Larry meets an angel - Christmas Eve Puppet Drama

I wrote this puppet drama for our Christmas Eve service.  Thanks to Alana Grove (Curly), Levi Keefer (Moe), and Nathan Keefer (Larry) for their help with this skit.

Moe – Yeah, but why did it happen in the manger?  I mean, you can’t tell me there wasn’t any room inside.

Larry – Listen, I keep telling you that it was all part of God’s plan.  Why don’t you understand this?

Moe – Well sure, I get that, but my point is WHY was that part of God’s plan?

Curly – Because, He’s God.  He can do what He wants.

       [Greg walks up to puppet stand, curious about what is happening.]

Greg – Hey there guys.  You’re up pretty early.  Have you been out all night long?

Moe – Why?  What time is it?

Greg – It’s six o’clock in the morning?  Did you guys spend the night in Bethlehem?

Larry – Oh, we went to see a new born baby?

Greg – In the Middle of the night?

Moe – I know, it sounds weird, right?  Well, let me explain.  We was sittin by the fire-n- I was playin my flute ….

Curly – Oh, let me! Let me tell ‘em!

Larry – He doesn’t need to hear about that.  Just tell him what happened when (whispers in Moe’s ear).

Moe – (impatient) Okay, okay.  Keep your robe on.  Anyway, I was sittin by the fire when …

Curly – The sun came up!

Greg – What?  In the middle of the night?

Larry – It wasn’t the sun.  Sheesh.  Don’t you guys know anything.

Moe – But it was as bright as the sun.

Curly – At midnight.

Greg – Seriously?

Moe – And then an angel spoke to us.

Larry – Yep.  And it weren’t no “Clarence looking for his wings” angel.  This was the real thing.

Greg – An angel.

Moe – Yep.

Greg – At midnight.

Curly – Yep.

Greg - … am I on Candid Camera?

Larry – Listen buster, you keep treatin us like idiots, we’re goin home.

Greg – Sorry Larry, it’s just … you want me to believe than an honest to goodness angel appeared to you last night.  I think you’ve been hanging around sheep too much.

Curly – I resemble that!

Greg – I mean, do you know how this sounds?

Larry – Well sure, until you hear the whole story.  Can we tell you the rest of the story?

Greg – Alright, alright.  Go ahead and finish your story Moe.

Moe – Well, I was sittin by the fire, playin my …

Greg – AFTER that!!!

Curly – We was frightened.

Moe – We couldn’t move.

Larry – That’s when we heard the angel talk.  He said, “Don’t be afraid.  I have good news”.

Moe – He told us that a very important baby had been born in Bethlehem.

Greg – Why is this baby so important?

Curly – Because, silly.  He is Christ the Lord – our Savior.

Greg – How can a baby save us?  They can’t even feed themselves.  What do you mean “Savior”?

Larry – Listen, see, a long time ago we humans got separated from God cause we sinned – we disobeyed.  And ever since then, we and God can’t get together.  We are people who disobey God; it’s just than plain and simple.  So instead of specting us to fix the problem, God says that He’ll take care of things.  He said a long time ago that someone would come along and make things right.  That person would be called the Messiah.  So right here in Bethlehem, just as He promised, the Messiah was born.  And me and Moe and Curly went down to see Him.  It was amazing.

Greg – And you’re sure you found the right place? 

Moe – Absolutely.  The angel said He would be in a feeding trough wrapped in strips of cloth.  And we walked down there and BANG, there He was, just like the angel said.  Except this man Joseph wanted to know what we were doing creeping around a cow shed at 2 o’clock in the morning.

Greg – So let me get this straight.  God has been promising to send this … what did you call Him?

Curly – Messiah

Greg – This Messiah, and God promised this a long time ago, right?

Larry – Right.

Greg – And lots of people knew about this? 

Curly – Yup

Greg – Then doesn’t it seem a bit odd that God’s Messiah would be born in a little town like Bethlehem, and then have Him be born in a stable?  I mean, Jerusalem is just six miles up the road.

Moe – See, that’s zakly what I’ve been wonderin.  How does all of this fit into God’s plan?  I don’t get it.

Curly – (softly) I think it happened this way because God’s plan was for us to tell people about Jesus.

Larry – Listen, I keep telling you it’s because this is what God planned.  God said a lot of things about this Messiah, and they just had to happen this way so people would believe.  You see? 

Curly – (a little louder) I think it happened this way because God’s plan was for us to tell people about Jesus.

Larry – I mean, what are the odds of one person fulfilling all those Old Testament prophecies.  That’s like, what, 1 in 10 gazillion million.

Moe – I don’t think “gazillion” is an actual number.

Curly – (a bit more forceful) I think it happened this way because God’s plan was for us to tell people about Jesus.

Greg – Listen, I don’t care about the odds.  I want to know why this angel announced this to you guys and not to the religious leaders in Jerusalem.  I mean, that would make more sense to me.  You’re just a bunch of shepherds!

Curly – (shouting) Will you listen to me for a minute.  I said, it happened this way because God wants us to tell people about Jesus.  Remember what all those angels said?  “Peace to those with whom God is pleased”.  God must have wanted us to tell others about Jesus because He is pleased with us.  He told us about the Messiah because He trusted us to do exactly what He said.  We went to Bethlehem and told everyone about what we had seen and heard which is exactly what He wanted.

Greg – So … you’re saying that …

Larry – we were told the story because God knew we would tell the story.  Get it?

Greg – Oh, I get it, I just wonder if they do (nodding head toward the audience).

Curly - “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Greg - Larry, Moe, myself, and Curly want you to know that Christmas is much more than a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  What the angel told these shepherds is the real reason we celebrate.  In Jesus, we find God’s answer to humanity’s greatest problem – how can a sinful person become reconciled to God.  We are not reconciled by following a list of rules.  We don’t become sinless by praying the correct number of times each day or by making a pilgrimage to some distant city.  Sin does not go away simply by rewriting the list or even by denying our sinfulness.  Since we can’t change our human nature, we simply cannot work our way back to God.

But that’s where God steps in.  Knowing we are helpless to change who we are, God offers to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  He sends His Son to ransom us from a life of sin and death.  And He does this for everyone.

All People, says the Angel.  “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”  And “All people” means everyone everywhere, regardless of race, nationality, or social standing.  Everyone can find reconciliation with God through faith in this Savior.  THE Messiah is OUR Messiah.

And we just wanted to make sure you knew that.