TITLE: Daddy, Why Do We Celebrate Christmas? By Nadine Riggs 08/30/09 |
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Scene 1: Sitting at the kitchen table.
David: Daddy, why is Christmas just for people with lots of money? I thought Christ was born for all of us, that’s what they told us in the mission.
Father: Christ did come for all of us, and that is why we celebrate Christmas. I think you are confusing the gift giving with the real story of why Christ was born.
Joshua: Why was Christ born, Daddy?
Father: Christ was born to redeem the world.
Isaac: Redeem the world. You mean like we do our aluminum cans? We take them to the big truck and the man gives us money.
Father: Well, sort of. But instead of redeeming cans we redeem our souls, through Christ.
David: You mean we won’t have anymore holes in our shoes, because Christ was born?
Father: (Chuckling) Oh no! I don’t mean the holes in your shoes. I mean the holes in our hearts.
Joshua: I have a hole in my heart? Gosh, won’t that make me die?
Sarah: No. Of course not dummy, God fixed that hole with Jesus. So now we don’t have one. Right, Daddy?
Mother: (Coming in from the kitchen.) What is all this talk about holes in your hearts?
Father: Well it is a long story. You know how things get mixed up when you are trying to explain things to the children. I simply tried to tell them that we celebrate Christmas because Jesus was sent to the world to redeem the souls of mankind, and the gift giving was not the importance of Christmas. And, some how we ended up in a mess.
Joshua: Yeah, I’d say. David just asked why Christmas was only for people who have lots of money and Daddy told him he had a hole in his heart and Jesus came to fix it.
Mom: Well maybe we ought to start at the beginning and you will understand why Jesus came.
Sarah: Yeah that’s better than holes in our hearts and our shoes. Daddy, just doesn’t tell stories right.
Father: Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, maybe you would like it better if I told you to go away instead of answering your questions. Do you think you would like that?
Sarah: Well, no. I like your stories.
Father: I’m glad to hear that, it makes me feel much better.
Isaac: Besides they always make us laugh and they’re fun to listen to.
David: (Whining) You still haven’t answered my question. Why was Jesus born?
Mother: Let me go upstairs and get a book my mother gave me when I was a child and read you a story and then maybe you will understand. Then we can talk about it. Everybody clean up they’re plates and put them in the sink, then meet me in the den and we can read about Jesus.
Scene 2: Just as they are about to sit down there is a knock at the door. David and Sarah run to answer the door and get into an argument about who will open the door.
David: Stop it I got here first! (Both pulling on the handle)
Sarah: I don’t care I’m the oldest so, I should answer the door.
Mother: You two sit down and let me answer the door it is dark and neither one of you should answer the door. (Walking to the door)
David and Sarah: Oh, all right.
Mother: (Holding onto the door handle, she asks) Who is it?
Through the door she hears: It’s Goldilocks and the two bears. She smiles and opens the door to her sister and her children.
Mother: Hi, Goldilocks. How are you and the bears doing?
Martha: Just fine. We were out and we thought we would drop by and see what you all were up to.
Peter: Yeah, and see if you had anything for dinner.
Martha: Now you know better than that. I just wanted to see my favorite sister and her family.
Thomas: That’s not what you called them last night. You said…(Martha quickly grabs the little boy and places her hand over his mouth before he could finish.)
Martha: (Smiling sheepishly) You know how little boys are always telling tales.
Mother: (Smiling knowingly) Sure, I know how little boys are (looking at her own) why don’t you come and sit down with us we are about to read the story of the first Christmas.
Martha: Isn’t that the book that mother used to read us as children? How did you get it?
Mother: (Patting the seat beside her.) Come sit down and read with us.
(She opens the book and asks) Do you remember the story of Adam and Eve?
David: Sure that’s the one where Eve fed Adam the poison apple and he died.
Joshua: No stupid that was Snow White. Eve fed the apple to Adam and they figured out they were naked. (All the children giggle.)
Isaac: They must have been streaking. (Now everyone starts to giggle)
Mother: Well, you got the apple part right but you missed the meaning of the story.
Father: See how things can get messed up when you are dealing with this group.
Mother: Everyone quiet down, and listen to what I am about to tell you. God created man in his own image and he placed him in the Garden of Eden.
