I wrote this story when my kids were much younger. The reason it is separated into acts is because it was used as a Christmas play at our church.
Act One
(Joseph is working at his workbench just in front of his carpenter shop)
Someone had just yelled out, “When do you plan on leaving?” Joseph looked up from his workbench to see who it was. Walking down the narrow dirt road toward him was his good friend, Samuel. “When are you leaving?” asked Samuel who was approaching the lean-to where Joseph was working. “The day after tomorrow.” answered Joseph as he looked down where he was softly polishing the little cradle he was crafting. Suddenly he was lost in thought, his mind racing back a few months to the moment he first heard Mary was pregnant. He snapped back to the present when he heard Samuel, who was now standing directly in front of him, ask in a bewildered tone, “You are leaving in two days?” Samuel knew that Joseph and Mary would have travel almost 90 miles to get to Bethlehem for the census. In Mary’s condition that trip could take as much as five or six days.
“I want to finish this cradle before we leave,” Joseph quietly exclaimed as he continued to rub the cradle tenderly with his polishing cloth. “Besides,” he said, now completely recovered from his daydreaming, “we have to wait for Elam to return from Ceaserea. He borrowed our donkey to take some goods for the market there, and he does not expect to be back until tomorrow evening.” “Well,” exclaimed Samuel, “we are leaving first thing in the morning, and we only have to go to Jerusalem. I hope you get to Bethlehem in time to get a good room.” Samuel waved goodbye to Joseph and continued down the dirt road toward his little cottage at the edge of their village.
As Samuel walked away, Joseph once again looked down, and realized he was still gently rubbing the little cradle. What a glorious time it had been since he had taken Mary to be his wife. He loved her deeply; his heart melted each time he would look at her. Sometimes she would be sitting peacefully as she sewed on a garment, softly humming. Sometimes, when he would catch her like this, he would stand in the shadows so she could not see him. His eyes would fill with tears because of the joy and love he felt as he gazed upon her tender form.
His eyes would follow the shape of her body, and he would see where the little baby was forming. Every time he saw this, his heart filled all the more with love for Mary. Joseph knew the child she was carrying was not from him, but he also knew who the child was, and how the child came into being. He felt humbled as he thought about the miracle of the Christ that would be born any day now.
Any day now! He again snapped out of his daydreaming as he contemplated the thought that Mary was due any day now, and that they must travel the 90 miles to Bethlehem to pay their census tax. Joseph prayed earnestly that God would watch over them on their journey.
Act Two
(Joshua, the youngest son of a shepherd family is excitedly running around the little house where he lives with his mother and father)
Ninety miles away, in Bethlehem, Josh could hardly contain his excitement. The truth is that it was his overflowing excitement that was getting him in so much trouble the last couple of days. He was already a boy full of energy, and to get such good news like he received two days ago only helped to raise Joshua’s activity level. When he had that much energy he had to run around, play a lot harder, ask a multitude of questions, and in general, make a pest of himself.
He just couldn’t help himself. In one week it would be his birthday. He would be nine, and his father just told him earlier this week that on his birthday he would be old enough to spend the night on the hillside with his father and their flock of sheep. He was the youngest son of a shepherd family. His older brothers had already been able to take their turns watching the flock at night. Finally he was going to be able to stay up all night. He would be with his father, and tending to their sheep. There would be other flocks on the hillside as well. All the shepherds, on their side of the hill, got together each evening to watch out for their sheep.
As he thought about this upcoming adventure his excitement bubbled up again, and he ran to the door to go outside to play. As he ran he knocked over a jar of water his mother had just brought back from the village well. “Joshua!” his mother yelled, “Can’t you slow down for even one moment? Now look at what you’ve done!” Josh knew he was in trouble since it was almost a mile to the well, and now someone would have to walk all the way there and back to get water for cooking. He had a pretty good idea who that someone was going to be.
In a stern voice his mother said, “Now you pick up that jar and go straight to the well to get water before it gets too dark.” “But mom . . .” “Joshua! Now!” He couldn’t even get out his complaint, but he knew he better not argue. So he grabbed the jar, ran out the door headed to the well. On the way he noticed little Taleh out of the corner of his eye. Taleh Katan was the name he gave his perfect little lamb who was born just a few days ago, but he always just called it Taleh. Joshua had fallen in love with the little lamb, and was known to take it just about everywhere he went.
He reached down, picked up Taleh, and gently placed the little lamb over his shoulders. “I wonder what I’m going to get for my birthday,” said Josh as Taleh cuddled up around his neck. “I guess the best present I could get will be to go out to watch the flock on my birthday.”
Act Three
(Mary and Joseph get ready for their journey to Bethlehem)
The day arrived for Mary and Joseph to begin their journey to Bethlehem. Mary was both equally excited about the trip, and worried about her baby. She knew the baby was due any day now, and she wondered how she would be able to care for him so far from home. “Just think of it,” she thought to herself, “I’m only 15 years old, and God has trusted me with the birth of His only son.” In many ways she was still a child. Certainly she often felt that way. She had never been far from Nazareth until the announcement of the baby. Since that day she had travelled to see her cousin Elizabeth, and now she was going to Bethlehem. Bethlehem seemed so far away; seemingly almost in another land.
In the midst of thought she was somehow able to wrap up the last bundle of clothing. Upon finishing she handed the bundle to Joseph who got ready to secure it to their donkey. Oh how she loved Joseph! Here she was, carrying a child inside her that was not his, yet he somehow understood, believed, and loved her so much. She knew how easy it could have been for Joseph to turn his back on her, and walk away. But God had spoken to him too, and he knew the baby she was carrying was the Christ child.
