened before and nothing like it
has ever happened since. But when it happened, it happened so quietly that if God
hadn't announced it with an angel choir, it might have been missed altogether! Can
you imagine, the most wonderful thing ever, and everyone might have missed it? It all
seemed so ordinary, so unremarkable at the time, but like I said, it wasn't. It wasn't
because on that quiet night long ago, God Himself came to earth on a wonderful rescue
mission. He came because only He could save people from their sins and He could do it
only by taking our humanity to Himself. So, the great God who had created the entire
world humbled Himself, becoming like us, and was born a tiny baby in the little town of
Bethlehem.

It happened like this.

An angel named Gabriel, God's special messenger, came to a young Jewish girl named
Mary and said to her,

Gabriel: Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.

Narrator: Mary was afraid when the angel spoke to her, but he said,

1
 A FAMILY NATIVITY PLAY
From the Gospels of Matthew and Luke
By: Jennifer Donovan

Gabriel: Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give
birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of
the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign
over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.

Narrator: Mary didn't understand how this could happen because she was not yet
married, and she knew that a baby could only come to a couple who were living as
husband and wife. But the angel explained that this was a very special baby, a baby
unlike any other baby who had ever been born - this baby would be God's own Son
because the Holy Spirit, God's own Spirit, would overshadow her so that the baby
growing within her would be called the Son of God. Mary believed the angel and said,

Mary: I believe you. I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.

Narrator: Mary was engaged to a good man named Joseph who was a carpenter. When he
found out that Mary was going to have a baby, he didn't understand how that could be. He
knew he wasn't the baby's father and so he thought it might be better not to marry Mary after
all. But God sent the angel Gabriel to speak to Joseph.

Gabriel: Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the
baby growing in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him
the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

Narrator: Joseph immediately obeyed and took Mary into his home as his wife. Several months
later when it was nearly time for Mary's baby to be born, she and Joseph had to go to the little
town of Bethlehem to register for taxes because Joseph was from King David's family line and
Bethlehem was King David's boyhood home.

All Sing: "O, Little Town of Bethlehem "

0 little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!

Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

Narrator: It was going to be a very hard trip for Mary whose tummy was very big by this
time. It would have been too far for her to walk so Joseph saddled up his donkey and Mary
climbed on. They arrived in Bethlehem exhausted by the journey and wanted to find a
place to rest. So, they asked at every inn if they could stay there.

Joseph: My wife is about to have a baby can we stay here?

2
 A FAMILY NATIVITY PLAY
From the Gospels of Matthew and Luke
By: Jennifer Donovan

Narrator: But all the innkeepers said, "No, go away; we don't have any room for you.
But one innkeeper said, [optional--Innkeeper:] "Sorry, we're all full tonight - but if you
want, you can go down to our stable and spend the night there among the animals.”
With no other choices and Mary about to give birth to her baby, they went to the
stable and settled as best they could for the night. During the night with the animals all
around, Mary gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes
and laid Him in the animals' manger because there was no other bed for him.

Joseph: His name is Jesus - that's the name the angel Gabriel said He should have
because He will grow up to save His people from their sins.

All Sing: "Away in a Manger"

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,

The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

Narrator: Out in the fields nearby there were shepherds watching over their flocks.
Suddenly, an angel appeared to them and the glory of God shone all around them.

Angel to Shepherds: (Stand near the shepherds.)

Narrator: They were terrified by this.

Shepherds: (Cowering down, covering heads in terror)

Narrator: Then the angel said to them

Angel to Shepherds: Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for
all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah,
the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a
manger.

(Angel Gabriel and any other Angels join Angel to Shepherds to form the company of
angels)

Narrator: Then to their amazement a great company of angels appeared praising God
and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom
his favor rests."

3
 A FAMILY NATIVITY PLAY
From the Gospels of Matthew and Luke
By: Jennifer Donovan

All Sing: "Angels We Have Heard on High"

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o'er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Angels: (Angels leave shepherds.)

Narrator: After the angels left and went back into heaven, the shepherds talked among
themselves.

Shepherd 1: Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the
Lord has told us about.

Shepherd 2: Yes, let's go. I want to see this!

Shepherd 3: - Come on, let's hurry.

Narrator: They hurried into town and found Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, who was
lying in the manger. When they left, they told everyone they saw about what they had
seen.

All Sing: "Joy to the World"

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Narrator: They returned to their sheep out in fields, but they were never the same
after that night when God had sent His angel choir to tell them the good news about
His Son being born to save His people from their sins. (pause) But the shepherds
weren't the only ones God invited to come to see His newborn Son. Far away in the
east in another country there were wise men who studied the stars. They had seen an
amazing sight, too. It was a special star that meant that a king had been born. It was a
star that pointed to a new king of Israel.

4
 A FAMILY NATIVITY PLAY
From the Gospels of Matthew and Luke
By: Jennifer Donovan

All Sing: "Silent Night"

Silent night, holy night Wondrous star, lend thy light;

With the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born!

Narrator: So, they set off on the long journey to find this king and bring him gifts that
were worthy of a king. They saddled up their camels and gathered gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh and took them to give to the new king. They followed the star
that led them toward Bethlehem.

Star: (appears and leads Wise Men on journey)

All Sing: "We Three Kings"

We three kings of Orient are; Bearing gifts we traverse afar,

Field and fountain, moor and mountain, Following yonder star.
0 star of wonder, star of light, Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding, Guide us to thy perfect light.

Narrator: They stopped first in Jerusalem because they thought that was where a new
king would be found. They asked the people in Jerusalem, [optional: Wise Men ask
Scribe] "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it
rose and have come to worship him." No one knew what they were talking about but
the teachers who studied the scriptures said, [optional: Scribe] "He will be born in
Bethlehem in Judea for this is what the prophet has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the
land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will
come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’"

So, the Wiseman headed for Bethlehem where they found baby Jesus with Mary and
Joseph and they presented Him with the gifts they had brought and bowed down and
worshiped Him. Then they returned to their own country having seen the newborn
king of Israel who was God incarnate, come to save His people from their sins.

All Sing: "O, Come All Ye Faithful"

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;

Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

0 come, let us adore Him, 0 come, let us adore Him,

0 come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.