Joshua: Yeah, Naked. (All the children hold their hands over their mouths and giggle again)
Martha: Quiet down this is an important story and you should not make fun of it.
Mother: Now God told them they could eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden except for the tree of the Knowledge of good and evil.
Sarah: I remember this part the snake tricked them into eating the apple.
Mother: That’s right, very good. Now by eating the fruit they committed a sin against God and He told them they could no longer stay in the garden and as punishment they would die and return to dust from which they had come.
David: We came from dust. You mean like the dust on the furniture.
Peter: No, silly she means like the dirt on the ground.
Martha: Peter is so intelligent. (Patting his head)
Thomas: So, what am I stupid or something?
Father: Quiet down everyone and listen to your mother.
Mother: Now the earth continued to get worse and God knew he would have to send a redeemer to the earth or no one would ever return to him in heaven.
David: I know this part. That is why he sent Jesus.
Mother: Very good, David now lets read the story. (She looks down at the book and begins to read.) An Angel of the Lord appeared to Mary and said “Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with the Lord. And behold the Holy Spirit shall come upon you and you shall conceive and you shall have a son. You shall call him Jesus. He will be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High.” Mary was frightened for she was not married but she knew God would take care of everything. Later that same night the Spirit came to her as the Angel had said and she became pregnant. Now Mary was promised in marriage to Joseph and she knew he would think she had betrayed him when he found that she was to have a child.
Sarah: I’ll bet she was scared.
Joshua: Just, shut up and listen.
Isaac: Just let Mom read, please.
Mother: Thank you, Isaac. Now Mary told Joseph and he was upset he did not know what to believe. He thought Mary had been unfaithful to him so he decided to go to the elders and quietly divorce her. When an angel appeared to him in a dream and said’ “Joseph, son of David do not fear to take Mary your wife, for the child she carries is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you shall call Him Jesus, for he will save the people from their sins.” So when Joseph awoke he took Mary as his wife.
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should take a census, and each would have to return to his own city to enroll. For Joseph this was Bethlehem. Mary being in the late stages of her pregnancy was encouraged to remain home by Joseph. But she refused and begged to travel to Bethlehem with her husband. This fulfilled the prophecy that the child should be born in Bethlehem.
David: How did Caesar, know that Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem?
Father: He didn’t this was all part of God’s plan.
Joshua: God is pretty smart, Huh Daddy?
Father: Yes, son He knows all and plans all. Now let’s continue the story.
Martha: I wish you would after all we can’t spend the night.
Thomas and Peter: Yeah and we’re hungry.
Mother: Let’s take a break and let them get something to eat.
Martha: Good idea, we need a break.
Scene 3: Everyone returns to den.
Mother: Let’s continue. (Opening book.) So, Joseph and Mary returned to Bethlehem. Joseph walking and Mary riding a Donkey. When they arrived in Bethlehem they found that so many people had come to register that there was no room for them at the Inn.
David: They should have stayed at Holiday Inn. (Giggling).
Peter: Yeah and instead of a donkey they should have taken an airplane. (Now all the children were giggling)
Father: Everyone quiet down and listen to your mother this story is serious.
All the Children: Sorry.
Mother: That’s Ok. But let’s continue. Joseph asked the Innkeeper if he could find a place for them to stay, as his wife was about to give birth. Noticing Joseph’s desperation he led them to stable. Joseph quickly cleaned out a stall for Mary and the child was born and she wrapped him in swaddling clothing and laid him in a manger.
An angel appeared to the shepherds in the fields and they fell to their knees to worship him. The angel said, “Arise and follow the star for on this day a child has been born and you will find him wrapped in swaddling clothing and lying in a manger. He is the Son of God, Christ the Lord.” And suddenly a multitude of angels appeared praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.” So the shepherds followed the star bringing gifts to lay before the king.
And that is why we celebrate Christmas and give each other gifts.
David: I get it we give our loved one’s gift to celebrate the birth of Christ. What a great story, God must have really loved us to send His only son to earth.
Joshua: Sure all fathers love their children. Don’t they Dad.
Father: I wish that was true but maybe someday it will be, yes, maybe someday it will. Now let us all bow our heads and pray and thank God for His glorious gift then we should go to bed.
Dear Father, Thank you for loving us so much that You sent your only Son to this world that our sins would be forgiven. Truly You are a wondrous God full of grace and love for man.
Amen.
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