WORLD Radio presents The Christmas Story

NICK EICHER, HOST: It’s Friday the 24th of December, 2021.

Glad to have you along for today’s edition of The World and Everything in It. Good morning, I’m Nick Eicher.

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: And I’m Myrna Brown. First up: the Christmas story.

Nativity plays are a Christmas Eve tradition in many churches. This year we wanted to put on a little pageant of our own. Most of it will sound very familiar to you. But there’s one part of our story that may come as a surprise.

Traditional accounts of the story of Jesus’ birth have Mary and Joseph wandering through Bethlehem looking for a place to stay.

But some scholars believe that is an inaccurate account of what likely happened.

EICHER: The traditional belief that Jesus was born in a stable is based on Luke 2:7. It says Mary placed the baby in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. When we think of an inn, we think of a place for travelers to stay. But the word can also be translated as upper room, like you would find in someone’s house. In fact, it’s the same word both Luke and Mark use to describe the place where Jesus and his disciples ate the Last Supper. We’ll link to an article explaining all this in today’s transcript.

BROWN: Alright, without further ado, here is the WORLD Radio Christmas pageant, featuring a beloved cast of Worldlings.

AUDIO: [Wooshing, flapping wings]

Narrator 1: In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. He went to the house of a young virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph. He was a descendent of David.

The virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came to her and said:

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

Mary: What kind of greeting is this?

Gabriel: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.

Mary: How will this be, since I am a virgin?

Gabriel: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.

Mary: I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.

AUDIO: [Wooshing, flapping wings]

Narrator 1: Now, when Joseph found out Mary was pregnant, he was not happy. But because he was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he’d considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said:

Angel: Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived 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 1: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means, God with us.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him.

Joseph: I’m sorry I doubted you, Mary.

Mary: Oh, Joseph. I love you! I know this is all part of God’s plan.

Narrator 2: Now in those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.

AUDIO: [Sounds of cart wheels, walking, people talking]

And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

Bethlehem was really busy!

AUDIO: [Sound of crowd]

But as was the Jewish custom, Mary and Joseph went straight to the home of relatives in the city. Of course, it was crowded, too!

Relative: I’m sorry we don’t have any more space in the upper room. But you can stay downstairs with us.

Mary: Thank you! I think it’s nearly time for the baby to be born!

Relative: Oh! Come over here and lie down in the hay.

Narrator 2: Most houses at that time had a space for animals at one end of the first floor. Kind of like the garages we have today! At night, the animals came inside, to protect them from predators.

AUDIO: [Sound of animals]

The animals ate out of small depressions dug into the ground called mangers.

AUDIO: [Baby cries]

When Mary’s baby was born, she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in one of the mangers, probably right next to where she was lying.

AUDIO: [Sound of sheep, voices]

Mary: He’s so beautiful!

Joseph: He’s perfect. Just like God promised.

Mary: It’s hard to believe one day he will sit on David’s throne.

Joseph: Or save us from our sins.

Relative: What are you going to name him?

Joseph: His name is Immanuel.

Mary: God with us.

Narrator 3: And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

AUDIO: [Wooshing, flapping wings]

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

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

AUDIO: [Wooshing, flapping wings]

Narrator 3: Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared, praising God.

AUDIO: [Singing]

Narrator 3: Then the angels left them and went back into heaven.

Shepherd 1: Did you see that?

Shepherd 2: That was amazing!

Shepherd 3: Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.

Narrator 3: So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

AUDIO: [Animal and crowd sounds]

Shepherd 1: Wow, he’s so tiny!

Shepherd 2: I know! And yet, this is our savior.

Shepherd 3: Everyone needs to know about this! Come on, let’s go spread the word!

Narrator 3: And they did. They told everyone about the baby and what the angels had said about him. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. Then the shepherds returned to their fields, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

[Song: What Child Is This]

EICHER: In order of appearance, that was: Vivi Gaultney, Ford Gaultney, Keziah Jones, Courtney Peetz, Sam Gaultney, Anna Whitten, Daisy Gaultney, Rebecca Whitten, Ellie Peetz, and Jake, Luke, and Colt Williams.

BROWN: If you enjoyed that and would like to share it with friends and family, we’ve created a special way for you to do that. An animated video version perfect for emailing or social media! You can find it on our Instagram and Facebook feeds and we’ve also posted it to the WORLD News Group YouTube channel. We’ll put a link in today’s transcript.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.