Joseph threw their last bundle up on the donkey, and tied it securely with a strong piece of cloth. He stepped into the house just one more time to be sure they remembered to get everything they needed. He glanced over at the cradle he had just finished. “How tiny,” he murmured, and thought, “What a precious child it will be that will lay in that small bed.”
Joseph stepped back out into the sunlight, where his eyes fell on Mary. There she was, so beautiful, so young, so pure. It was no wonder that God had chosen her to be the mother of the baby Christ child. “Are you ready?” he asked, with a measure of excitement in his voice. “Ready,” Mary replied. Joseph stepped over to her, and gently lifted her up on the donkey. And with that gesture they began their blessed journey to Bethlehem.
Act Four
(Joshua gets his birthday gift early)
The excitement of the week was almost too much for Joshua to handle. Bethlehem was filling with people from all parts of the country. According to what his father had told him, all these people came to Bethlehem to pay their taxes and register for the census. Joshua didn’t know what taxes were, but it didn’t matter. What did matter, as far as he was concerned, was the hubbub all around him that seemed to match his own feelings. Every where he went and looked, it seemed as though something exciting was going on.
And, adding to his elation, was the awareness that tomorrow was his birthday. He would be nine and tomorrow night he was going to get to stay up all night with his father as they watched over their flock of sheep. With all of these emotions flooding his mind, he was afraid he would not be able to sleep tonight.
“Mother,” he nearly screamed as he ran into the house, “people are still coming into Bethlehem from everywhere! It seems as though the village will burst with all the people arriving!” He knew the village of Bethlehem was full; he had heard his father and uncle talking about it that morning. “Not a room left in town,” he heard his father say.
“Joshua,” his mother said in exasperation, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you before your birthday comes tomorrow. I wonder if I’m going to make it. You’re so wound up, I do believe you are going to keep me up all night.”
Joshua’s father looked up from the staff he was whittling away at, and saw the exasperation and tiredness in his wife’s eyes. He thought for a moment, looked again at his wife and, seeing her exhaustion, said to Joshua, “I’ll tell what I’m going to do. Looking now at Joshua, he said, “on the day you were born you decided to make your entrance into this world in the early morning hours. That means you will really be nine years old at about two o’clock in the morning. So I think it would be okay for you to go with us tonight to watch the flock.”
Josh couldn’t believe what he was hearing. With wonder in his voice he asked, “Do you really mean it father?” His father looked at his mother, who smiled thankfully, and said, “Yes, I mean it. Get your wrap and blanket together. You’re going out to the hillside tonight.”
Act Five
(That night, as they lay on the hillside)
That night on the hillside the stars seemed especially bright. Josh could not remember such a beautiful night. Neither could his father who sat quietly as he watched the stars in peaceful amazement. “What a glorious night,” Josh’s father thought, “I don’t remember the stars ever being so clear and bright. They seem to light up the entire country side.”
As they lay on the hillside, Josh looked to the north and watched the slow progress of two people silhouetted against the night horizon. “Look father,” he said, “there are two more people coming to pay their taxes. I hope they will find a room.” His father replied, “I would be very surprised if they do.”
Act Six
(Joseph and Mary come to the end of their journey to Bethlehem)
The journey had been long and hard for Mary. For the last two hours she had been feeling the pangs of birth. She knew her time to give birth was quickly approaching. As Mary was silently accepting her pain, Joseph gently moved their donkey along. Now, at long last, their journey was coming to an end. But it was soon evident, just as Samuel had warned them, there were no rooms left for them to stay.
Finally, in desperation, Joseph accepted the offer of a place to sleep in a stable behind one innkeeper’s dwelling. Joseph’s only concern now was to get Mary off the donkey, and allow her to lay down somewhere comfortably.
He spread one of their blankets on the hay, carefully lifted Mary off the donkey, and gently laid her on the blanket. He kissed her softly as he covered her tired body with another blanket. Just then Mary groaned in pain, and they both knew it was time for the birth of their son.
Act Seven
(The Angels announcement)
“Look!” Josh exclaimed excitedly, as he pointed to a very big and very bright star to the east. Joshua’s father looked up, and his eyes opened wide in astonishment. All the other shepherds on the hillside seemed to see the same star at the same time. “Amazing!” exclaimed Joshua’s father, “I’ve never seen such a bright star.”
Suddenly the stars began to quickly move in the night sky. Josh and his father, and all the shepherds stood up. As they got on their feet, they heard what sounded like singing. All of then at once realized the stars were actually angels, and they were announcing to the shepherds of a birth that just occurred in Bethlehem. The angels revealed to them that a child was born who was going to save the world. His name was Jesus, and he was lying in a manger in a stable just at the edge of the village of Bethlehem.
Final Act
(The gift of The Lamb)
The angels directed the shepherds to the place of Jesus’ birth. It was there that Joshua first saw the baby who the angels proclaimed was the Christ child. What a warm feeling that overcame him as he looked at the baby! He did not understand all that the angels told them, but he knew, right at this moment that this was a special baby.
Josh felt as though he must do something special for this baby. As he was contemplating what he could do, little Taleh softly bleated. Suddenly Josh realized he knew what he was going to do. What a wonderful gift for this baby he thought, as he lifted little Taleh off his shoulders. He then lay his perfect little lamb by the manager where the little baby had been sleeping.
Mary, who was holding the baby Jesus, looked up from her child and smiled at Joshua. They both knew, at that moment, that her child was the Lamb of God. Joshua’s gift of a perfect lamb was a symbol of God’s gift to all people; His perfect Lamb, Jesus Christ.